Navigation Safety Regulations, 2020 — 253
Navigation safety call 253 (1) Every vessel that is required under section 204 to have a VHF radio installation and that is a vessel described in column 1 of Schedule 4, other than a dredge or floating plant, must make a navigation safety call on the appropriate VHF channel set out in column 3 for that vessel, under the following circumstances: (a) a risk of collision with another vessel exists under the provisions of the Collision Regulations that apply in the area being navigated by the vessel; (b) the navigation safety call of another vessel indicates that a close-quarters situation may develop; (c) the vessel is in a narrow channel or fairway and is about to overtake another vessel, or be overtaken by another vessel; (d) doubt exists as to the actions or the intentions of another vessel; (e) the vessel is nearing a bend in a river, channel or fairway or an obstruction around which an approaching vessel cannot adequately be seen; (f) the vessel is approaching, in restricted visibility, a charted route, including a ferry route, or a concentration of vessels; (g) the vessel will commence a manoeuvre that could impede the safe navigation of other vessels; (h) the vessel is engaged in fishing with nets, lines, trawls, trolling lines or other apparatus, or is a vessel restricted in its ability to manoeuvre in or near a routing system and is being approached by another vessel, other than a vessel engaged in fishing; (i) the vessel is approaching a dredge or floating plant in or near a river, channel or fairway; (j) the vessel will depart from a berth, anchorage, mooring area, booming ground, dredge or floating plant; and (k) under any other circumstance when a navigation safety call is necessary for the safe navigation of the vessel or any other vessel. Call — paragraph (1)(j) (2) The navigation safety call required under the circumstances specified in paragraph (1)(j) must be made 15 minutes before and again immediately before departure from the berth, anchorage, mooring area, booming ground, dredge or floating plant. Content of call (3) The navigation safety call must not exceed one minute in duration and must contain only information that is essential for safe navigation, including the following, in sequence: (a) the identity of the vessel; (b) the location of the vessel; (c) the intended course of action; (d) the present course and speed of the vessel; and (e) whether the vessel is (i) engaged in a towing operation, (ii) not under command, (iii) restricted in its ability to manoeuvre, (iv) engaged in fishing, other than trolling, (v) severely restricted in its ability to deviate from the course it is following because of its draft in relation to the available depth of water, (vi) engaged in pilotage duty, (vii) at anchor, or (viii) aground. Exception (4) A vessel is not required to make a navigation safety call in the circumstances described in paragraph (1)(i) or (j) if the vessel (a) is a towboat and is manoeuvring in or around any berth, anchorage, mooring area, booming ground, dredge or floating plant and the vessel (i) manoeuvres in such a manner that it will not impede the safe navigation of other vessels, and (ii) makes a navigation safety call 15 minutes before its final departure from that berth, anchorage, mooring area, booming ground, dredge or floating plant; or (b) is reporting to a traffic centre. Call power — Great Lakes Basin (5) The transmission power of a navigation safety call on Channel 13 within the Great Lakes Basin must not exceed 1 W except in the following cases when that power must not exceed 25 W: (a) in the case of an emergency; (b) the vessel being called to does not respond to a second call at a transmission power of 1 W or less; or (c) a broadcast in blind situations such as when the vessel is rounding a bend in a channel. Definition of vessel restricted in its ability to manoeuvre (6) For the purposes of subsections (1) and (3), vessel restricted in its ability to manoeuvre has the meaning assi