[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR161.12]
[Page 562-564]
TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)
PART 161--VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT--Table of Contents
Subpart A--Vessel Traffic Services
Sec. 161.12 Vessel operating requirements.
(a) Subject to the exigencies of safe navigation, a VTS User shall
comply with all measures established or directions issued by a VTS.
(b) If, in a specific circumstance, a VTS User is unable to safely
comply with a measure or direction issued by the VTS, the VTS User may
deviate only to the extent necessary to avoid endangering persons,
property or the environment. The deviation shall be reported to the VTS
as soon as is practicable.
(c) When not exchanging voice communications, a VTS User must
maintain a listening watch as required by Sec. 26.04(e) of this chapter
on the VTS frequency designated in Table 161.12(c) (VTS and VMRS
Centers, Call Signs/MMSI, Designated Frequencies, and Monitoring Areas).
In addition, the VTS User must respond promptly when hailed and
communicate in the English language.
Note to Sec. 161.12(c): As stated in 47 CFR 80.148(b), a very high
frequency watch on Channel 16 (156.800 MHz) is not required on vessels
subject to the Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act and
participating in a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) system when the watch is
maintained on both the vessel bridge-to-bridge frequency and a
designated VTS frequency.
Table 161.12(c).--VTS and VMRS Centers, Call Signs/MMSI, Designated
Frequencies, and Monitoring Areas
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designated
frequency
Center MMSI 1 Call Sign (Channel Monitoring area 3 4
designation)--
purpose 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berwick Bay 003669950--
Berwick Traffic............... 156.550 MHz (Ch. The waters south of
11). 2945' N., west
of 9110' W.,
north of 2937'
N., and east of
9118' W.
Houston-Galveston--003669954.. ................. The navigable waters
north of 29 N.,
west of 9420'
W., south of
2949' N., and
east of 9520'
W.
Houston Traffic............... 156.550 MHz (Ch. The navigable waters
11). north of a line
156.250 Mhz (Ch. extending due west
5A). from the southern
--For Sailing most end of Exxon
Plans only. Dock #1
(2043.37' N.,
9501.27' W.).
Houston Traffic............... 156.600 MHz (Ch. The navigable waters
12). south of a line
156.250 Mhz (Ch. extending due west
5A). from the southern
--For Sailing most end of Exxon
Plans only. Dock #1
(2943.37' N.,
9501.27' W.)
Los Angeles/Long Beach: MMSI/ .....................
To be determined
San Pedro Traffic............. 156.700 MHz Vessel Movement
(Ch.14). Reporting System
Area: The navigable
waters within a 25
nautical mile radius
of Point Fermin
Light (3342.3'
N., 11817.6'
W.).
Louisville: Not applicable
Louisville Traffic............ 156.650 MHz (Ch. The waters of the
13) Ohio River between
McAlpine Locks (Mile
606) and Twelve Mile
Island (Mile 593),
only when the
McAlpine upper pool
gauge is at
approximately 13.0
feet or above.
Lower Mississippi River 5-- .....................
0036699952
New Orleans Traffic........... 156.700 MHz The navigable waters
(Ch.14). of the Lower
Mississippi River
below 3038.7'
N., 9117.5' W.
(Port Hudson Light
at 255 miles Above
Head of Passes
(AHP)), the
Southwest Pass, and,
within a 12 nautical
miles radius around
2854.3' N.,
8925.7' W.
(Southwest Pass
Entrance Light at
19.9 miles Below
Head of Passes).
New Orleans Traffic........... 156.600 MHz New Orleans Sector.
(Ch.12). The navigable waters
of the Lower
Mississippi River
bounded on the north
by a line drawn
perpendicularly at
2956.4' N.,
9008.36' W. and
on the south by a
line drawn
perpendicularly at
2956.24' N.,
8959.86' W. (88
and 106 miles AHP).
