1625-0019 Stat/Authority

Coast Guard, DOT
§ 84.24

Pt. 86

High-speed craft.

(a) The masthead light of high-speed
craft with a length to breadth ratio of
less than 3.0 may be placed at a height
related to the breadth lower than that
prescribed in § 84.03(a)(1), provided that
the base angle of the isosceles triangle
formed by the side lights and masthead
light when seen in end elevation is not
less than 27 degrees as determined by
the formula in paragraph (b) of this
section.
(b) The minimum height of masthead
light above sidelights is to be determined by the following formula: Tan
27°=X/Y; where Y is the horizontal distance between the sidelights and X is
the height of the forward masthead
light.
[CGD 94–011, 63 FR 5731, Feb. 4, 1998. Redesignated by USCG–1999–5832, 64 FR 34712, June
29, 1999]

§ 84.25

Approval. [Reserved]

PART 85—ANNEX II: ADDITIONAL
SIGNALS FOR FISHING VESSELS
FISHING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY

AUTHORITY: Sec. 3, Pub. L. 96–591; 49 CFR
1.46(n)(14).
SOURCE: CGD 81–006, 46 FR 61845, Dec. 21,
1981, unless otherwise noted.

General.

The lights mentioned herein shall, if
exhibited in pursuance of Rule 26(d), be
placed where they can best be seen.
They shall be at least 0.9 meter apart
but at a lower level than lights prescribed in Rule 26(b)(i) and (c)(i) contained in the Inland Navigational
Rules Act of 1980, as amended (33 U.S.C.
2001 et seq.). The lights shall be visible
all around the horizon at a distance of
at least 1 mile but at a lesser distance
from the lights prescribed by these
Rules for fishing vessels.
§ 85.3

§ 85.5

Signals for purse seiners.

Vessels engaged in fishing with purse
seine gear may exhibit two yellow
lights in a vertical line. These lights
shall flash alternately every second
and with equal light and occultation
duration. These lights may be exhibited only when the vessel is hampered
by its fishing gear.

PART 86—ANNEX III: TECHNICAL
DETAILS OF SOUND SIGNAL APPLIANCES

Sec.
85.1 General.
85.3 Signals for trawlers.
85.5 Signals for purse seiners.

§ 85.1

(1) When shooting their nets: two
white lights in a vertical line;
(2) When hauling their nets: one
white light over one red light in a
vertical line;
(3) When the net has come fast upon
an obstruction: two red lights in a
vertical line.
(b) Each vessel engaged in pair trawling may exhibit:
(1) By night, a searchlight directed
forward and in the direction of the
other vessel of the pair;
(2) When shooting or hauling their
nets or when their nets have come fast
upon an obstruction, the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section.

Subpart A—Whistles
Sec.
86.01 Frequencies and range of audibility.
86.03 Limits of fundamental frequencies.
86.05 Sound signal intensity and range of
audibility.
86.07 Directional properties.
86.09 Positioning of whistles.
86.11 Fitting of more than one whistle.
86.13 Combined whistle systems.
86.15 Towing vessel whistles.

Subpart B—Bell or Gong
86.21
86.23

Intensity of signal.
Construction.

Subpart C—Approval
86.31

Approval. [Reserved]

AUTHORITY: Sec. 3, Pub. L. 96–591; 49 CFR
1.46(n)(14).

Signals for trawlers.

(a) Vessels when engaged in trawling,
whether using demersal or pelagic
gear, may exhibit:

SOURCE: CGD 81–009, 46 FR 61848, Dec. 21,
1981, unless otherwise noted.

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§ 86.01

33 CFR Ch. I (7–1–01 Edition)

Subpart A—Whistles
§ 86.01 Frequencies and range of audibility.
The fundamental frequency of the
signal shall lie within the range 70–525
Hz. The range of audibility of the signal from a whistle shall be determined
by those frequencies, which may include the fundamental and/or one or
more higher frequencies, which lie
within the frequency ranges and provide the sound pressure levels specified
in § 86.05.
§ 86.03 Limits of fundamental frequencies.
To ensure a wide variety of whistle
characteristics, the fundamental frequency of a whistle shall be between
the following limits:
(a) 70–200 Hz, for a vessel 200 meters
or more in length;

(b) 130–350 Hz, for a vessel 75 meters
but less than 200 meters in length;
(c) 250–525 Hz, for a vessel less than 75
meters in length.
§ 86.05 Sound signal
range of audibility.

intensity

and

A whistle on a vessel shall provide, in
the direction of the forward axis of the
whistle and at a distance of 1 meter
from it, a sound pressure level in at
least one 1⁄3-octave band of not less
than the appropriate figure given in
Table 86.05 within the following frequency ranges ( plusmn;1 percent):
(a) 130–1200 Hz, for a vessel 75 meters
or more in length;
(b) 250–1600 Hz, for a vessel 20 meters
but less than 75 meters in length;
(c) 250–2100 Hz, for a vessel 12 meters
but less than 20 meters in length.

