Navigation (Signals of Distress, Urgency Signals and Danger Messages) Regulations

STATUTORY RULES

1968 No. 40

REGULATIONS UNDER THE NAVIGATION ACT 1912-1967.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Navigation Act 1912-1967.

Dated this twentieth day of March, 1968.

CASEY

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

(Sgd.) Ian Sinclair

Minister of State for Shipping and Transport.

NAVIGATION (SIGNALS OF DISTRESS, URGENCY SIGNALS AND DANGER MESSAGES) REGULATIONS.

Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Navigation (Signals of Distress, Urgency Signals and Danger Messages) Regulations.

Repeal.

2. The Navigation (Signals of Distress, Urgency Signals and Danger Messages) Regulations (comprising Statutory Rules 1959, No. 49 and Statutory Rules 1965, No. 99) are repealed.

Interpretation.

3.—(1.) In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—

“aircraft radio station” means a radio installation in an aircraft;

“coast radio station” means a radio installation established on land for the exchange of radio communications with ships;

“danger message” means a message referred to in sub-section (1.) of section 269A of the Act;

“distress call” means a call referred to in regulation 9 of these Regulations;

“distress frequency” means a radio frequency specified in regulation 12 of these Regulations;

“distress message” means a message referred to in regulation 10 of these Regulations;

“distress traffic”, in relation to radiotelegraphy or radiotelephony, means all transmissions in connexion with the immediate assistance required by a ship or aircraft in distress;

“radio station” means a ship radio station or a coast radio station;

“radiotelegraph alarm signal” means the signal referred to in regulation 5 of these Regulations;

“radiotelephone alarm signal” means the signal referred to in regulation 6 of these Regulations;

“Regional Controller” means a person for the time being performing the duties of an office of Regional Controller, Department of Shipping and Transport;

“ship radio station” means a radio installation on board a ship;

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 1968.

5307/67—Price 15c

“signal station” means a signal station established on land for the exchange of visual communications with ships;

“silence periods” has the same meaning as in the Navigation (Radio) Regulations;

“the Act” means the Navigation Act 1912-1967;

“tropical storm” means a hurricane, typhoon or other storm of a similar nature.

(2.) In these Regulations—

(a) a reference to a class A2 emission shall be read as a reference to amplitude modulated radiotelegraphy by the keying of a modulating audio-frequency or of an emission continuously modulated by an audio-frequency; and

(b) a reference to a class B emission shall be read as a reference to damped waves.

Prescribed signals of distress.

4.—(1.) Subject to the succeeding provisions of this regulation, the signals referred to in rule 31 in the Schedule to the Navigation (Collision) Regulations are the prescribed signals of distress.

(2.) In radiotelegraphy, the prescribed signal of distress consists of three dots, three dashes and three dots transmitted as if they represented, in Morse code, a single letter.

(3.) In radiotelephony, the prescribed signal of distress is the word “MAYDAY”.

Radiotelegraph alarm signal.

5.—(1.) A radiotelegraph alarm signal shall consist of a series of twelve dashes, sent in one minute, the duration of each dash being four seconds, and the duration of the interval between consecutive dashes being one second.

(2.) A radiotelegraph alarm signal shall, if possible, be generated by automatic means.

Radiotelephone alarm signal.

6.—(1.) A radiotelephone alarm signal shall consist of two sinusoidal audio frequency tones transmitted alternately, one having a frequency of two thousand two hundred cycles per second and the other having a frequency of one thousand three hundred cycles per second, the duration of each tone being two hundred and fifty milliseconds.

(2.) Where a radiotelephone alarm signal is generated by automatic means, it shall be sent continuously for a period of not less than thirty seconds but not more than one minute.

(3.) Where a radiotelephone alarm signal is generated by other than automatic means, it shall be sent as often as practicable over a period of approximately one minute.

Use of prescribed signal of distress in radiotelegraphy and radiotelephony.

