§ 80.305   Watch requirements of the Communications Act and the Safety
Convention.

   (a) Each ship of the United States which is equipped with a radiotelegraph
   station for compliance with part II of title III of the Communications Act
   or chapter IV of the Safety Convention must:

   (1) If it is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, keep a continuous and
   efficient watch on the radiotelephone distress frequency 2182 kHz from the
   principal radio operating position or the room from which the vessel is
   normally steered while being navigated in the open sea outside a harbor or
   port.

   (2) Keep a continuous and efficient watch on the VHF distress frequency
   156.800 MHz from the room from which the vessel is normally steered while in
   the open sea outside a harbor or port. The watch must be maintained by a
   designated member of the crew who may perform other duties, relating to the
   operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not
   interfere with the effectiveness of the watch. Use of a properly adjusted
   squelch or brief interruptions due to other nearby VHF transmissions are not
   considered to adversely affect the continuity or efficiency of the required
   watch on the VHF distress frequency. This watch need not be maintained by
   vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating in a Vessel
   Traffic Services (VTS) system as required or recommended by the U.S. Coast
   Guard,  when  an  efficient  listening watch is maintained on both the
   bridge-to-bridge frequency and a separate assigned VTS frequency.

   (b)  Each  cargo  ship  of  the United States which is equipped with a
   radiotelephone station for compliance with part II of title III of the
   Communications Act or chapter IV of the Safety Convention must while being
   navigated outside of a harbor or port:

   (1) If it is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, keep a continuous watch on
   2182 kHz in the room from which the vessel is normally steered while at sea,
   whenever such station is not being used for authorized traffic. Such watch
   must be maintained by at least one officer or crewmember who may perform
   other duties relating to the operation or navigation of the vessel, provided
   such other duties do not interfere with the watch.

   (2) Keep a continuous watch on 156.800 MHz from the room from which the
   vessel is normally steered. The watch must be maintained by a crewmember who
   may perform other duties, relating to the operation or navigation of the
   vessel, provided such other duties do not interfere with the watch. Use of
   properly adjusted squelch of brief interruptions due to other nearby VHF
   transmissions are not considered to adversely affect the watch. This watch
   need not be maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and
   participating in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system when a watch is
   maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a VTS frequency.

   (c) Each vessel of the United States transporting more than six passengers
   for hire, which is equipped with a radiotelephone station for compliance
   with 47 U.S.C. 381-386 but which is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment,
   must, while being navigated in the open sea or any tidewater within the
   jurisdiction of the United States adjacent or contiguous to the open sea,
   keep  a  continuous  watch  on 2182 kHz while the vessel is beyond VHF
   communication  range  of  the  nearest VHF coast station, whenever the
   radiotelephone station is not being used for authorized traffic. A VHF watch
   must be kept on 156.800 MHz whenever such station is not being used for
   authorized  traffic.  The VHF watch must be maintained at the vessel's
   steering station actually in use by the qualified operator as defined by
   § 80.157 or by a crewmember who may perform other duties relating to the
   operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not
   interfere with the watch. The use of a properly adjusted squelch is not
   considered  to  adversely  affect the watch. The VHF watch need not be
   maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating
   in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system when an efficient listening watch
   is maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a VTS frequency.

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at  68 FR 46967 , Aug. 7, 2003;  69 FR 64673 , Nov. 8, 2004;  73 FR 4484 , Jan. 25, 2008;  76 FR 67612 , Nov. 2, 2011]

   return arrow Back to Top