TABLE 86.05
Fundamental frequency
range (Hz)

For
measured
frequencies
(Hz)

1⁄3-octave
band level at
1 meter in dB
referred to
2×10
minus;5 N/
m2

200 or more .................................................................................................

..................
70–200

75 but less than 200 ...................................................................................

130–350

20 but less than 75 .....................................................................................

250–525

12 but less than 20 .....................................................................................

250–525

130–180
180–250
250–1200
130–180
180–250
250–1200
250–450
450–800
800–1600
250–450
450–800
800–2100

145
143
140
140
138
134
130
125
121
120
115
111

Length of vessel in meters

Audibility
range in
nautical
miles

2

1.5

1.0

0.5

NOTE. The range of audibility in the table above is for information and is approximately the range at which a whistle may usually be heard on its forward axis in conditions of still air on board a vessel having average background noise level at the listening
posts (taken to be 68 dB in the octave band centered on 250 Hz and 63 dB in the octave band centered on 500 Hz).
In practice the range at which a whistle may be heard is extremely variable and depends critically on weather conditions; the
values given can be regarded as typical but under conditions of strong wind or high ambient noise level at the listening post the
range may be much reduced.

§ 86.07 Directional properties.
The sound pressure level of a directional whistle shall be not more than 4
dB below the sound pressure level specified in § 86.05 in any direction in the
horizontal plane within plusmn;45 degrees of the forward axis. The sound
pressure level of the whistle in any
other direction in the horizontal plane
shall not be more than 10 dB less than
the sound pressure level specified for
the forward axis, so that the range of

audibility in any direction will be at
least half the range required on the forward axis. The sound pressure level
shall be measured in that one-third octave band which determines the audibility range.
§ 86.09

Positioning of whistles.

(a) When a directional whistle is to
be used as the only whistle on the vessel and is permanently installed, it

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Coast Guard, DOT

§ 87.1

shall be installed with its forward axis
directed forward.
(b) 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 vessel’s
own signal at listening posts shall not
exceed 110 dB(A) and so far as practicable should not exceed 100 dB(A).
§ 86.11 Fitting of more than one whistle.
If whistles are fitted at a distance
apart of more than 100 meters, they
shall not be sounded simultaneously.
§ 86.13

Combined whistle systems.

(a) A combined whistle system is a
number of whistles (sound emitting
sources) operated together. For the
purposes of the Rules a combined whistle system is to be regarded as a single
whistle.
(b) The whistles of a combined system shall:
(1) Be located at a distance apart of
not more than 100 meters,
(2) Be sounded simultaneously,
(3) Each have a fundamental frequency different from those of the others by at least 10 Hz, and
(4) Have a tonal characteristic appropriate for the length of vessel which
shall be evidenced by at least twothirds of the whistles in the combined
system
having
fundamental
frequencies falling within the limits prescribed in § 86.03, or if there are only
two whistles in the combined system,
by the higher fundamental frequency
falling within the limits prescribed in
§ 86.03.
NOTE: If due to the presence of obstructions the sound field of a single whistle or of
one of the whistles referred to in § 86.11 is
likely to have a zone of greatly reduced signal level, a combined whistle system should
be fitted so as to overcome this reduction.

§ 86.15

Towing vessel whistles.

A power-driven vessel normally engaged in pushing ahead or towing
alongside may, at all times, use a whistle whose characteristic falls within
the limits prescribed by § 86.03 for the
longest customary composite length of
the vessel and its tow.

Subpart B—Bell or Gong
§ 86.21

Intensity of signal.

A bell or gong, or other device having
similar sound characteristics shall
produce a sound pressure level of not
less than 110 dB at 1 meter.
§ 86.23

Construction.

Bells and gongs shall be made of corrosion-resistant material and designed
to give a clear tone. The diameter of
the mouth of the bell shall be not less
than 300 mm for vessels of more than 20
meters in length, and shall be not less
than 200 mm for vessels of 12 to 20 meters in length. The mass of the striker
shall be not less than 3 percent of the
mass of the bell. The striker shall be
capable of manual operation. Note:
When practicable, a power-driven bell
striker is recommended to ensure constant force.

Subpart C—Approval
§ 86.31

Approval. [Reserved]

PART 87—ANNEX IV: DISTRESS
SIGNALS
Sec.
87.1 Need of assistance.
87.3 Exclusive use.
87.5 Supplemental signals.
AUTHORITY: 33 U.S.C. 2071; 49 CFR 1.46.

§ 87.1

Need of assistance.

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-signaling apparatus;
(c) Rockets or shells, throwing red
stars fired one at a time at short intervals;
(d) A signal made by radiotelegraphy
or by any other signaling 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.

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