The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-07-30
MOTOR BOAT REGULATIONS.

Collector johnson has received from
the Department of Commerce and
Labor the following of interest to
motor boat owners:
The Department has received in
quiries as to the equipment required by
| the Act of June I, 1897, and Section
4426 r. S. to be carried on small motor
vessels. In order to insure uniformity
in the enforcement of this law you are
informed that small motor vessels navi-
| gated in your district should be equip
| ped as follows:
All motor vessels, without regard to
| size or use, must be provided with an
efficient whistle or siren, an efficient
| fog horn, and an efficient bell. No size
| or style of whistle, fog horn or bell is
prescribed, provided it is available and
sufficient for the use for which it is in
tended. The word efficient" must be
taken in the ordinary sense, considered
with reference to the object intended
bv the provisions in which the word ap-
pears, namely, the production of certain
signals. The power to operate the
whistle is not prescribed, but it must
be of such character as to produce
"prolonged blast which is defined as
of from to seconds duration.
When navigated between sunset and
sunrise they must carry regulation
lights namely: A bright white light at
the bow of the vessel. A green light
on the starboard side and a red light on
the port side, provided with proper
screens. The side lights may be SO at
fixed to the coaming or to the sides of
the deck house as 10 be properly screen
ed, providing the lantern be backed
with metal. Whenever the green and
red side lights cannot be fixed they
must be kept lighted and ready for use
as provided by Article of the Act of
June :, 1897. Tie law does not appear
to permit the use of three colored
combination light" A white range
light aft.
Such vessels are required to have on
board two printed copies of the rules
which must be observed by them, which
rules will be furnished by local inspect
ors of steam vessels on request.
All such vessels under Is tons en-
gagged in carrying passengers for hire,
in addition to the equipment above
stated are required to carry one life
preserver for each passenger carried
and shall be operated only IN charge OF
person duly licensed by the local H.
spectorS of steam vessels. Such YES
sells when used only as private pleasure
boats and not at any time engaged in
the carriage of passengers for hire are
not obliged to comply with the pro-
visions of law in regard to life preserv
ers and licensed nayigators. (The life
preservers must be of the sort pre-
scribed by the regulations of the Board
of Supervising Inspectors. They must
bear the q. s. Inspectors stamp
All motor boats of over net tons en-
gagged in the carriage of freight or pas
sengers for hire must be documented,
viz: Licensed by the Collector of Gus
toms. Vessels under net tons canno9
be documented in any case.) The IL
cense for the vessel obtained from the
Collector of Customs designated
document is additional to and must
not be COMPOUNDED with the license re-
quired for the operator of motor boat
of less than Is tons carrying passengers
for hire.
Motor vessels of over Is gross tons
engaged in the carriage of freight or
passengers for hire must also be ill.,
spected by the [. S. Local Inspectors
of steam vessels.
Documented vessels must have name
and home port on stern and name on
each bow. official measurement is
necessary only in case of vessels re-
quiring to be documented.