S.I. No. 507/2012 - Merchant Shipping (Collision Regulations) (Ships and Water Craft on the Water) Order 2012.

0. 5

111***

*When the measured frequencies lie within the range 180-450Hz

** When the measured frequencies lie within the range 450-800Hz

*** When the measured frequencies lie within the range 800-2100Hz

(

d

) Directional properties.

The sound pressure level of a directional whistle shall be not more than 4dB below the prescribed sound pressure level on the axis at any direction in the horizontal plane within 45 degrees of the axis. The sound pressure level at any other direction in the horizontal plane shall be not more than 10dB below the prescribed sound pressure level on the axis, so that the range in any direction will be at least half the range on the forward axis. The sound pressure level shall be measured in that 1/3rd-octave band which determines the audibility range.

(

e

) Positioning of whistles.

When a directional whistle is to be used as the only whistle on a vessel, it shall be installed with its maximum intensity directed straight ahead.

A whistle shall be placed as high as practicable on a vessel, in order to reduce interception of the emitted sound by obstructions and also to minimize hearing damage risk to personnel. The sound pressure level of the vessels own signal at listening posts shall not exceed 110dB (A) and so far as practicable should not exceed 100dB (A).

(

f

) Fitting of more than one whistle.

If whistles are fitted at a distance apart of more than 100 metres, it shall be so arranged that they are not sounded simultaneously.

(

g

) Combined whistle systems.

If due to the presence of obstructions the sound field of a single whistle or of one of the whistles referred to in paragraph 1(

f

) above is likely to have a zone of greatly reduced signal level, it is recommended that a combined whistle system be fitted so as to overcome this reduction. For the purposes of the Rules a combined whistle system is to be regarded as a single whistle. The whistles of a combined system shall be located at a distance apart of not more than 100 metres and arranged to be sounded simultaneously. The frequency of any one whistle shall differ from those of the others by at least 10Hz.

1. The following signals, used or exhibited either together or separately, indicate distress and need of assistance

(

a

) a gun or other explosive signal fired at intervals of about a minute;

(

b

) a continuous sounding with any fog-signalling apparatus;

(

c

) rockets or shells, throwing red stars fired one at a time at short intervals;

(

d

) a signal made by any signalling method consisting of the group --- (SOS) in the Morse Code;

(

e

) a signal sent by radiotelephony consisting of the spoken word "Mayday";

(

f

) the International Code Signal of distress indicated by N.C.;

(

g

) a signal consisting of a square flag having above or below it a ball or anything resembling a ball;

(

h

) flames on the vessel (as from a burning tar barrel, oil barrel, etc.);

(

i

) a rocket parachute flare or a hand flare showing a red light;

(

j

) a smoke signal giving off orange-coloured smoke;

(

k

) slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering arms outstretched to each side;

(

l

) a distress alert by means of digital selective calling (DSC) transmitted on

(i) VHF channel 70, or

(ii) MF/HF on the frequencies 2187.5 kHz, 8414.5 kHz, 4207.5 kHz, 6312 kHz, 12577 kHz or 16804.5 kHz;

(

m

) a ship-to-shore distress alert transmitted by the ship’s Inmarsat or other mobile satellite service provider ship earth station;

(

n

) signals transmitted by emergency position-indicating radio beacons.

(

o

) approved signals transmitted by radio communication systems, including survival craft radar transponders.

2. The use or exhibition of any of the foregoing signals except for the purpose of indicating distress and need of assistance and the use of other signals which may be confused with any of the above signals is prohibited.

3. Attention is drawn to the relevant sections of the International Code of Signals, the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual, Volume III and the following signals

(

a

) a piece of orange-coloured canvas with either a black square and circle or other appropriate symbol (for identification from the air);

(

b

) a dye marker.