7. In radiotelegraphy and radiotelephony, the prescribed signal of distress shall not be used except in connexion with the transmission of—

(a) a radiotelegraph alarm signal;

(b) a radiotelephone alarm signal;

(c) a distress call and a distress message;

(d) the acknowledgment of a distress message; or

(e) other distress traffic,

as prescribed by these Regulations.

Use of radiotelegraph and radiotelephone alarm signals.

8.—(1.) Subject to this regulation, a radiotelegraph alarm signal or a radiotelephone alarm signal shall not be used except in connexion with the transmission of—

(a) a distress call or distress message;

(b) an urgent warning concerning a tropical storm; or

(c) a message that a person has been lost overboard.

(2.) A radiotelegraph alarm signal or a radiotelephone alarm signal used to send a warning concerning a tropical storm shall only be transmitted by a coast radio station.

(3.) A radiotelegraph alarm signal or a radiotelephone alarm signal shall not be used to transmit a message that a person has been lost overboard unless—

(a) the assistance of another ship is required but cannot be obtained by the use of an urgency signal only; and

(b) the message is preceded by an urgency signal.

(4.) A radiotelegraph alarm signal or a radiotelephone alarm signal used to send a message that a person has been lost overboard shall only be transmitted by the ship from which the person was lost or by another radio station at the request of that ship.

Distress calls.

9.—(1.) In radiotelegraphy, the distress call consists of the prescribed signal of distress sent three times, followed by the word “DE” in Morse code, sent once, and the call sign of the radio station of the ship or aircraft in distress, sent three times.

(2.) Subject to the next succeeding sub-regulation, in radiotelegraphy, the distress call shall be preceded by the radiotelegraph alarm signal and after an interval of two minutes has elapsed since the giving of the distress call, the distress call shall be repeated and shall be followed, in order, by the distress message, by two dashes of ten to fifteen seconds duration each and the call sign of the ship or aircraft in distress.

(3.) Where time is vital or where transmission of the radiotelegraph alarm signal is considered unnecessary by the master of the ship or the pilot of the aircraft in distress, it is not necessary to give the radiotelegraph alarm signal, to allow the interval of two minutes to elapse before the distress call is repeated or to repeat the distress call.

(4.) In radiotelephony, the distress call consists of the prescribed signal of distress, pronounced three times, followed by the words “THIS IS”, followed by the call sign of the radio station of the ship or aircraft in distress, sent three times.

(5.) In radiotelephony, the distress call shall if possible be preceded by the radiotelephone alarm signal and shall be followed by the distress message.

(6.) After the transmission by radiotelephone of a distress message, the radio station of the ship or aircraft in distress may be, from time to time, requested to transmit suitable signals followed by its call sign or other identification to permit direction-finding radio stations to determine its position.

(7.) The distress call has absolute priority over other transmissions from radio stations and a person operating a radio station who hears the distress call shall—

(a) immediately cease any transmission capable of interfering with the distress call and subsequent distress traffic; and

(b) listen on the radio frequency used for the transmission of the distress call.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

(8.) A person referred to in the last preceding sub-regulation shall not acknowledge receipt of the distress call before the distress message is sent.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

5037/67—2

Distress message.

(9.) The distress call shall not be addressed to a particular radio station.

10—(1.) A distress message shall consist of the prescribed signal of distress followed by—

(a) the name of the ship or aircraft in distress;

(b) particulars of its position;

(c) the nature of the distress;

(d) the kind of assistance required; and

(e) any other information which might facilitate rescue.

(2.) Subject to the next succeeding sub-regulation, in a distress message the particulars of the position of a ship or aircraft shall be given toy stating in figures the degrees and minutes of north or south latitude of the position and the degrees and minutes of east or west longitude (from Greenwich) of the position, using, in the case of radiotelegraphy, the Morse signal ·—·—·—to separate the degrees from the minutes.

