Chapter LXIX. *fixing certain Rides and Regulations for preventing Collisions on the Water.* April 29, 1864. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * Rules, &c., for preventing collisions on the water
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Chap. LXIX.— An Act *fixing certain Rides and Regulations for preventing Collisions on the Water.* April 29, 1864. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * Rules, &c., for preventing collisions on the water. That from and after September one, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, the following rules and regulations for preventing collisions on the water be adopted in the navy and the mercantile marine of the United States: *Provided,* That the exhibition Lights on vessels-of-war need not be exhibited, when, &c.of any light on board of a vessel-of-war of the United States may be suspended whenever, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Navy, the commander-in-chief of a squadron, or the commander of a vessel acting singly, the special character of the service may require it.
Regulations.REGULATIONS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS ON THE WATER. CONTENTS. Article 1. Preliminary. Rules concerning lights:— “ 2. Lights to be carried as follows: “ 3. Lights for steamships. “ 4. Lights for steam-tugs. “ 5. Lights for sailing-ships. “ 6. Exceptional lights for small sailing-vessels. “ 7. Lights for ships at anchor. “ 8. Lights for pilot-vessels. “ 9. Lights for fishing-vessels and boats. Rules concerning fog-signals:— “ 10. Fog-signals. Steering and sailing rules:
“ 11. Two sailing-ships meeting. “ 12. Two sailing-ships crossing. “ 13. Two ships under steam meeting. “ 14. Two ships under steam crossing. “ 15. Sailing-ship and ship under steam. “ 16. Ships under steam to *shacken* [slacken] speed. “ 17. Vessels overtaking other vessels, “ 18. Construction of articles 12, 14, 15, and 17. “ 19. Proviso to save special eases. “ 20. No ship under any circumstances to neglect proper precautions. PRELIMINARY. Article 1. What to be considered sailing-ships and what ships under steam.
In the following rules every steamship which is under sail, and Dot under steam, is to be considered a sailing-ship; and every steam-ship which is under steam, whether under sail or not, is to be considered a ship under steam. Rules for lights.RULES CONCERNING LIGHTS. lights Article 2. The lights mentioned in the following articles, and no others, shall be carried in all weathers between sunset and sunrise. 59 lights for steamships. Article 3. All steam-vessels when under way shall carry—Lights for steamships.
(a)At the foremast head, a bright white light, so fixed as to show an uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light ten points on each side of the ship, viz: from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least five miles.
(b)On the starboard side, a green light, so constructed as to throw an uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the starboard side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles.
(c)On the port side, a red light, so constructed as to show an uniform unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side, and of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles.
(d)The said green and red side lights shall be filled with inboard screens, projecting at least three feet forward from the light, so as to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow. lights for steam-tugs. Article 4. Steamships, when towing other ships, shall carry twofor steam-tugs. bright white masthead lights vertically, in addition to their side lights, so as to distinguish them from other steamships. Each of these masthead lights shall be of the same constitution and character as the masthead lights which other steamships are required to carry. lights for sailing-ships. Article 5. Sailing-ships under way or being towed shall carry thefor sailing-ships. same lights as steamships under way, with the exception of the white masthead lights, which they shall never carry. exceptional lights for small sailing-vessels. Article 6. Whenever, as in the case of small vessels during badExceptional lights for small sailing-vessels. weather, the green and red lights cannot be fixed, these lights shall be kept on deck, on their respective sides of the vessel, ready for instant exhibition, and shall, on the approach of or to other vessels, be exhibited on their respective sides in sufficient time to prevent collision, in such manner as to make them most visible, and so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side. To make the use of these portable lights more certain and easy, they shall each be painted outside with the color of the light they respectively contain, and shall be provided with suitable screens. lights for ships at anchor. Article 7. Ships, whether steamships or sailing-ships, when at anchorLights for ships at anchor; in roadsteads or fairways, shall, between sunset and sunrise, exhibit where it can best be seen, but at a height not exceeding twenty feet above the hull, a white light in a globular lantern of eight inches in diameter, and so constructed as to show a clear uniform and unbroken light visible all around the horizon, and at a distance of at least one mile. lights for pilot-vessels. Article 8. Sailing pilot-vessels shall not curry the lights required forfor pilot-vessels. 