Public Law 54–401

“Art. 15.

All signals prescribed by this article for vessels under way

Fog signals.

shall be given:

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“First.

By ‘steam vessels’ on the whistle or siren.

Steam vessels.

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“Second.

By ‘sailing vessels’ and ‘vessels towed’ on the fog horn.

Sailing vessels.

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“The words ‘prolonged blast’ used in this article shall mean a blast

Meaning of prolonged blast.

of from four to six seconds duration.

“A steam vessel shall be provided with an efficient whistle or siren,

Instruments to be used by steam vessels.

sounded by steam or by some substitute for steam, so placed that the sound may not be intercepted by any obstruction, and with an efficient fog horn, to be sounded by mechanical means, and also with an efficient bell. (In all cases where the rules require a bell to be used a drum may be substituted on board Turkish vessels, or a gong where such articles

Substitutes on Turkish and small vessels.

Sailing vessels.

are used on board small seagoing vessels.) A sailing vessel of twenty tons gross tonnage or upward shall be provided with a similar fog horn and bell.

“In fog, mist, falling snow, or heavy rainstorms, whether by day or

Day and night signals.

night, the signals described in this article shall be used as follows, namely:

“(a)“(a)

A steam vessel having way upon her shall sound, at intervals

Steamers under way.

of not more than two minutes, a prolonged blast.

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“(b)“(b)

A steam vessel under way, but stopped, and having no way

Steamers stopped.

upon her, shall sound, at intervals of not more than two minutes, two prolonged blasts, with an interval of about one second between.

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“(c)“(c)

A sailing vessel under way shall sound, at intervals of not more than one

Sailing vessels under way.

minute, when on the starboard tack, one blast; when on the port tack, two blasts in succession, and when with the wind abaft the beam, three blasts in succession.

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“(d)“(d)

A vessel when at anchor shall, at intervals of not more than one

Vessels at anchor.

minute, ring the bell rapidly for about five seconds.

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“(e)“(e)

A vessel when towing, a vessel employed in laying or in picking

Vessels towing, laying cables, or not under control.

up a telegraph cable, and a vessel under way, which is unable to get out of the way of an approaching vessel through being not under command, or unable to maneuver as required by the rules, shall, instead of the signals prescribed in subdivisions (a) and (c) of this article, at intervals of not more than two minutes, sound three blasts in succession, namely: One prolonged blast followed by two short blasts. A vessel towed may give this signal and she shall not give any other.

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“Sailing vessels and boats of less than twenty tons gross tonnage

Sound signals by small vessels.

shall not be obliged to give the above-mentioned signals, but, if they do not, they shall make some other efficient sound signal at intervals of not more than one minute.”