(3.) When practicable, the particulars of the position of a ship or aircraft in a distress message may be given by giving the true bearing and distance in nautical miles from a known geographical point.

Duty of operator after transmission of message.

11.—(1.) After a person operating a ship radio station has transmitted by radiotelegraphy a distress message, he shall transmit two dashes of approximately ten seconds duration each, followed by the call sign of the ship radio station, to permit direction-finding radio stations to determine its position.

(2.) The transmission to permit direction-finding radio stations to determine the position of the ship radio station may be repeated at frequent intervals, where necessary.

(3.) Before the total abandonment of a ship, the radio transmitter of the ship shall, if possible, be set to transmit a continuous signal which, if it is practicable, shall be a class A2 emission.

Radio frequencies to be used.

12.—(1.) Subject to the succeeding provisions of this regulation, the radio frequency to be used for distress messages and other distress traffic is five hundred kilocycles per second, used, if possible, on a class A2 emission.

(2.) In radiotelephony, in the case of radio stations working in the bands between one thousand six hundred and five and two thousand eight hundred and fifty kilocycles per second, the radio frequency to be used for prescribed signals of distress is two thousand one hundred and eighty-two kilocycles per second.

(3.) The radio frequency to be used in the case of a ship radio station that cannot transmit on either of the radio frequencies specified in the preceding provisions of this regulation is the normal calling radio frequency of the ship radio station.

Repetition of distress message.

13.—(1.) A distress message, preceded by the distress call, shall be repeated during silence periods and at other times, at intervals that are long enough to allow receiving radio stations to answer, until an answer is received.

(2.) The radiotelegraph alarm signal or the radiotelephone alarm signal may be repeated before the repetition, under the last preceding sub-regulation, of the distress call and distress message.

(3.) Where no answer is received to a distress message sent on a distress frequency, the distress call and distress message may be repeated on any other available radio frequency on which attention might be attracted.

Acknowledgment of receipt of distress massage.

14.—(1.) A person operating a radio station who receives a distress message from a ship radio station or an aircraft radio station which is in his vicinity shall acknowledge receipt of the signal in accordance with the succeeding provisions of this regulation.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

(2.) In radiotelegraphy, the acknowledgment of receipt of a distress message shall take the following form:—

(a) the call sign of the radio station of the ship or aircraft in distress, given three times;

(b) the word “DE”;

(c) the call sign of the radio station acknowledging receipt, given three times;

(d) the group of letters “RRR”; and

(e) the prescribed signal of distress.

(3.) In radiotelephony, the acknowledgment of receipt of a distress message shall take the following form:—

(a) the call sign of the radio station of the ship or aircraft in distress, given three times;

(b) the words “THIS IS”;

(c) the call sign of the radio station acknowledging receipt, given three times;

(d) the word “RECEIVED”; and

(e) the prescribed signal of distress.

(4.) An acknowledgment of receipt of a distress message by a person operating a ship radio station shall, if the master of the ship so authorizes, be followed as soon as possible by information in the following form:—

(a) the name of the ship;

(b) particulars of its position; and

(c) the speed at which it is proceeding towards the ship or aircraft in distress.

(5.) For the purposes of the last preceding sub-regulation, the particulars of the position of the ship shall be given in the same manner as that prescribed by sub-regulations (2.) and (3.) of regulation 10 of these Regulations.

(6.) Before transmitting the information referred to in sub-regulation (4.) of this regulation, the person operating the ship radio station shall ensure that the transmission will not interfere with the transmissions of other radio stations, including aircraft radio stations, that are better situated to render immediate assistance to the ship or aircraft in distress.

(7.) Subject to the next succeeding sub-regulation, an acknowledgment of the receipt of a distress message by a person operating a radio station shall be given immediately.

(8.) Where other radio stations, including aircraft radio stations, are known by the person operating a radio station to be nearer to the ship or aircraft in distress, the acknowledgment of the receipt of a distress message shall not be transmitted until after a short interval of time in order to permit those other radio stations to acknowledge receipt of the distress message without interference.

