INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
4 ALBERT EMBANKMENT
LONDON SE1 7SR
Telephone:0171-735 7611
Fax: 0171-587 3210
Telex: 23588 IMOLDN G |
IMO
|
MSC 69/20/4
19 December 1997
Original:ENGLISH
|
MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE
69th session
Agenda item 20
WORK PROGRAMME
The consideration of amendments to International Regulations for Preventing
Collisions at Sea, 1972
Submitted by Japan
SUMMARY
|
| Executive
summary: |
This document proposes to start the consideration of amendments to the regulations concerning whistles, bells and lights in International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972. |
| Action to be taken: |
Paragraph 5. |
| Related documents: |
None. |
|
1 Japan fully implements the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs) through its domestic laws. Japan, however, recently came up against serious problems on the regulations, as the number of yachts and pleasure boats are increasing and many small vessels are being imported from foreign countries.
2 Especially, many owners of small vessels who desire to use small and light equipment show strong discontent with whistles and bells conforming with COLREGs because they are too heavy and large for these small vessels. Moreover, there are many cases where the owners of imported small vessels are forced to replace existing whistles with new whistles complying with COLREGs since many whistles equipped with imported small vessels do not comply with COLREGs. We think that this replacement must be a kind of barrier to smooth distribution of small vessels in the world. We suppose that this problem might be caused by the inland water regulations in exporting countries, which are permitted as special rule in accordance with paragraph (b) of Rule 1 of COLREGs. Japan is of the opinion that we should solve these problems through the discussion in IMO.
3 To investigate the problems and their practical solutions concerning whistles, bells, etc. of small vessels, Japan established a domestic committee and studied these issues by hearing opinions from persons concerned, and by sending inquiry missions to several countries to find the status of implementation of the regulations. After thorough consideration, Japan reached the conclusion that IMO should consider the following amendments to COLREGs concerning whistles, bells and lights:
H:/MSC/69/20-4
For reasons of economy, this document is printed
in a limited number. Delegates are kindly asked to
bring their copies to meetings and not to request
additional copies.
|
