Section 165.1301 - Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters in Northwestern Washington-Regulated Navigation AreaThe following is a regulated navigation area-All of the following northwestern Washington waters under the jurisdiction of the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound: Puget Sound, Hood Canal, Possession Sound, Elliott Bay, Commencement Bay, the San Juan Archipelago, Rosario Strait, Guemes Channel, Bellingham Bay, U.S. waters of the Strait of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Haro Strait, Boundary Pass, and Georgia Strait, and all lesser bays and harbors adjacent to the above.
(a) Definitions as used in this section:(1)Vessels engaged in fishing are as identified in the definition found in Rule 3 of the International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea, 1972, (72 COLREGS), found in appendix A, part 81 of this chapter.(2)Hazardous levels of vessel traffic congestion are as defined at the time by Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service.(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed as relieving any party from their responsibility to comply with applicable rules set forth in the 72 COLREGS.(c) General Regulations: The provisions of this paragraph apply at all times.(1) Vessels engaged in fishing or other operations-that are distinct from vessels following a TSS or a connecting precautionary area east of New Dungeness and which are not required by the Bridge to Bridge Radiotelephone Regulations to maintain a listening watch, are highly encouraged to maintain a listening watch on the Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service (PSVTS) VHF-FM radio frequency for the area in which the vessel is operating. A safe alternative to the radio listening watch is to stay clear of the TSS and connecting precautionary area.(2) Vessels engaged in gill net fishing at any time between sunset and sunrise in any of the waters defining the regulated navigation are of this section shall, in addition to the navigation lights and shapes required by Part 81 of this title (72 COLREGS), display at the end of the net most distant from the vessel on all-round (32-point) white light visible for a minimum of two nautical miles and displayed from at least three feet above the surface of the water.(3) Vessels engaged in fishing, including gillnet and purse seine fishing, are prohibited in the following Prohibited Fishing Area: The Hood Canal Bridge, to include the waters within a one-half nautical mile radius of the center of the main ship channel draw span during the immediate approach and transit of the draw by public vessels of the United States.(4) East of New Dungeness, vessels engaged in fishing in a traffic lane or connecting precautionary area shall tend nets or other gear placed in the water so as to facilitate the movement of the vessel or gear from the traffic lane or precautionary area upon the approach of a vessel following the TSS.(d) Congested Regulations: The provisions under this paragraph apply only when imposed in specific locations by Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service. They are intended to enhance vessel traffic safety during periods and in locations where hazardous levels of vessel traffic congestion are deemed to exist by Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service. Operations potentially creating vessel traffic congestion include, but are not limited to, vessels engaged in fishing, including gillnet or purse seine, recreational fishing derbies, regattas, or permitted marine events. (1) Vessels engaged in fishing or other operations-that are distinct from vessels following a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) or a connecting precautionary area east of New Dungeness, may not remain in, nor their gear remain in, a traffic lane or a connecting precautionary area east of New Dungeness when a vessel following a TSS approaches. Such vessels not following a TSS or a connecting precautionary area shall draw in their gear, maneuver, or otherwise clear these areas so that their action is complete at least fifteen minutes before the arrival of a vessel following the TSS. Vessels which are required by this paragraph to remain clear of a connecting precautionary area east of New Dungeness or a traffic lane must also remain clear of the adjacent separation zone when in a TSS east of New Dungeness.(2) A vessel following the TSS may not exceed a speed of 11 knots through the water.(3) Vessels engaged in fishing, including gillnet and purse seine fishing, are prohibited in the following Prohibited Fishing Area: Edmonds/Kingston ferry crossing lanes, to include the waters within one-quarter nautical mile on either side of a straight line connecting the Edmonds and Kingston ferry landings during the hours that the ferry is operating.(e) Authorization to deviate from this section. (1) Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District may, upon written request, issue an authorization to deviate from this section if the proposed deviation provides a level of safety equivalent to or beyond that provided by the required procedure. An application for authorization must state the need for the deviation and describe the proposed alternative operation.(2) PSVTS may, upon verbal request, authorize a deviation from this section for a voyage, or part of a voyage, if the proposed deviation provides a level of safety equivalent to or beyond that provided by the required procedure. The deviation request must be made well in advance to allow the requesting vessel and the Vessel Traffic Center (VTC) sufficient time to assess the safety of the proposed deviation. Discussions between the requesting vessel and the VTC should include, but are not limited to, information on vessel handling characteristics, traffic density, radar contracts, and environmental conditions.(3) In an emergency, the master, pilot, or person directing the movement of the vessel following the TSS may deviate from this section to the extent necessary to avoid endangering persons, property, or the environment, and shall report the deviation to the VTC as soon as possible.CGD 13-98-002, 63 FR 7708, Feb. 17, 1998