Repetition of a distress message by a receiving radio station.

15.—(1.) Where a person operating a radio station hears a distress message, he shall, unless receipt of the distress message is immediately acknowledged in accordance with the last preceding regulation, take all possible steps to attract the attention of a ship radio station or an aircraft radio station that is in a position to render assistance.

(2.) In order to attract the attention of a ship radio station or an aircraft radio station that is in a position to render assistance, a person operating a ship radio station if the master of his ship so authorizes, and a person operating a coast radio station if the person in charge of the coast radio station so authorizes, may relay, on full power, a distress message or part of such a message.

(3.) In radiotelegraphy, the transmission of a distress message or part of a distress message under the last preceding sub-regulation or under paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (2.) of the next succeeding regulation shall be preceded by—

(a) one dash, two dots, one dash, two dots, one dash and two dots transmitted as if they represented, in Morse code, a single letter;

(b) the prescribed signal of distress, sent three times;

(c) one dash, two dots, one dash, two dots, one dash and two dots transmitted as if they represented, in Morse code, a single letter;

(d) the word “DE”; and

(e) the call sign of the transmitting radio station, sent three times.

(4.) In radiotelephony, the transmission of a distress message or part of a distress message under sub-regulation (2.) of this regulation or under paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (2.) of the next succeeding regulation shall be preceded by—

(a) the words “MAYDAY RELAY” spoken three times;

(b) the words “THIS IS”; and

(c) the call sign or other identification of the transmitting radio station, spoken three times.

(5.) In radiotelegraphy, the transmission of a distress message or part of a distress message under sub-regulation (2.) or (3.) of this regulation or under paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (2.) of the next succeeding regulation may be preceded by the radiotelegraph alarm signal if an interval of two minutes is left between the transmission of the radiotelegraph alarm signal and the transmission of the distress message or part of the distress message.

(6.) In radiotelephony, the transmission of a distress message or part of a distress message under sub-regulation (2.) or (4.) of this regulation or under paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (2.) of the next succeeding regulation may be preceded by the radiotelephone alarm signal.

Authority to use or display prescribed signals of distress.

16.—(1.) A prescribed signal of distress shall not be used or displayed by a person on board a ship unless the use or display of that signal is authorized by the master of the ship.

(2.) The master of a ship shall not authorize the use or display of a prescribed signal of distress unless he is satisfied that—

(a) his ship is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance; or

(b) where a ship other than his own, or an aircraft, is in distress, the ship or aircraft cannot use or display a prescribed signal of distress or requires immediate assistance in addition to any assistance already available.

(3.) Where the master of a ship has authorized the use of a prescribed signal of distress by means of a transmission by a ship radio station, he shall cause a message revoking that signal to be transmitted as soon as he is satisfied that the ship or aircraft to which the signal relates is no longer in need of assistance.

Distress traffic.

17.—(1.) The control of distress traffic is the responsibility of the person operating the radio station that originates the prescribed signal of distress, but that person may delegate the control to a person operating another radio station and, on any such delegation, the control of the distress traffic is the responsibility of the delegate.

(2.) A person responsible for the control of distress traffic, or, if he believes it to be essential, the person operating any other radio station near the ship or aircraft in distress, may impose radio silence either on all radio stations in the area or on a particular radio station which interferes with the distress traffic.

(3.) For the purpose of imposing radio silence under the last preceding sub-regulation when distress traffic is being conducted by radiotelegraphy—

(a) a person responsible for the control of distress traffic shall transmit the group of letters “QRT” followed by the distress signal addressed to all radio stations or a particular radio station, as the case requires; and

(b) a person operating any other radio station near the ship or aircraft in distress shall transmit the group of letters “QRT” followed by the word “DISTRESS” and the call sign of his own radio station addressed to all radio stations or a particular radio station, as the case requires.

