S.I. No. 186/1965:

SIGNALS OF DISTRESS (SHIPS AND SEAPLANES ON THE WATER) RULES, 1965.

SIGNALS OF DISTRESS (SHIPS AND SEAPLANES ON THE WATER) RULES, 1965.

I, ERSKINE H. CHILDERS, Minister for Transport and Power, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 36 of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Act, 1952 (No. 29 of 1952), and by section 58 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1936 (No. 40 of 1936), hereby make the following rules :

1.--(1) These Rules may be cited as the Signals of Distress (Ships and Seaplanes on the Water) Rules, 1965.

(2) These Rules shall come into operation on the 1st day of September, 1965.

2. The following signals are hereby prescribed as the signals of distress to be used or displayed, either together or separately, by ships or seaplanes on the water, namely :

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

(b) a continuous sounding with any fog-signal apparatus ;

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

(d) a signal made by radio-telegraphy or by any other signalling method consisting of the group . . . -- -- -- . . . in the Morse Code ;

(e) a signal sent by radio-telephony 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 a volume of orange-coloured smoke ;

(k) slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering arms outstretched to each side.

3. A signal of distress prescribed under these rules shall be used only for the purpose of indicating that a ship or seaplane is in serious and imminent danger and requiring immediate assistance from other ships or seaplanes or from the shore, and shall only be sent by or on the authority of the master or pilot or other person for the time being in charge of--

(a) a ship or seaplane in danger as aforesaid, or

(b) a ship or seaplane which observes that another ship or seaplane is not itself in a position to send the signal ;

provided that in the case referred to in paragraph (b) of this Rule the signal shall not be sent unless the master or pilot or other person for the time being in charge deems further assistance necessary.

4. When a ship or seaplane has sent out a signal of distress by radio and the master or pilot or other person for the time being in charge subsequently finds that assistance is no longer required, he shall immediately notify all stations.

5. The regulations and procedure laid down by the International Radio-telegraph Convention, and for the time being in force, shall, so far as applicable, be observed in the case of the signals of distress prescribed by these rules.

6. The Signals of Distress (Ships and Seaplanes on the Water) Rules, 1953 ( S.I. No. 395 of 1953 ), are hereby revoked.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 24th day of August, 1965.

ERSKINE H. CHILDERS,

Minister for Transport and Power.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Rules prescribe revised distress signals for ships and seaplanes on the water and specify the circumstances in which such signals may be used.