Schedule 2

Article 5

COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE ACCEPTED THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS

Albania

Algeria

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Bolivia

Brazil

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Cape Verde

Chile

China

Colombia

Comoros

Congo

Cook Islands

Cote dIvoire

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Denmark

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Gabon

Gambia

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Guatemala

Guinea

Guyana

Honduras

Hong Kong SAR, China

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kiribati

Kuwait

Latvia

Lebanon

Liberia

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macau SAR, China

Malaysia

Maldives

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

Monaco

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

Mozambique

Myanmar

Namibia

Netherlands

Pakistan

Palau

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Peru

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Republic of Korea

Republic of Moldova

Romania

Russian Federation

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

Sao Tome and Principe

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

Solomon Islands

South Africa

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Sweden

Switzerland

Syrian Arab Republic

Thailand

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Tuvalu

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United Republic of Tanzania

United States

Uruguay

Estonia

Ethiopia

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

France

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Nigeria

Norway

Oman

Vanuatu

Venezuela

Viet Nam

Yemen

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government,

11 December 2012.

ENDA KENNY,

Taoiseach.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This Note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

This Order provides that the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (as amended by Resolutions A.464(12), A.626(15), A.678(16), A.736(18), A.910(22) and A.1004(25)) of the International Maritime Organisation set out in Schedule 1 to the Order shall, with the exception of Rule 37 and Annex IV thereof, constitute the collision regulations referred to in the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 and the

Air Navigation and Transport Act 1936

. The list of countries which accept the International Regulations is updated in Schedule 2.

This Order consolidates the collision regulations in this new statutory instrument and the previous instruments, the Collision Regulations (Ships and Water Craft on the Water) Order 1984 and the amending Orders made in 1990, 1993 and 2005, are revoked.

4. Approvals

The construction of sound signal appliances, their performance and their installation on board the vessel shall be to the satisfaction of the appropriate authority of the state whose flag the vessel is entitled to fly.

ANNEX IV

DISTRESS SIGNALS

5. Screens for sidelights

The sidelights of vessels of 20 metres or more in length shall be fitted with inboard screens painted matt black, and meeting the requirements of Section 9 of this Annex. On vessels of less than 20 metres in length the sidelights, if necessary to meet the requirements of Section 9 of this Annex, shall be fitted with inboard matt black screens. With a combined lantern, using a single vertical filament and a very narrow division between the green and red sections, external screens need not be fitted.

6. Shapes

(

a

) Shapes shall be black and of the following sizes

(i) a ball shall have a diameter of not less than 0.6 metre;

(ii) a cone shall have a base diameter of not less than 0.6 metre and a height equal to its diameter;

(iii) a cylinder shall have a diameter of at least 0.6 metre and a height of twice its diameter;

(iv) a diamond shape shall consist of two cones as defined in (ii) above having a common base.

(

b

) The vertical distance between shapes shall be at least 1.5 metres.

(

c

) In a vessel of less than 20 metres in length shapes of lesser dimensions but commensurate with the size of the vessel may be used and the distance apart may be correspondingly reduced.

7. Colour specification of lights.

The chromaticity of all navigation lights shall conform to the following standards, which lie within the boundaries of the area of the diagram specified for each colour by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE).

The boundaries of the area for each colour are given by indicating the corner co-ordinates, which are as follows

(i) White

x 0.525 0.525 0.452 0.310 0.310 0.443

y 0.382 0.440 0.440 0.348 0.283 0.382

(ii) Green

x 0.028 0.009 0.300 0.203

y 0.385 0.723 0.511 0.356

(iii) Red

x 0.680 0.660 0.735 0.721

y 0.320 0.320 0.265 0.259

(iv) Yellow

x 0.612 0.618 0.575 0.575

y 0.382 0.382 0.425 0.406

8. Intensity of lights.

(

a

) The minimum luminous intensity of lights shall be calculated by using the formula

I = 3.43 x 10

6

x T x D

2

x K

-D

where

I is luminous intensity in candelas under service conditions,

T is threshold factor 2 x 10

-7

lux,

D is range of visibility (luminous range) of the light in nautical miles,

K is atmospheric transmissivity.

For prescribed lights the value of K shall be 0.8, corresponding to a meteorological visibility of approximately 13 nautical miles.