(4.) For the purpose of imposing radio silence under sub-regulation (2.) of this regulation when distress traffic is being conducted by radiotelephony—

(a) a person responsible for the control of distress traffic shall transmit the words “SEELONCE MAYDAY” addressed to all radio stations or a particular radio station, as the case requires; and

(b) a person operating any other radio station near the ship or aircraft in distress shall transmit the words “SEELONCE DISTRESS” and the call sign of his own radio station addressed to all radio stations or a particular radio station, as the case requires.

(5.) A person operating a radio station who has knowledge of any distress traffic shall comply with any instructions given by a person under the preceding provisions of this regulation.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

(6.) A person operating a radio station who has knowledge of any distress traffic but is not taking part in the distress traffic shall not while it continues—

(a) transmit on the radio frequency used for the distress traffic;

(b) use class B emissions; or

(c) resume the normal service of his own radio station unless—

(i) the distress traffic is well established; and

(ii) the resumption will not interfere with the distress traffic.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

(7.) A person operating a radio station who is taking part in distress traffic shall cause each call and each message transmitted by him in the course of that traffic to be preceded by the prescribed signal of distress.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

(8.) When distress traffic has ceased or when radio silence is no longer necessary the person who has controlled the distress traffic shall transmit on the distress frequency and on any other radio frequency used for the distress traffic a message, addressed to all radio stations—

(a) where the distress traffic was conducted by radiotelegraphy, in the following form:—

(i) the prescribed signal of distress;

(ii) the group of letters “CQ”, repeated three times;

(iii) the word “DE”;

(iv) the call sign of his own radio station;

(v) the time of handing in the message for transmission;

(vi) the name and call sign of the radio station of the ship or aircraft in distress; and

(vii) the group of letters “QUM”; or

(b) where the distress traffic was conducted by radiotelephony, in the following form:—

(i) the prescribed signal of distress;

(ii) the words “TO ALL STATIONS”, spoken three times;

(iii) the words “THIS IS”;

(iv) the call sign of his own radio station;

(v) the time of handing in the message for transmission;

(vi) the name and call sign of the radio station of the ship or aircraft in distress; and

(vii) the words “SEELONCE FEENEE”.

(9.) In this regulation, a reference to a radio station includes a reference to an aircraft radio station which is taking part in distress traffic.

Obtaining help, &c., where unable to comply with Regulations.

18. Notwithstanding anything contained in the preceding provisions of these Regulations, a person who is operating the radio station of a ship that is in serious and imminent danger and is unable to comply with those provisions may use any means at his disposal to attract attention, to make known the ship’s position and to obtain help.

Prescribed urgency signals.

19.—(1.) The following signals are the prescribed urgency signals:—

(a) in radiotelegraphy—three repetitions of the group of letters “XXX” in Morse code, sent with the letters of each group, and the successive groups, clearly separated from each other; and

(b) in radiotelephony—three repetitions of the word “PAN”.

(2.) A prescribed urgency signal shall be used for the purpose of giving notice that the calling radio station has a very urgent message to transmit concerning the safety of a ship, an aircraft, a vehicle or a person.

(3.) The radio frequency to be used for prescribed urgency signals and the messages that follow them is the same as that to be used for distress messages and other distress traffic.

(4.) A prescribed urgency signal has priority over all other radio communications except distress traffic.

(5.) A person shall not interfere with the transmission of a message that follows the use of a prescribed urgency signal.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

(6.) A message, other than a message dealing with medical matters, that follows a prescribed urgency signal shall be in plain language.

Authority to use prescribed urgency signal.

20.—(1.) A prescribed urgency signal shall not be used—

(a) by a person on board a ship unless the use of that signal is authorized by the master of the ship; or

(b) by a person at a coast radio station unless the use of that signal is authorized by a Regional Controller.

