Bermuda Consolidated Legislation

 

BERMUDA STATUTORY INSTRUMENT

MARINE BOARD (NAVIGATION) (SHIP CHANNELS) (No. 3) REGULATIONS 1962

[made under section 8 of the Board of Trade Act 1930 [repealed] and brought into operation on 5 September 1938]

[now deemed to have been made under the Marine Board Act 1962]

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS

1 Interpretation

2 Right of way

3 Hoisting national flag as signal of claiming priority inward bound for St. George's

4 Signals on leaving St. George's

5 Staggs and Dundonald Channels; right of way of outward bound ship

6 Two Rocks Channel; sig nals on clearing outward bound

7 Inward bound ship to keep clear of outward bound ship claiming pri ority

8 Island boat to give way

9 No anchoring in channel unless under stress

10 Ship anchored in channel under stress

11 Speed limit

12 Avoiding damage to buoys

13 Duties when proceeding from Murray's Anchorage through the Narrows Channel

Interpretation

1 In these Regulations—

"Island boat" means every vessel, hulk, steamboat, lighter or other boat, not being a row-boat, and not ordinarily employed in voyages to any place beyond the sea;

"master" means the person in charge of any ship or Island boat;

"ship" means every description of seagoing vessel fitted as such;

"ship channel" means the Main Ship Channel leading from Five Fathom Hole by way of the Narrows, Murray's Anchorage and the North Shore of Bermuda to Grassy Bay, the Dundonald and Staggs Channels or any or either of them, and every ap proach to, and every extension or prolongation of any or ei ther of them.

Right of way

2 The master or pilot of every inward bound ship, shall, on seeing the signal "Leaving St. George's Harbour" hoisted at Fort George with re spect to any outward bound ship, or on himself observing a vessel in the act of leaving St. George's Harbour, keep such inward bound ship from entering the Town Cut Channel until the outward bound ship has cleared the channel.

Hoisting national flag as signal of claiming priority inward bound for St. George's

3 The master or pilot of every inward bound ship, shall on enter ing, while in, and until such ship has cleared the Narrows Channel, hoist and keep hoisted at the mainmast head of such ship, the national flag of such ship, as a signal of her claiming priority of the right of way.

Signals on leaving St. George's

4 (1) A ship leaving St. George's Harbour will blow one prolonged blast on her siren immediately before weighing anchor or leaving the wharf.

(2) As soon as the ship is lined up for the Town Cut Channel ready to proceed through the channel she will blow four prolonged blasts.

(3) When the ship blows four prolonged blasts the signalman at Fort George will hoist the signal denoting "Ship leaving St. George's Har bour".

Staggs and Dundonald Channels; right of way of outward bound ship

5 On two ships approaching the Staggs Channel or, as the case may be, the Dundonald Channel, in opposite directions, so that if they both proceed, they will meet in the said channels, the outward bound
ship shall have the right of way.

Two Rocks Channel; signals on clearing outward bound

6 The master or pilot of every outward bound ship, shall immedi ately on clearing Two Rocks Channel, hoist and keep hoisted at the mainmast head of such ship, the national flag of such ship, as a signal for her claiming priority of the right of way through the Dundonald Channel and the Staggs Channel.

Inward bound ship to keep clear of outward bound ship claiming pri ority

7 The master or pilot of every inward bound ship shall, on an out ward bound ship claiming priority of the right of way, as mentioned in regulation 6 keep such ship off and from the channel through which pri ority is claimed at a safe and sufficient distance therefrom and until such ship has cleared such channel.

Island boat to give way

8 The master of every Island boat using the ship channels, shall at all times give way to any inward or outward bound ship.

No anchoring in channel unless under stress

9 No ship or Island boat shall, except under stress of weather or circumstances beyond the control of the master thereof, be anchored or moored in the channel or so near thereto, as to obstruct, delay, or en danger any ship in or about to enter the channel.

Ship anchored in channel under stress

10 The master of any ship or Island boat who has been forced by stress of weather or other circumstances beyond his control to anchor in or near the ship channels, shall not permit such ship or Island boat to remain in the said channel or in any approach thereto any longer than is absolutely necessary under the circumstances.

Speed limit

11 Except under circumstances beyond the control of the master, no ship shall proceed through the ship channel at a speed greater than that necessary for the safe handling of the ship.

Avoiding damage to buoys

12 It shall be the duty of the master carefully to handle his ship through the ship channels so as to prevent carrying away, dragging, dis placing, removing, sinking, breaking or injuring any buoy, pole or sea mark laid down or placed in the ship channels by the Minister, or other property for buoying or marking such channels or the approaches thereto or any part thereof.

Duties when proceeding from Murray's Anchorage through the Nar rows Channel

13 All ships and Island boats proceeding from Murray's Anchorage through the Narrows Channel, on observing the signal from Fort George denoting that a vessel is leaving St. George's Harbour must observe all necessary precaution, and must strictly obey the rule of the road at the intersection of the Town Cut and Narrows Channel.