Federal Courts Rules — 498
Action for collision between ships 498 (1) Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, in an action in respect of a collision between ships, (a) the statement of claim need not contain any more particulars concerning the collision than are necessary to identify it to the other parties; (b) the statement of defence need not contain any particulars concerning the collision; (c) a preliminary act shall accompany a statement of claim and a statement of defence or be filed within 10 days after the filing of the statement of claim or the statement of defence, as the case may be; and (d) a preliminary act shall be contained in a sealed envelope bearing the style of cause. Preliminary act (2) A preliminary act shall state (a) the date of the collision; (b) the time of the collision at the location of the collision; (c) the location of the collision; (d) the names of the ships that collided; (e) in respect of the ship of the party filing the preliminary act, (i) the name of the ship, (ii) the port of registry of the ship, (iii) the name of the master of the ship at time of the collision, (iv) the name and address of the person who was in command at the time of the collision and during the period immediately before the collision, (v) the names and addresses of any persons keeping lookout at the time of the collision and during the period immediately before the collision, (vi) the course of the ship or, if the ship was stationary, its heading, at the time when the other ship was first seen or immediately before any measures were taken with reference to the other ship’s presence, whichever was the earlier, (vii) the speed of the ship through the water at the time when the other ship was first seen or immediately before any measures were taken with reference to the other ship’s presence, whichever was the earlier, (viii) any alteration made to course after the time referred to in subparagraph (vi) or during the period immediately before the collision, and the time at which the alteration was made, (ix) any alteration made to the speed of the ship after the time referred to in subparagraph (vii) or during the period immediately before the collision, and the time at which the alteration was made, (x) any measure taken to avoid the collision, and the time at which the measure was taken, (xi) any sound or visual signals given, and the time at which the signals were given, and (xii) the lights carried by the ship and the lights it was showing at the time of the collision and during the period immediately before the collision; (f) in respect of every other ship involved in the collision, (i) the name of the ship, (ii) the ship’s distance and bearing at the time when its echo was first observed by radar by a person on the ship of the party filing the preliminary act, (iii) the ship’s distance, bearing and approximate heading when it was first seen by a person on the ship of the party filing the preliminary act, (iv) the lights the ship was showing when it was first seen by a person on the ship of the party filing the preliminary act, (v) the lights the ship was showing from the time referred to in subparagraph (iv) to the time of the collision, (vi) any alteration made to the ship’s course after it was first seen by a person on the ship of the party filing the preliminary act, and the time at which the alteration was made, (vii) any alteration made to the ship’s speed after it was first seen by a person on the ship of the party filing the preliminary act, and the time at which the alteration was made, (viii) any measure that the ship took to avoid the collision, and the time at which the measure was taken, (ix) any sound or visual signals given, and the time at which the signals were given, and (x) any fault or default attributed to the ship; (g) the state of the weather at the time of the collision and during the period immediately before the collision; (h) the extent of visibility at the time of the collision and during the period immediately before