(2.) Where the master of a ship or a Regional Controller has authorized the use of a prescribed urgency signal before the transmission of a message addressed to all radio stations, including aircraft radio stations, that calls for action by any of those radio stations receiving the message, he shall cause that message to be cancelled by a further message addressed to all radio stations as soon as he is satisfied that the action is no longer necessary.

Duties of person hearing prescribed urgency signal.

21.—(1.) A person operating a radio station who hears a prescribed urgency signal shall continue to listen and shall not resume the normal service of the radio station until—

(a) if no message follows the signal—the expiration of a period of at least three minutes; or

(b) if a message follows the signal—he is satisfied that no action or further action by him on the message is necessary.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

(2.) Where a message that follows a prescribed urgency signal is not addressed to all radio stations, radio stations that are in communication on radio frequencies other than those used for the transmission of the prescribed urgency signal and message may continue their normal service without interruption.

Prescribed safety signals.

22.—(1.) The following signals are the prescribed safety signals:—

(a) in radiotelegraphy—three repetitions of the group of letters “TTT” in Morse code, sent with the letters of each group and the successive groups, clearly separated from each other; and

(b)  in radiotelephony—the word “SÉCURITÉ” (pronounced “SAY-CURE-E-TAY”) repeated three times.

(2.) A prescribed safety signal shall be used for the purpose of giving notice that the calling radio station has a danger message to transmit concerning the safety of navigation or the giving of an important meteorological warning.

Danger messages.

23—(1.) A danger message shall be sent in the English language or by means of the 1931 International Code of Signals (Volume II., for Radio Signalling).

(2.) A danger message shall convey the following information:—

(a) in the case of ice, derelicts and other direct dangers to navigation—

(i) the kind of ice, derelict or other danger observed;

(ii) the position of the ice, derelict or other danger when last observed; and

(iii) the Greenwich Mean Time and the date when the danger was last observed;

(b) in the case of a tropical storm—a statement that a tropical storm has been encountered and, as far as is practicable—

(i) the position of the tropical storm as far as it can be ascertained;

(ii) the position, true course and speed of the reporting ship when the observation was made;

(iii) the Greenwich Mean Time and the date when the observation was made;

(iv) the barometric pressure with an indication as to whether that pressure is given in millibars, inches or millimetres and as to whether the reading is corrected or uncorrected;

(v) the change in barometric pressure during the previous three hours;

(vi) the true direction of the wind;

(vii) the wind force according to the Beaufort scale specified in the Schedule to these Regulations;

(viii) the state of the sea, as being smooth, moderate, rough or high;

(ix) the swell, as being slight, moderate or heavy and the direction from which it comes; and

(x) the period or length of the swell, as being short, average or long;

(c) in the case of winds of force 10 or above on the Beaufort scale specified in the Schedule to these Regulations, being winds in respect of which the ship has not received a storm warning—the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (ii) to (vii) (inclusive) of the last preceding paragraph; and

(d) in the case of sub-freezing air temperatures associated with gale force winds causing severe ice accretion on superstructures—

(i) the Greenwich Mean Time and the date when the observation was made;

(ii) the air temperature at that time;

(iii) the sea temperature at that time, if it is practicable to take it;

(iv) the wind force according to the Beaufort scale specified in the Schedule to these Regulations; and

(v) the true direction of the wind.

(3.) A danger message shall be sent as soon as the master of the ship has the required information and shall be repeated immediately after the end of the first available silence period.

(4.) Where a danger message is repeated in accordance with the last preceding sub-regulation, the prescribed safety signal that precedes the repetition of the danger message shall be transmitted towards the end of the silence period.

(5.) A danger message shall end with the name of the master of the ship transmitting the message or information and the call sign of the ship radio station.

(6.) The radio frequency to be used for the safety signal and call that precedes a danger message is the same as that to be used for prescribed signals of distress, and the radio frequency to be used for the danger message is such a working frequency as is specified at the end of the safety signal and call.

(7.) Nothing in this regulation shall be deemed to prevent a danger message being sent as part of a meteorological service that is transmitted at fixed times.

