Merchant Shipping (SignalsorOisl:~) Rules. 1989

511pplimem IIJI·CIJ :';' .. "IJ 1II/·C"l'm Ill' fila/Ill. Nw. 15 .098, /4/(1' Mar:u. /989

m 1989

L.N. 29

Mt: RC IIANT SHU'!'IN G ACT, 1973

(ACT NO, XI Of I97J)

Merchant Shipping (SignalsorOisl:~) Rules. 1989

IN exercise of th e powers conferred by seetion 301 ofthoe Merchant

Shipping Act, 1973, the Minister for Development of Tertiary Sector

has made the following ru lcs:-

I. These rules may be ci ted as the Merchant Shipping (Signals of CM""'"

Distre ss) Rules, 1989.

ANNEX IV OF THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS

FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA, 1nl

DISTRESS SIGNALS

1. The following signals, used or exhibited either together or separately, indicate

distress and n~d 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;

a signal made by radiotelegraphy or by any other signalling method

(d)

consisting of the group ... ___ ... (SOS) in the MOIst Code;

3 signal sent by. radiotelephony coilSisting of the spoken word

(e)

"Mayday";

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

(f)

a signal consisting of a square flag having aoove or below it a ball

(g)

or anything resembling a ball;

(h)

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

(i)

a locket parachute flare or I hand flare showing a led light;

a smoke signal giving off orange-coloured smoke;

(k)

slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering anns outstretched to each

side;

the radiotelegraph alarm signal;

(m)

the radiotelephone alarm signal;

(n)

signals transmitted by emergency positioning-indicating radio beacons_

2. The use or exhibition of any of the foregoing signals excep t 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_

Attention is drawn to the rel~vant sections of the In ternational Code of

3. Signals, the Merchant Ship Search and Rucue Manual and the following signals

B IOS

(.)

I pifce of orangc<olou rtd canvas with eithe r I black. square and tllCie

or other appropriate Jymbol (fo r iden tificat ion from the air);

(b)

a dye marker.

The phrase ' Maltese ships' shall have the SlIme meaning as is '", • ..",. ... ,,"",

assigned 10 it by seC1ion 3 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1973.

J.

These rules shall apply to all Ma ltese ships .

Until the eightccllth day o f Novem ber 1989, when a P1 ............. of

R ule 4(2}

ArMndmcnl to Annex I V of the International Regulations

ror Pn:venling CoIllslurt!llt Sell, 1971

New parograph / (Q) -

Di.rlr~ jignau

The following new parngraph (0 ) i!; added

" (0)

approved signals tnlnsmitted by radiocommunication syste ms. '",

Ippul>lll it., miO -Dip." ;mc.' "" I.lnlo".,.lZjo.,, " .. ,,1 ;0 _ ~ by ftt f)ty>w_ cf ,. _

_ 1(_

..

Mi, ... ", " .I ... mfl<Jiia •• !-(ft-ono _ _

.. _~ " - ""'"

PTo" le _ """' 1~

(I)

Maltese ship ~ in distress and requires assistance: she shall use: or ex hibit ''.In. t,Qf

the signals described in, Annex IV of the International Regul ations for d.!".".

Pre \'e lll ing Collisions at Sea. 1972. wh ich An/lC~ isliCl out in Schedule I

to these Ru les.

(2) With effect from the nineteen th day of Novem ber 1989.

when 3 Maltese ship is in distress and req uires assistance she shall use or

exhibit the signals descri bed in Annex IV of the International

Regu lations for Preve nting Collisions at Sea, 1972. which Annex is set

ou t in Schedule ! to these Rules, as amended by Schedule [[ to these

Rules .

(I) No signal o f distress shall be used by any ship unless the UKof .. .......

master of the ship so o rders.

of ........ .

(2) The master of the ship shall not orde r any signal of

diSlress 10 be used by h is ship unless he is salisfied

(a)

thal his ship is in serious and imminent danger. or Ihat

~lil0ther ship or an aircraft is in serious and imminent danger and

ca nno t of itself se nd tha t signal: and

(b ) thal the $hip in danger (whether his own ship or another

ship) or the aircraft in dange r. as the case may be. requi res

immediate 8Ssislanc.! in addition lo any aM~13nce lhen available to

hcr.

(3) The master of a sh ip which has sen' oot any signal of

distress by mea ns of radio shall cause thl signal to be revoked as soon as

he is satisfied IIial the ship or aircraft to which the signal relates is no

longer in need of assistance liS aforesaid.

The Merchan t Shipping (Signals of Dislro:$!;) Rules, 1978 are

hereby revoked.

B

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