(

b

) A selection of figures derived from the formula is given in the following table

Range of visibility (luminous range) of light in

nautical miles

D

Luminous intensity of light in candelas for

K = 0.8

I

1

0.9

2

4.3

3

12

4

27

5

52

6

94

Note

: The maximum luminous intensity of navigation lights should be limited to avoid undue glare. This shall not be achieved by a variable control of the luminous intensity.

9. Horizontal sectors.

(

a

) (i) In the forward direction, sidelights as fitted on the vessel shall show the minimum required intensities. The intensities must decrease to reach practical cut-off between 1 degree and 3 degrees outside the prescribed sectors.

(ii) For sternlights and masthead lights and at 22.5 degrees abaft the beam for sidelights, the minimum required intensities shall be maintained over the arc of the horizon up to 5 degrees within the limits of the sectors prescribed in Rule 21. From 5 degrees within the prescribed sectors the intensity may decrease by 50 per cent up to the prescribed limits; it shall decrease steadily to reach practical cut-off at not more than 5 degrees outside the prescribed sectors.

(

b

) (i) All-round lights shall be so located as not to be obscured by masts, topmasts or structures within angular sectors of more than 6 degrees, except anchor lights prescribed in Rule 30, which need not be placed at an impracticable height above the hull.

(ii) If it is impracticable to comply with paragraph (

b

)(i) of this section by exhibiting only one all-round light, two all-round lights shall be used suitably positioned or screened so that they appear, as far as practicable, as one light at a distance of one mile.

10. Vertical sectors

(

a

) The vertical sectors of electric lights as fitted, with the exception of lights on sailing vessels underway shall ensure that

(i) at least the required minimum intensity is maintained at all angles from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal;

(ii) at least 60 per cent of the required minimum intensity is maintained from 7.5 degrees above to 7.5 degrees below the horizontal.

(

b

) In the case of sailing vessels underway the vertical sectors of electric lights as fitted shall ensure that

(i) at least the required minimum intensity is maintained at all angles from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal;

(ii) at least 50 per cent of the required minimum intensity is maintained from 25 degrees above to 25 degrees below the horizontal.

(

c

) In the case of lights other than electric these specifications shall be met as closely as possible.

11. Intensity of non-electric lights

Non-electric lights shall, so far as practicable, comply with the minimum intensities as specified in the Table given in Section 8 of this Annex.

12. Manoeuvring light

Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2(

f

) of this Annex the manoeuvring light described in Rule 34(

b

) shall be placed in the same fore and aft vertical plane as the masthead light or lights and, where practicable, at a minimum height of 2 metres vertically above the forward masthead light, provided that it shall be carried not less than 2 meters vertically above or below the after masthead light. On a vessel where only one masthead light is carried the manoeuvring light, if fitted, shall be carried where it can best be seen, not less than 2 metres vertically apart from the masthead light.

13. High Speed Craft*

(

a

) The masthead light of high-speed craft may be placed at a height related to the breadth of the craft lower than that prescribed in paragraph 2(

a

)(i) of this Annex, provided that the base angle of the isosceles triangles formed by the sidelights and masthead light, when seen in end elevation, is not less than 27 degrees.

(

b

) On high-speed craft of 50 metres or more in length, the vertical separation between foremast and mainmast light of 4.5 metres required by paragraph 2(

a

)(ii) of this Annex may be modified provided that such distance shall not be less than the value determined by the following formula

Y =

(a + 17ψ) C

+2

1000

where

Y is the height of the mainmast light above the foremast light in metres;

a is the height of the foremast light above the water surface in service condition in metres;

is the trim in service condition in degrees;

C is the horizontal separation of masthead lights in metres.

* (Refer to the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 1994 and the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 2000.)

14. Approval

The construction of lanterns and shapes and the installation of lanterns on board the vessel shall be to the satisfaction of the appropriate authority of the state whose flag the vessel is entitled to fly.

ANNEX II

ADDITIONAL SIGNALS FOR FISHING VESSELS FISHING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

14

th December

, 2012.

The Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 418 and 424 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 60) (as adapted by the

Adaption of Enactments Act 1922

(No. 2 of 1922)) and by

section 58

(1) of the

Air Navigation and Transport Act 1936

(No. 40 of 1936), on the recommendation of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, hereby order as follows