Further observations and reports after danger messages.

24. The master of a ship from which a danger message referred to in paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of sub-regulation (2.) of the last preceding regulation has been sent shall, while the ship remains in a position from which it is possible to make observations referred to in whichever of those paragraphs is applicable, continue to make further observations at hourly intervals and shall, as soon as practicable after he has on each occasion the required information, send messages in accordance with that regulation conveying that information.

Duties of person hearing the prescribed safety signal.

25.—(1.) A person operating a radio station who hears the prescribed safety signal shall listen on the radio frequency used for the transmission of the signal until he is satisfied that the message is of no concern to him.

(2.) A person shall not interfere with the transmission of a message that follows the use of the prescribed safety signal.

Penalty: One hundred dollars.

Priority of safety traffic.

26. A message preceded by the safety signal has priority over all communications other than distress traffic and traffic preceded by the urgency signal.

Report to shore.

27. The master of a ship who has sent out a prescribed safety signal and danger message in accordance with section 269a of the Act shall—

(a) at the first opportunity, make a radio report containing the information contained in the danger message to the person in charge of the nearest available coast radio station, or, if it is not possible to so communicate with a coast radio station, make the report by visual means to the person in charge of the first signal station with which he is able to communicate, and request the person to whom the report is made to transmit the report to the appropriate Authority in the country in which the coast radio station or signal station is located; and

(b) immediately on arrival of the ship at its next port of call, lodge a copy of the report with the proper authority at that port.

Master of ship to make entry in logbook.

28. The master of a ship shall enter in the official logbook of the ship a record of—

(a) all new dangers to navigation observed;

(b) all danger messages and information received in regard to new dangers to navigation; and

(c) all danger messages and information sent or transmitted in regard to new dangers to navigation and the exact time and position of the ship when the danger message or information was sent or transmitted.

Speed of transmission.

29.—(1.) For the purposes of these Regulations, the speed of transmission in radiotelegraphy, other than the transmission of a radiotelegraph alarm signal, is not more than sixteen words per minute.

(2.) A message transmitted by radiotelephony shall be sent as slowly and distinctly as practicable, each word being clearly pronounced so as to facilitate transcription.

Improper use of signals or messages.

30.—(1.) A person shall not—

(a) use or display a prescribed signal of distress;

(b) use a prescribed urgency signal; or

(c) send out a danger message,

unless the use, display or sending out is authorized by these Regulations or another regulation made under the Act.

Penalty: Two hundred dollars.

(2.) Subject to the next succeeding sub-regulation, a person shall not use any flare, rocket or shell that could be mistaken for a prescribed signal of distress coming from a ship or from the member of a crew of a ship.

Penalty: Two hundred dollars.

(3.) A person may, either at sea or on the coast, use a flare, rocket or shell other than in a case of distress and notwithstanding that it could be mistaken for a prescribed signal of distress used or displayed on board a ship if—

(a) at least three days before its use, he has obtained permission to do so in writing from the Minister or from a person authorized by the Minister by instrument in writing; and

(b) he has caused to be published, in a form approved of by the Minister or by a person authorized by the Minister by instrument in writing, a notice of his intention to use the flare, rocket or shell in a daily newspaper that was, not more than seventy-two or less than forty-eight hours before its use, circulated in the locality in which the flare, rocket or shell is to be used or from which its use would be visible.

Use of rockets weighing less than two ounces.

31.—(1.) Subject to the next succeeding sub-regulation, the last preceding regulation does not apply to a person who uses, on the coast, a rocket that weighs less than two ounces.

(2.) A person who, on the coast, uses a rocket that weighs less than two ounces with the intention of misleading any person into the belief that it is a signal of distress is guilty of an offence and, upon conviction, is liable to a penalty not exceeding Two hundred dollars.

THE SCHEDULE

Regulation 23.

BEAUFORT SCALE OF WIND FORCE

By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra