33 U.S.C. § 151 — High seas and inland waters demarcation

Page 34 TITLE 33—NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS §§ 147 to 147d Section 146c, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 418, related to power-driven vessels crossing. Section 146d, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 418, related to vessels or seaplanes meeting. Section 146e, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 418, related to the course of vessels having the right of way, and the duty in aiding to avert collision. Section 146f, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 418, related to crossing ahead of vessel having right of way. Section 146g, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 418, related to duty of power-driven vessel to slacken speed. Section 146h, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 418, provided that overtaking vessel keep out of the way of the overtaken vessel, defined ‘‘overtaken vessel’’. Section 146i, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 419, related to power-driven vessels in narrow channels and in nearing bends in a channel. Section 146j, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 419, related to right of way of fishing vessels, and obstruction of fairways. Section 146k, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. C, 65 Stat. 419, related to special circumstances requiring de- parture from rules. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF REPEAL Repeal effective Sept. 1, 1965, see Proc. No. 3632, Dec. 29, 1964, 29 F.R. 19167, and section 3 of Pub. L. 88–131, both set out as notes under section 1051 of this title. §§ 147 to 147d. Repealed. Pub. L. 88–131, § 3, Sept. 24, 1963, 77 Stat. 194 Section 147, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. D, 65 Stat. 419, related to sound signals of vessels indicating course. Section 147a, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. D, 65 Stat. 419, related to additional precautions. Section 147b, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. D, 65 Stat. 420, related to local rules for harbors and inland waters. Section 147c, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. D, 65 Stat. 420, related to distress signals. Section 147d, act Oct. 11, 1951, ch. 495, § 6, Pt. D, 65 Stat. 420, related to orders to helmsmen. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF REPEAL Repeal effective Sept. 1, 1963, see Proc. No. 3632, Dec. 29, 1964, 29 F.R. 19167, and section 3 of Pub. L. 88–131, both set out as notes under section 1051 of this title. CHAPTER 3—NAVIGATION RULES FOR HAR- BORS, RIVERS, AND INLAND WATERS GEN- ERALLY SUBCHAPTER I—PRELIMINARY Sec. 151. High seas and inland waters demarcation lines. 152. Regulation of length of towlines. 153. Penalty for use of unlawful towline. 154 to 159. Repealed. SUBCHAPTER II—RULES CONCERNING LIGHTS, ETC. 171 to 183. Repealed. SUBCHAPTER III—SOUND SIGNALS FOR FOG, ETC.; SPEED 191, 192. Repealed. Sec. SUBCHAPTER IV—STEERING AND SAILING RULES AND SIGNALS 201 to 213. Repealed. SUBCHAPTER V—NO VESSEL UNDER ANY CIR- CUMSTANCES TO NEGLECT PROPER PRE- CAUTIONS 221, 222. Repealed. SUBCHAPTER VI—DISTRESS SIGNALS 231. Repealed. SUBCHAPTER VII—ORDERS 232. Repealed. SUBCHAPTER I—PRELIMINARY § 151. High seas and inland waters demarcation lines (a) Establishment and purpose The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall establish appro- priate identifiable demarcation lines dividing the high seas from harbors, rivers, and other in- land waters of the United States, for the purpose of determining the applicability of special navi- gational rules in lieu of the International Regu- lations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. (b) Applicability of other statutes; limitation; po- sition The Secretary shall also establish appropriate identifiable lines dividing inland waters of the United States from the high seas for the purpose of determining the applicability of each statute that refers to this section or this section, as amended. These lines may not be located more than twelve nautical miles seaward of the base line from which the territorial sea is measured. These lines may differ in position for the pur- poses of different statutes. (c) ‘‘United States’’ defined For the purposes of this section, the term ‘‘United States’’ includes the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is- lands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any other Commonwealth, territory, or pos- session of the United States. (Feb. 19, 1895, ch. 102, § 2, 28 Stat. 672; Pub. L. 96–324, § 1, Aug. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1020; Pub. L. 96–376, § 13, Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1511; Pub. L. 96–591, § 9, Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3436.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The International Regulations for Preventing Colli- sions at Sea, referred to in subsec. (a), came into effect pursuant to the Convention on the International Regu- lations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972. See Inter- national Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 note under section 1602 of this title. CODIFICATION Section was not enacted as part of act June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 30 Stat. 96, which comprises a major part of this chapter. AMENDMENTS 1980—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–324 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted provision author- Page 35 TITLE 33—NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS § 153 izing the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating to establish demarcation lines for provision authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to establish demarcation lines, and inserted provision specifying the purpose of establishing demarcation lines as determining the applicability of special naviga- tional rules in lieu of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–324 added subsec. (b). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–591 and Pub. L. 96–376 made identical amendments by striking out reference to the Canal Zone. Pub. L. 96–324 added subsec. (c). Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relat- ing thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Secu- rity, and the Department of Homeland Security Reor- ganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. Executive Documents TERMINATION OF TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Is- lands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions. TERRITORIAL SEA OF UNITED STATES For extension of territorial sea of United States, see Proc. No. 5928, set out as a note under section 1331 of Title 43, Public Lands. § 152. Regulation of length of towlines The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall prepare regulations limiting the length of hawsers between towing vessels and seagoing barges in tow and the length of such tows within any of the inland waters of the United States designated and defined from time to time pursu- ant to section 151 of this title, and such regula- tions shall have the force of law. (May 28, 1908, ch. 212, § 14, 35 Stat. 428; June 17, 1910, ch. 301, §§ 4, 6, 36 Stat. 537, 538; Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, § 1, 37 Stat. 736; June 30, 1932, ch. 314, pt. II, title V, §§ 501, 502, 47 Stat. 415; May 27, 1936, ch. 463, § 1, 49 Stat. 1380; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, § 2(a), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1432; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, §§ 101–104, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7875, 60 Stat. 1097; Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, §§ 1, 20, 63 Stat. 496, 561.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section was not enacted as part of act June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 30 Stat. 96, which comprises a major part of this chapter. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS ‘‘Commandant of the Coast Guard’’ substituted in text for provision that the Chairman of the Light House Board, the Supervising Inspector General of the Steamboat Inspection Service and the Commissioner of Navigation shall convene as a board to prepare regula- tions, and for approval of the regulations by the Sec- retary of Commerce and Labor. Secretary of Commerce and Labor designated Sec- retary of Commerce by act Mar. 4, 1913, which created Department of Labor. Sections 4 and 6 of act June 17, 1910, established in Department of Commerce and Labor a Bureau of Light- houses with a Commissioner of Lighthouses as its head, and transferred duties of Light House Board to such Commissioner. Said sections 4 and 6 were repealed by section 20 of act Aug. 4, 1949, section 1 of which reestab- lished Coast Guard by enacting Title 14, Coast Guard. Section 2(a) of Reorg. Plan No. II, of 1939, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Em- ployees, consolidated Bureau of Lighthouses with Coast Guard, the Chief of which is Commandant of the Coast Guard. Supervising Inspector General of the Steamboat In- spection Service and Commissioner of Navigation of Bureau of Navigation were affected by Secretary’s au- thority to retain or dismiss officers and employees upon consolidation of bureaus under section 502(b) of act June 30, 1932. Steamboat Inspection Service and Bureau of Naviga- tion consolidated into Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection to be under direction of a chief of bureau by section 501 of act June 30, 1932. Director of the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection was designation given to chief of such Bu- reau by Secretary of Commerce under section 502(b) of act June 30, 1932. Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation was des- ignation given to Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection by act May 27, 1936. Functions of Secretary of Commerce and Director of Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation under this section transferred to Commandant of the Coast Guard by Reorg. Plan No. 3, of 1946, §§ 101 to 104, set out in the Appendix to Title 5. For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relat- ing thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Secu- rity, and the Department of Homeland Security Reor- ganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. Coast Guard transferred to Department of Transpor- tation, and functions, powers, and duties relating to Coast Guard of Secretary of the Treasury and of other officers and offices of Department of the Treasury transferred to Secretary of Transportation by Pub. L. 89–670, § 6(b)(1), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 938. Section 6(b)(2) of Pub. L. 89–670, however, provided that notwith- standing such transfer of functions, Coast Guard shall operate as part of Navy in time of war or when Presi- dent directs as provided in former section 3 (now 103) of Title 14, Coast Guard. See section 108 of Title 49, Trans- portation. Executive Documents TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Treasury, with cer- tain exceptions, to Secretary of the Treasury with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, 1281, set out in the Appendix to Title 5. Functions of Coast Guard, and Commandant of the Coast Guard, excepted from transfer when Coast Guard is operating as part of Navy under former sections 1 and 3 (now 101 and 103) of Title 14, Coast Guard. § 153. Penalty for use of unlawful towline The master of the towing vessel shall be liable to the suspension or revocation of his license for