July 30.
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
2945

Class X.—Rules for Steam and Motor Launches up to 40 ft. in Length plying within River and Extended River Limits.

Ships of this class carrying passengers shall be subject to the following rules :—

Rule A.—They shall carry two approved lifebuoys.

Rule B.—They shall carry approved buoyant apparatus or approved lifebelts at least equal in number, together with the lifebuoys, to one-third of the total number of passengers and crew when plying in river limits, and to one-half of the total number of passengers and crew when plying in extended river limits.

Ships of this class not carrying passengers shall be subject to the following rules :—

Rule A.—They shall carry one approved lifebuoy.

Rule B.—They shall carry approved buoyant apparatus or approved lifebelts at least equal in number, together with the lifebuoy, to one-third the number of the crew when plying in river limits, and to one-half of the number of the crew when plying in extended river limits.

Class XI.—Rules for Steam Fish-carriers, Tugs, Steam Lighters, Dredgers, Steam Hoppers, and Hulks which proceed to Sea (Home Trade).

Rule A.—A ship of this class shall carry one boat of Sections A, B, or C, so fitted that it can be readily put out on either side of the ship, and amply sufficient to carry all the persons on board.

Rule B.—A ship of this class shall carry two approved lifebuoys.

Rule C.—A ship of this class shall carry one approved lifebelt for each person on board.

Class XII.—Rules for Steam Fish-carriers, Tugs, Steam Lighters, Dredgers, Steam Hoppers, and Hulks which do not proceed to Sea.

Rule A.—A ship of this class shall carry a boat sufficient to accommodate all persons on board, so fitted that it can be readily put out on either side of the ship.

Rule B.—A ship of this class shall carry two approved lifebuoys.

Rule C.—A ship of this class shall carry one approved lifebelt for each person on board.

Class XIII.—Boats to be carried by Fishing-vessels.

Rule A.—It shall not be necessary to carry a lifeboat in the case of fishing and trawling vessels not carrying passengers. Such ships shall carry an ordinary boat suitable and fit to carry the master, seamen, and apprentices, the boat being properly equipped as provided by the said rules, except that it need not be provisioned. This rule shall not apply to launches and other small boats engaged in fishing and trawling which are themselves little more than boats, and which therefore shall not be required to carry boats except when required by the Marine Department to do so.

GENERAL RULES.

1. DEFINITION.

In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,—

“Person” includes not only an adult but every child over the age of one year :

“Passenger” has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908 :

“Passenger-steamer” means every steamer which carries passengers as defined by the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908 :

“Emigrant ship” has the same meaning as in section 268 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, as amended by section 14 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906 :

“Daylight” shall be reckoned as extending from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset :

“Lifeboat” includes an open lifeboat of Section A or Section B and a decked lifeboat of Section C, as respectively described in General Rule 3 (4) :

“Approved” means approved by the Marine Department :

“Length,” when a ship is referred to, means registered length, if registered, otherwise the measured length.

2. POWER OF THE MARINE DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT ALTERNATIVES.

The Marine Department shall have power, in general or in any particular case, to accept any boat, raft, buoyant apparatus, or other life-saving appliance in lieu of a life-saving appliance required by these rules, subject to such conditions as they may impose, if they are satisfied that under those conditions it will be as effective as the appliance required by these rules.

3. BOATS.

(1.) All boats shall be properly constructed and equipped as provided by these rules, and shall be of such form and proportions that they shall have sufficient freeboard and ample stability in a seaway when loaded with their full complement of persons and equipment.

(2.) All boats shall be marked in such a way as to indicate plainly their dimensions and the number of persons for which they are approved.

(3.) The structural strength of the boats shall be to the satisfaction of the Marine Department, and in all cases in which a boat would have to be lowered with its full complement on board to comply with General Rule 7 (2) the strength shall be sufficient for that purpose.

In all open boats all thwart and side seats must be fitted as low in the boat as practicable, and must provide seating-accommodation for all persons the boat is deemed fit to carry, and bottom boards must be fitted so that the thwarts shall not be more than 2 ft. 9 in. above them.

All boats and other life-saving appliances shall be kept fit and ready for use, and fitted and arranged to the satisfaction of the Marine Department. Internal buoyancy apparatus shall be constructed of copper or yellow metal of not less than 18 oz. to the superficial foot, or of other durable material.

(4.) Save as expressly provided in these rules to the contrary, the lifeboats carried on any vessel may be either open lifeboats of Section A or Section B, or decked lifeboats of Section C.

Section A. A boat of this section shall be a lifeboat pointed at both ends, properly constructed of wood or metal, having for every 10 cubic feet of her capacity, computed as in General Rule 4, at least 1 cubic foot of strong and serviceable airtight compartments so constructed that water cannot find its way into them. In the case of a metal boat an addition shall be made to the cubic capacity of the airtight compartments so as to give it buoyancy equal to that of the wooden boat.

Section B.—A boat of this section shall be a lifeboat pointed at both ends, properly constructed of wood or metal, having inside and outside buoyancy apparatus together equal in efficiency to the buoyancy apparatus provided for a boat of Section A. The volume of the inside buoyancy apparatus shall be not less than three-fourths of a cubic foot, and if the outside buoyancy apparatus is of cork its volume shall be not less than one-third of a cubic foot for every 10 cubic feet of the boat’s capacity.

Section C.—A boat of this section shall be a lifeboat pointed at both ends, fitted with a strong watertight deck, and constructed of wood or metal in a manner approved. The deck of a boat of this section need not necessarily have sheer, provided a suitable addition is made to its freeboard. A decked metal lifeboat must be fitted with strong and serviceable airtight compartments, having a capacity of at least 1 cubic foot for each person whom the boat is deemed fit to carry; but in a wooden decked boat enclosed airtight compartments may be dispensed with, subject to such conditions as may be approved.

Section D.—A boat of this section shall be a properly constructed boat of wood or metal, and may be square-sterned. A boat of this section which is required to be fitted with internal buoyancy shall be fitted with airtight compartments of the capacity and description required in the case of a boat of Section A.

(5.) Motor-boat.—A motor-boat may be carried as a lifeboat, subject to the following conditions :—

(a.) It shall be approved, and proper appliances must be provided for putting it into the water speedily to the satisfaction of the Marine Department.

(b.) It shall be adequately provided with fuel, and kept so as to be at all times fit and ready for use.

(c.) Where the number of lifeboats carried is not less than four and less than ten, one of them may be a motor lifeboat; where the number of lifeboats is not less than ten and less than fifteen, two of them may be motor lifeboats; and of every five lifeboats beyond ten one may be a motor lifeboat. The Marine Department may, on the application of an owner, allow an increased proportion of motor lifeboats to be carried if they are satisfied that the efficiency of the life-saving equipment will not thereby be diminished.

4. CUBIC CAPACITY.

The cubic capacity of an open boat shall be ascertained by multiplying the product of the length, breadth, and depth by 0·6, subject, however, to the following provisions :—

The length shall be measured from the fore side of the rabbet on the stem to the after side of the rabbet on the stern-post (in square-sterned boats to the end of planking), and the breadth shall be measured from the outside