It may interest some of your readers as well as "Longshore Tan" if I state the reasons why the Conference continued the ure of the extra white light on a vessel towing (first made law in 1863). A vessel towing another is an encumbered vessel, and this article exhibit two white lights instead of requiring the towing steamer to
one was for the purpose of: warning all approaching vessels that she was encumbered and not in all respects mistress of her movements as she had to consider the vessels to which she is attached, and that some consideration should be given to a ship so encumbered especially by sailing vessels.
I think I have answered "Longshore Man'? fully, but I would like before finishing this letter to show how dangerous his opinion would be if put in practice. Everyone knows that towed vessels often break away from their tugs; a nice predicament it would be in lying helpless in the track of other vessels on a dark and dirty, night not showing any under way lights. A seaman must provide for special circumstances. Readiness to be able to do so is his special virtue.
The word "vessels"? mentioned in the Regulations according to the Merchant Shipping Act includes any ship or boat, or any other description of vessel used in navigation,"
and therefore includes lighters.
If owners of lighters or '"Longshore Man" think they have a grievance in this matter of lights, their only remedy is to approach the Harbour authorities and have other regulations made for Iccal use, which can be done under Article XXX of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at £ea.'' But I doubt if their appeal to such a body, would be successful. They have the traffic of the harbour to consider and carry on safely and are awakening to the dangers of allowing boats and lighters floating about at night without any notification of—their existence, to the anxiety of commanders of under-way steamers~ lighters must carry their regulation lights and no others.
I am, etc., Woosung Forts, Nov. 8, 1922.
To the Editor of the "Norra-Curna' Dairy News."
Sm,—In 1997 15 of the Articles of the Regulations for Preventing Collisions were revised and altered Art. 5 was not one of them; it might now well be considered inadequate.
Any practical man knows that when towing alongside one of the sidelights on the tug or tow, perhaps one on each, will be obscured in the case of lighters the green and red lights would have only a foot or two separating them, they would be looking eye to eye into each other, a most incongruous situation. In complying with Art. 5 one must perforce break Art. 2 which says that these lights are to be constructed as to show an unbroken light over an are of the horizon of 10 points of the compass.
Sidelight screens are examined and passed—or should be—by an official and those on board are not permitted to alter or move them, and since the lamps must be placed in the screens which cannot be hoisted up to clear obstructions, their use on lighters is impracticable without infringing Art. 2.
My object. in writing is to try and show the impracticability of carrying out Harbour Regulatidn 25 and to advocate that the present method of lighting which has stood the test of years be incorporated as a local Harbour Regulation. By the very nature of their work lighters are unsuitable craft on which to erect sidelight screens.
When a lighter breaks adrift from the tug in the Huangpu she anchers at once, a 500-ton lighter adrift would be a vessel not under command, Art. 4.
Before the Regulations can be successfully operated in these waters laodahgs must be educated in their use and meaning; they do understand the present method of lighting tugs and tows but their knowledge of the Regulations is nil. For example, take the highly dangerous practice which many junks follow of showing a rea light over the sterin.
I am, ete.,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.