Navigation of Vessels

PART II NAVIGATION OF VESSELS

Vessel movements

4. The master of any vessel exceeding 20 metres in length shall give reasonable prior notice to the harbour master of the vessel’s arrival at, departure from or movement within, the Port. These vessels must additionally report to the harbour master by VHF when passing reporting points as indicated on the Admiralty Chart.

Declaration of particulars of vessel

5. The master of a vessel arriving at the Port shall, if required by the harbour master, furnish to him a declaration containing a correct statement of the tonnage and draught of the vessel, its last port of call, ownership and destination, and particulars of its cargo and the agents acting for the vessel while remaining in the Port.

Vessels entering and leaving docks

6. No person shall take, or attempt to take, any vessel into or out of any dock, lock or basin within the Port without the permission of, or in disobedience to the directions of, the harbour master.

Speed of vessels

7.(1) No person shall navigate a vessel or operate a personal watercraft –

  1. without due care and caution or at a speed or in a manner which, having regard to all the circumstances at the time, including weather conditions and the type condition and use of other vessels underway, berthed or moored, or which might reasonably be expected to be underway, berthed or moored, endangers the safety of, or causes injury to any person, any other vessel, buoy, moorings, banks of the port or any other property;

  2. without reducing speed and wash effect to a safe level before passing a dredger or a vessel engaged in diving operations, underwater work, removing a sunken vessel or other obstruction or working at any buoy or mooring;

  3. without the permission of the harbour master and subject to paragraphs (a) & (b) above-

(i) at a speed exceeding six knots over the ground in any direction to the northward of an imaginary line drawn from Hythe Pier through the Weston Shelf Buoy to the Weston shore.

(ii) in the case of vessels with a draught of 6.0metres or over, when approaching or passing the oil jetties at Fawley and Hamble in Southampton Water, at a speed in excess of seven knots over the ground.

(iii) closer than 130 metres from the face of the jetties at Fawley and Hamble, unless engaged in berthing or unberthing of vessels at those jetties.

    (2) All vessels of a draught of less than 6.0 metres shall, so far as is consistent with safe navigation, and subject to paragraph (1)(a) above, reduce speed when approaching or passing the oil jetties at Fawley and Hamble so as to have no adverse impact on vessels alongside the jetties.

Approaching or passing under a bridge

8. The master of a power driven vessel navigating against the tide shall when approaching or passing under a bridge reduce speed and prepare to stop to avoid risk of collision with another vessel that is navigating with the tide.

Vessels not to be made fast to navigation buoys or marks

9. The master shall not make his vessel fast to or interfere with any navigational buoy, light, beacon, seamark or tideboard, and shall inform the harbour master as soon as reasonably practicable if his vessel runs into or fouls any such buoy or mark.

Navigation in fairways

10. (1) The master of a small vessel, which is not confined to the fairway, shall not make use of the fairway so as to obstruct other vessels which can navigate only within the fairway.

(2) The master of a vessel crossing a fairway or turning shall not stop or slow down as to cause obstruction/damage to any other vessel.

(3) The master of a vessel shall not intentionally permit it to drift in any part of the fairway.

(4) The master of a vessel proceeding along the course of a fairway shall keep as near to the outer limit of the fairway which lies on the vessel’s starboard side as is safe and practicable.

Moving Prohibited Zone.

11.(1). In this byelaw -

‘’the Precautionary Area" means the main navigable channel which lies between an imaginary line drawn between Prince Consort and South Bramble Buoys and an imaginary line drawn between Black Jack and Hook Buoys;

‘’Moving Prohibited Zone’’ means an area extending 1000 metres ahead and 100 metres either side of any vessel of over 150 metres length overall while it is navigating within the Precautionary Area.

(2) The master of a small vessel shall ensure that the vessel does not enter a Moving Prohibited Zone.

(3) For the purpose of indicating the presence of the Moving Prohibited Zone the master of any vessel of over 150 metres length overall shall display on the vessel, where it can best be seen, by day, a black cylinder, and, by night, 3 all round red lights in a vertical line.

High speed craft to use authorised channels

12 The master of a high speed craft when underway shall make use only of such channels as are authorised by the harbour master.

Power driven vessel underway

13 The master of a power driven vessel underway shall either be on the bridge or control position of the vessel himself or ensure that there is on the bridge or control position a member of the crew who is capable of taking command of the vessel and, when a pilot is on board, is capable of understanding the pilot’s directions.

Notification of collisions, etc

14. The master of a vessel which:-

  1. (a) has been involved in a collision with any vessel, navigational mark, shore facility or property, or has been sunk or grounded or become stranded in the harbour area, or

  2. (b) by reason of accident, fire defect or otherwise is in such a condition as to affect its safe navigation or to give rise to danger to other vessels or property; or

  3. (c) in any manner gives rise to an obstruction to a fairway;

shall as soon as reasonably practicable report the occurrence to the harbour master and (as soon as practicable thereafter) provide the harbour master with full details in writing and where the damage to a vessel is such as to affect or be likely to affect its seaworthiness the master shall not move the vessel except to clear the fairway or to moor or anchor in safety, otherwise than with the permission and in accordance with the directions of the harbour master.

Vessels Adrift

15. The master of a vessel which parts from its moorings shall as soon as possible report the same to the harbour master.

Navigating whilst under the influence of drink or drugs

16. (1) No person shall navigate or attempt to navigate a vessel when unfit by reason of drink or drugs to do so.

(2) No master or owner of a vessel shall knowingly cause or permit any person to navigate or attempt to navigate that vessel in contravention of this Byelaw.