[[Page 563]]
New York--003669951
New York Traffic.............. 156.550 MHz (Ch. The area consists of
11). the navigable waters
--For Sailing of the Lower New
Plans only. York Bay bounded on
156.600 MHz (Ch. the east by a line
12). drawn from Norton
--For vessels at Point to Breezy
anchor. Point; on the south
by a line connecting
the entrance buoys
at the Ambrose
Channel, Swash
Channel, and Sandy
Hook Channel to
Sandy Hook Point;
and on the southeast
including the waters
of Sandy Hook Bay
south to a line
drawn at latitude 40
25' N; then west in
the Raritan Bay to
the Raritan River
Railroad Bridge,
then north into
waters of the Arthur
Kill and Newark Bay
to the Lehigh Valley
Draw Bridge at
latitude 40 41.9N;
and then east
including the waters
of the Kill Van Kull
and the Upper New
York Bay north to a
line drawn east-west
from the Holland
Tunnel ventilator
shaft at latitude 40
43.7' N, longitude
74 01.6' W, in the
Hudson River; and
then continuing east
including the waters
of the East River to
the Throgs Neck
Bridge, excluding
the Harlem River.
New York Traffic.............. 156.700 MHz (Ch. The navigable waters
14). of the Lower New
York Bay west of a
line drawn from
Norton Point to
Breezy Point; and
north of a line
connecting the
entrance buoys of
Ambrose Channel,
Swash Channel, and
Sandy Hook Channel,
to Sandy Hook Point;
on the southeast
including the waters
of the Sandy Hook
Bay south to a line
drawn at latitude 40
25' N; then west
into the waters of
Raritan Bay East
Reach to a line
drawn from Great
Kills Light south
through Raritan Bay
East Reach LGB #14
to Comfort PT, NJ;
then north including
the waters of the
Upper New York Bay
south of 40 42.40' N
(Brooklyn Bridge)
and 40 43.70' N
(Holland Tunnel
Ventilator Shaft);
west through the KVK
into the Arthur Kill
north of 40 38.25' N
(Arthur Kill
Railroad Bridge);
then north into the
waters of the Newark
Bay, south of 40
41.95' N (Lehigh
Valley Draw Bridge).
New York Traffic.............. 156.600 MHz (Ch. The navigable waters
12). of the Raritan Bay
south to a line
drawn at latitude 40
26' N; then west of
a line drawn from
Great Kills Light
south through the
Raritan Bay East
Reach LGB #14 to
Point Comfort, NJ;
then west to the
Raritan River
Railroad Bridge; and
north including the
waters of the Arthur
Kill to 40 28.25' N
(Arthur Kill
Railroad Bridge);
including the waters
of the East River
north of 40 42.40' N
(Brooklyn Bridge) to
the Throgs Neck
Bridge, excluding
the Harlem River.
Port Arthur 5--003669955 ................. .....................
Sabine Traffic................ To be determined. The navigable waters
south of 3010'
N., east of
9420' W., west
of 9322' W,
and, north of
29 10' N.
Prince William Sound-- ................. .....................
003669958
Valdez Traffic................ 156.650 MHz (Ch. The navigable waters
13). south of 6105'
N., east of
14720' W.,
north of 60 N.,
and west of
14630' W.; and,
all navigable waters
in Port Valdez.
Puget Sound 6 ................. .....................
Seattle Traffic--003669957.... 156.700 MHz (Ch. The waters of Puget
14). Sound, Hood Canal
and adjacent waters
south of a line
connecting
Marrowstone Point
and Lagoon Point in
Admiralty Inlet and
south of a line
drawn due east from
the southernmost tip
of Possession Point
on Whidbey Island to
the shoreline.
Seattle Traffic--003669957.... 156.250 MHz (Ch. The waters of the
5A). Strait of Juan de
Fuca east of
12440' W.
excluding the waters
in the central
portion of the
Strait of Juan de
Fuca north and east
of Race Rocks; the
navigable waters of
the Strait of
Georgia east of
12252' W.; the
San Juan Island
Archipelago, Rosario
Strait, Bellingham
Bay; Admiralty Inlet
north of a line
connecting
Marrowstone Point
and Lagoon Point and
all waters east of
Whidbey Island North
of a line drawn due
east from the
southernmost tip of
Possession Point on
Whidbey Island to
the shoreline.
Tofino Traffic--003160012..... 156.725 MHz (Ch. The waters west of
74). 12440' W.
within 50 nautical
miles of the coast
of Vancouver Island
including the waters
north of 48 N.,
and east of 127
W.
[[Page 564]]
Victoria Traffi--003160010.... 156.550 MHz (Ch. The waters of the
11). Strait of Georgia
west of 122 52'
W., the navigable
waters of the
central Strait of
Juan de Fuca north
and east of Race
Rocks, including the
Gulf Island
Archipelago,
Boundary Pass and
Haro Strait.
San Francisco--003669956 .....................
San Francisco Traffic......... 156.700 MHz (Ch. The navigable waters
14). of the San Francisco
Offshore
Precautionary Area,
the navigable waters
shoreward of the San
Francisco Offshore
Precautionary Area
east of
12242.0' W. and
north of
3740.0' N.
extending eastward
through the Golden
Gate, and the
navigable waters of
San Francisco Bay
and as far east as
the port of Stockton
on the San Joaquin
River, as far north
as the port of
Sacramento on the
Sacramento River.
San Francisco Traffic......... 156.600 MHz (Ch. The navigable waters
12). within a 38 nautical
mile radius of Mount
Tamalpais
(3755.8' N.,
12234.6' W.)
west of
12242.0' W. and
south of
3740.0' N and
excluding the San
Francisco Offshore
Precautionary Area.
St. Marys River--003669953
Soo Traffic................... 156.600 MHz (Ch. The waters of the St.
12). Marys River between
4557' N. (De
Tour Reef Light) and
4638.7' N. (lle
Parisienne Light),
except the St. Marys
Falls Canal and
those navigable
waters east of a
line from
4604.16' N. and
4601.57' N. (La
Pointe to Sims Point
in Potagannissing
Bay and Worsley
Bay).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
1 Maritime Mobile Service Identifier (MMSI) is a unique nine-digit
number assigned that identifies ship stations, ship earth stations,
coast stations, coast earth stations, and group calls for use by a
digital selective calling (DSC) radio, an INMARSAT ship earth station
or AIS. AIS requirements are set forth in Sec.Sec. 161.21 and 164.46
of this subchapter.
2 In the event of a communication failure, difficulties or other safety
factors, the Center may direct or permit a user to monitor and report
on any other designated monitoring frequency or the bridge-to-bridge
navigational frequency, 156.650 MHz (Channel 13) or 156.375 MHz (Ch.
67), to the extent that doing so provides a level of safety beyond
that provided by other means. The bridge-to-bridge navigational
frequency, 156.650 MHz (Ch. 13), is used in certain monitoring areas
where the level of reporting does not warrant a designated frequency.
3 All geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) are expressed in
North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).
4 Some monitoring areas extend beyond navigable waters. Although not
required, users are strongly encouraged to maintain a listening watch
on the designated monitoring frequency in these areas. Otherwise, they
are required to maintain watch as stated in 47 CFR 80.148.
5 Until rules regarding VTS Lower Mississippi River and VTS Port Arthur
are published, vessels are exempted of all VTS and VMRS requirements
set forth in 33 CFR part 161, except those set forth in Sec.Sec.
161.21 and 164.46 of this subchapter.
6 A Cooperative Vessel Traffic Service was established by the United
States and Canada within adjoining waters. The appropriate Center
administers the rules issued by both nations; however, enforces only
its own set of rules within its jurisdiction. Note, the bridge-to-
bridge navigational frequency, 156.650 MHz (Ch. 13), is not so
designated in Canadian waters, therefore users are encouraged and
permitted to make passing arrangements on the designated monitoring
frequencies.
(d) As soon as is practicable, a VTS User shall notify the VTS of
any of the following:
(1) A marine casualty as defined in 46 CFR 4.05-1;
(2) Involvement in the ramming of a fixed or floating object;
(3) A pollution incident as defined in Sec. 151.15 of this chapter;
(4) A defect or discrepancy in an aid to navigation;
(5) A hazardous condition as defined in Sec. 160.203 of this
chapter;
(6) Improper operation of vessel equipment required by Part 164 of
this chapter;
(7) A situation involving hazardous materials for which a report is
required by 49 CFR 176.48; and
(8) A hazardous vessel operating condition as defined in Sec. 161.2.
[CGD 90-020, 59 FR 36324, July 15, 1994, as amended by CGD 95-033, 60 FR
28329, May 31, 1995; CGD 92-052, 61 FR 45326, Aug. 29, 1996; USCG-1999-
6141, 64 FR 69636, Dec. 14, 1999; USCG-2003-14757, 68 FR 39364, July 1,
2003]