60other sailing-vessels, but shall carry a white light at the masthead, visible all round the horizon, and shall also exhibit a flare-up light every fifteen minutes. lights for fishing-vessels and boats. Article 9. Lights for fishing-vessels and boats. Open fishing-boats and other open boats shall not be required to carry side lights required for other vessels, but shall, if they do not carry such lights, carry a lantern having a green slide on the one side and a red slide on the other side, and on the approach of or to other vessels, such lantern shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision, so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side. Fishing-vessels and open boats when at anchor, or attached to their nets and stationary, shall exhibit a bright white light. Fishing-vessels and open boats shall, however, not be prevented from using a flare-up in addition, if considered expedient. RULES GOVERNING FOG-SIGNALS. fog-signals. Article 10. Rules for fog-signals. Whenever there is a fog, whether by day or night, the fog-signals described below shall be carried and used, and shall be sounded at least every five minutes, viz:—
(a)Steamships under way shall use a steam-whistle placed before the funnel, not less than eight feet from the deck.
(b)Sailing-ships under way shall use a fog-horn.
(c)Steamships and sailing-ships when not under way shall use a bell. Steering and sailing rules.STEERING AND SAILING RULES. two sailing-ships meeting. Article 11. Two sailing-ships meeting; If two sailing-ships are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the port side of the other. two sailing-ships crossing. Article 12. Two sailing-ships crossing. When two sailing-ships are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, then, if they have the wind on different sides, the ship with the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the ship with the wind on the starboard side, except in the case in which the ship with the wind on the port side is close-hauled, and the other ship free, in which case the latter ship shall keep out of the way. But if they have the wind on the same side, or if one of them has the wind aft, the ship which is to windward shall keep out of the way of the ship which is to leeward. two ships under steam meeting. Article 13. Two ships under steam meeting; If two ships under steam are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the port side of the other. two ships under steam crossing. Article 14. Sailing-ship and ship under steam. If two ships under steam are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the ship which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way of the other. sailing-ship and ship under steam. Article 15. If two ships, one of which is a sailing-ship and the other a steamship, are proceeding in such directions as to involve risk of collision, the steamship shall keep out of the way of the sailing-ship. THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 70, 71. 1864. 61 ships under steam to slacken speed. Article 16. Every steamship, when approaching another ship, so as toShips under steam to slacken speed. involve risk of collision, shall slacken her speed, or, if necessary, stop and reverse; and every steamship shall, when in a fog, go at a moderate speed. vessels overtaking other vessels. Article 17. Every vessel overtaking any other vessel shall keep outVessels over-taking other vessels. of way of the said last-mentioned vessel. construction of articles 12, 14, 15, and 17. Article 18. Where, by the above rules, one of two ships is to keepConstruction of articles 12, 14 15, and 17. out of the way, the other shall keep her course subject to the qualifications contained in the following article:— proviso to save special cases. Article 19. In obeying and construing these rules due regard mustSpecial cases. be had to all dangers of navigation, and due regard must also be had to any special circumstances which may exist in any particular case rendering a departure from the above rules necessary bi order to avoid immediate danger. no ship under any circumstances to neglect proper precautions. Article 20. Nothing in these rules shall exonerate any ship, or theProper precautions to be always observed. owner, or master, or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to carry lights or signals, or of any neglect to keep a proper lookout, or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case. Approved, April 29, 1864. Chapter LXX: to provide for the Collection of Hospital Dues from Vessels of the United States sold or transferred in foreign Ports or Waters. 13 Stat. 61 1864-04-29 Chapter LXX Little, Brown and Company text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2026-01-27 38 2 public
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Chapter LXIX
*fixing certain Rides and Regulations for preventing Collisions on the Water.* April 29, 1864. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * Rules, &c., for preventing collisions on the water
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