Dec. 19.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1847

Rules fixing Life-saving Appliances for Ships.

ONSLOW, Governor.

ORDER IN COUNCIL.

At the Government House, at Dunedin, this tenth day of December, 1889.

Present:

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL.

WHEREAS it is, among other things, enacted by section one hundred and sixty-nine of “The Shipping and Seamen’s Act, 1877” (hereinafter termed “the said Act”), that every ship shall be provided with efficient boats, rafts, or other appliances for saving life, kept at all times fit and ready for use, and supplied with all requisites for use, sufficient in number, and of the size and description proper for such ship, according to rules which may be fixed by the Governor in Council:

And whereas it is desirable to fix rules setting forth the boats, rafts, or other appliances for saving life with which ships are to be provided:

Now, therefore, His Excellency the Right Honourable William Hillier, Earl of Onslow, Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, in pursuance and exercise of the power and authority vested in him by the said Act, and acting with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said colony, doth hereby fix and prescribe the rules set forth in the Schedule hereto for defining the boats, rafts, or other appliances for saving life with which ships are to be provided; and doth hereby order that these rules shall come into force on and after the first day of September, one thousand eight hundred and ninety; and doth hereby further order and declare that the rules and regulations with regard to boats, rafts, or other appliances for saving life which are at present in force under “The Merchant Shipping Act, 1854,” or any Acts amending the same, shall continue in force until the first day of September, one thousand eight hundred and ninety.

SCHEDULE.

RULES.

For the purposes of these rules, British ships shall be arranged in the following classes:—

CLASS 1.—DIVISION (A).—Steamships carrying emigrant passengers subject to all the provisions of the Passengers Acts.

CLASS 1.—DIVISION (B).—Sailing-ships carrying emigrant passengers subject to all the provisions of the Passengers Acts.

CLASS 2.—DIVISION (A).—Foreign-going steamships having passenger certificates under “The Shipping and Seamen’s Act, 1877.”

CLASS 2.—DIVISION (B).—Foreign-going sailing-ships carrying passengers, but not subject to all the provisions of the Passengers Acts.

CLASS 3.—DIVISION (A).—Foreign-going steamships not certified to carry passengers.

CLASS 3.—DIVISION (B).—Foreign-going sailing-ships not carrying passengers.

CLASS 4.—DIVISION (A).—Steamships having passenger certificates under “The Shipping and Seamen’s Act, 1877,” authorising them to carry passengers anywhere within the home-trade limits, that is to say, on the coast of New Zealand.

CLASS 4.—DIVISION (B).—Steamships in the same trades not certified to carry passengers.

CLASS 4.—DIVISION (C).—Sailing-ships in the same trades not carrying passengers.

CLASS 5.—Steamships having passenger certificates authorising them to carry passengers within certain specified limits of the home trade.

CLASS 6.—Steamships carrying passengers on short excursions or pleasure trips, to sea, or in estuaries, or mouths of rivers during daylight.

CLASS 7.—Steamships carrying passengers on rivers and [or] lakes, but not going to sea or into rough waters.

GENERAL RULES.

CLASS 1.—DIVISION (A).

Rules and Table for Steamships carrying Emigrant Passengers subject to all the Provisions of the Passengers Acts.

(a.) Ships of this division shall carry boats placed under davits, having proper appliances for getting them into the water, in number and capacity not less than are given in the following table; the boats to be equipped and of the description defined in the General Rules appended hereto.

(b.) Provided that no ship of this division shall be required to carry more boats so placed than will furnish accommodation for all persons on board.

(c.) Masters or owners of ships of this division claiming to carry fewer boats than are given in the following table must declare before the Collector or other officer of Customs, at the time of clearance, that the boats actually placed under davits are sufficient to accommodate all persons on board, allowing 10 cubic feet of boat capacity per Rule (2), General Rules, for each adult person, or statute adult.

(d.) TABLE for CLASS 1 (Division A).

NOTE.—Where, in vessels already fitted, the required cubic contents of boats placed under davits is provided, although by a smaller number of boats than the minimum required by this table, such boats shall be regarded as complying with these rules.

(e.) Not less than half the number of boats placed under davits shall be boats of Section (A), General Rules, or Section (B). The remaining boats may also be of such description, or may, in the option of the shipowner, conform to Section (C), or Section (D), provided that not more than two boats shall be of Section (D).

(f.) If the boats placed under davits in accordance with the foregoing table (d) do not furnish sufficient accommodation for all persons on board, then additional wood, metal, collapsible, or other boats of approved description (whether placed under davits or otherwise) or approved life-rafts shall be carried.

Subject to the provision contained in paragraph (b) of these rules, such additional boats or rafts shall be of at least such carrying capacity that they and the boats required to be placed under davits by Table (d) provide together in the aggregate double the minimum cubic contents required by column 3 of that table.

All such additional boats or rafts shall be placed as conveniently for being available as the ship’s arrangements admit of, having regard to the avoidance of undue encumbrance of the ship’s deck, and to the safety of the ship for her voyage.

(g.) When ships are divided into efficient water-tight compartments, so that, with any two of them in free communication with the sea, the ship will remain afloat in moderate weather, they shall only be required to carry additional boats or life-rafts of one-half of the capacity required by paragraph (f) of these rules.

(h.) In addition to the life-saving appliances before mentioned, ships of this division shall carry not less than one approved life-boat (Rule 11 (a), or 11 (b), General Rules) for every boat placed under davits. They shall also carry approved life-jackets (Rule 10), or other similar approved articles of equal buoyancy suitable for being worn on the person, so that there may be at least one for each person on board the ship.