The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1909-05-15
Rules Governing
Motor Boats.
Government Inspectors Insist on OBJ
servance Of Prescribed Rules
Launch Owners Should
Beware.


Beware.
The number of motor boats, launches
and similar small craft this summer
will be enormous and many of them
will be new.
For the benefit Of both old and new
members the latest regulations pre-
scribed by the government for the
control Of motor boats are here given:
Whistle and Bell-All motor boats
without regard to size or use, must
be provided with an efficient whistle
or siren, and an efficient bell. No size
or style of bell is prescribed provided
it is available and sufficient for
use for which it is intended. The
word efficient" must be taken in its
ordinary sense considered with refer
ence to the object intended by the
provisions in which the word appears,
namely, the production of certain sig
mails. The power to operate the whis-
tie is not prescribed, but the whistle
is to be Of such character as to be
heard in ordinary weather distance of
at least two miles,.
Lights-When navigated between
sunset and sunrise they must carry
regulation lights, namely:
j. A bright white light in the fore
part of the vessel.
2. A green light on the starboard
side and red light on the port side
provided with proper screens. The
side lights may be so affixed to the
,coaming or to the sides of the deck
house as to be properly screened, pro-
vided the lantern be backed with met
al. When the green and red ride
lights cannot be fixed they must be
kept lighted and ready for use as pro-
vided by Rnle of the act of Febru-
.ary 8, 1895.
The law dose not appear to permit
the use of athree-colored combination"
light.
Copies of Rules Such vessels are
also required to have on board two
printed copies ofth rules which must
be observed by them, which rules will
be furnished by local inspectors of
steam vessels on request.
Life preservers--All such vessels
under Is tons engaged 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 a person duly
licensed by the local inspectors of
steam vessels. Such vessels 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 provisions
of the law in regard to life preservers
and licensed navigators. The life
preserver must be of the sort pre-
scribed by the regulations of the
board Of supervising inspectors. They
must bear the United States inspect
or's stamp.
Documents, inspection, etc. All mo-
tor boats of over net tons engaged in
the carriage of freight or passengers
for hire must be documeted, viz:
Licensed by the collector Of customs.
Vessels under five net tons cannot be
documentad in any case.) The license
Of the yessels obtained from fhe col-
leet0r Of customs {designsted q docu-
ment) il additional to and must not be
confounded with the license required
for the operator Of motsr boat of less
than Is tons carrying passengers for
hire. Motor boafs Of over Is tons en-
gagged in the carriage Of freight or pas
sengers for hire must also be inspected
by the United States local inspector Of
steam vessels.
Documented vessels must have name
and home port on stern and name on
each bow. Official measurement ID
necessary only in case Of vessels requir-
ing to be documented.