ANCHORAGE GROUNDS FOR SAN PABLO BAY, CARQUINEZ STRAIT, AND SUISUN BAY, CALIF., AND RULES AND REGULATIONS RELATING THERETO

WAR DEPARTMENT, February 9, 1925.

EXTRACTS FROM LAWS REGULATING THE USE OF NAVIGABLE WATERS

OBSTRUCTION PROHIBITED

River and harbor act approved March 3, 1899:

"SEC. 10. That the creation of any obstruction not affirmatively authorized by Congress to the navigable capacity of any of the waters of the United States is hereby prohibited; *

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"SEC. 12. That every person and every corporation that shall violate any of the provisions of sections nine, ten, and eleven of this act, * * * shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $2,500 nor less than $500, or by imprisonment (in the case of a natural person) not exceeding one year, or by both such punishments, in the discretion of the court.

"SEC. 15. That it shall not be lawful to tie up or anchor vessels or other craft in the navigable channels in such manner as to prevent or obstruct the passage of other vessels or craft; or to voluntarily or carelessly sink, or permit or cause to be sunk, vessels or other craft in navigable channels;

"SEC. 16. That every person and every corporation that shall violate, or that shall knowingly aid, abet, authorize, or instigate a violation of the provisions of sections thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $2,500 nor less than $500, or by imprisonment (in the case of a natural person) for not less than thirty days nor more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court, one-half of said fine to be paid to the person or persons giving information which shall lead to conviction.

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INTERFERENCE WITH RANGE LIGHTS PROHIBITED

Act approved May 14, 1908:

"SEC. 6. That it shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct or interfere with any aid to navigation established or maintained in the Lighthouse Establishment under the Lighthouse Board, or to anchor any vessel in any of the navigable waters of the United States so as to obstruct or interfere with range lights maintained therein, and any person violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and be subject to a fine not exceeding the sum of $500 for each offense, and each day during which such violation shall continue shall be considered as a new offense.'

ESTABLISHMENT OF ANCHORAGE GROUNDS AUTHORIZED

River and harbor act approved March 4, 1915:

"SEC. 7. That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized, empowered, and directed to define and establish anchorage grounds for vessels in all harbors, rivers, bays, and other navigable waters of the United States whenever it is manifest to the said Secretary that the maritime (1)

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or commercial interests of the United States require such anchorage grounds for safe navigation and the establishment of such anchorage grounds shall have been recommended by the Chief of Engineers, and to adopt suitable rules and regulations in relation thereto; and such rules and regulations shall be enforced by the Revenue Cutter Service under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury: Provided, That at ports or places where there is no revenue cutter available such rules and regulations may be enforced by the Chief of Engineers under the direction of the Secretary of War. In the event of the violation of any such rules and regulations by the owner, master, or person in charge of any vessel, such owner, master, or person in charge of such vessel shall be liable to a penalty of $100; and the said vessel may be holden for the payment of such penalty, and may be seized and proceeded against summarily by libel for the recovery of the same in any United States district court for the district within which such vessel may be, and in the name of the officer designated by the Secretary of War."

NOTE.-The Revenue Cutter Service is now included in the United States Coast Guard. (Act of January 28, 1915.) The officer of the Coast Guard Service charged with special duties in connection with the enforcement of these regulations under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury is designated “Captain of the port." Complaints arising under these regulations should be addressed to that officer. His office is at Room 419, Customhouse, San Francisco, Calif.

THE ANCHORAGE GROUNDS

[All azimuths are referred to a true meridian]

Under authority of the provisions of section 7 of the river and harbor act approved March 4, 1915, quoted above, the following anchorage grounds for vessels in the navigable waters of San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, and Suisun Bay, Calif., are hereby defined and established, and the following rules and regulations relating thereto are adopted.

SAN PABLO BAY ANCHORAGES

(See Plate 1)

1. General anchorage. The area adjacent to the west shore of San Pablo Bay north of a line having a bearing of 270° true from the easterly of The Sisters Islands; west of a line having a bearing of 6° true from the above island and passing through Light and Echo Board No. 2 marking the dredged channel to the mouth of Petaluma Creek; and south of a line having a bearing of 120° true and passing through the northerly of two high transmission towers at the mouth of Novato Creek.

2. General anchorage. The area lying east of a line bearing true north from a group of three tanks on the top of the hill northeast of Point Orient; and north of a broken line passing through the easterly of The Sisters Islands and having a bearing of 51° true to a point opposite Buoy No. 3 marking the dredged channel across Pinole Shoal; thence bearing 58° true, parallel to the northerly line of said channel and distant 500 feet therefrom to a point opposite the angle in said channel; thence bearing 78%° true, parallel to the northerly line of said channel and distant 500 feet therefrom to a point directly south of the end of the long dike extending from Mare Island southwesterly into San Pablo Bay; thence true north to the end of said dike; thence along said dike in a northeasterly direction to Mare Island.

3. General anchorage. The area lying between Point San Pablo and the Union Oil Co.'s wharf at Oleum; southeast of a line beginning at the northwest corner of the Richmond Belt Line Railroad wharf at Point San Pablo and extending therefrom 42° true to a point north of Pinole Point; thence 682° true to the northwest corner of the Union Oil Co.'s wharf at Oleum; excepting the two explosives anchorages "A" and "B," described below. A. Explosives anchorage. The circular area having a radius of 1,500 feet and whose center is at the northwest corner of the Giant Powder Co.'s wharf at Pinole Point.

B. Explosives anchorage. The circular area having a radius of 1,500 feet and whose center is at the northwest corner of the Hercules Powder Co.'s wharf at Refugio Landing.

4. Naval anchorage. The rectangular area south of Mare Island whose northerly boundary is a line 3,000 feet long, having a bearing of 782° true and being parallel to and distant 500 feet northerly from the northerly line of the dredged channel across Pinole Shoal extended; and whose easterly boundary is a line 1,500 feet long having a bearing of 3482° true from the shot tower of the Selby Smelting Works.

CARQUINEZ STRAIT ANCHORAGES

(See Plate 2)

5. General anchorage. The area in Carquinez Strait between Dillon Point and the Southern Pacific Co.'s train ferry slip at Benicia lying northeast of a line having a bearing of 125° true from the high transmission tower on the bluff at Dillon Point, easterly of a line having a bearing of 165° true from the light on the Southern Pacific Co.'s train ferry slip at Port Costa and north of a line having a bearing of 121° true and passing through the Benicia tannery tank.

6. General anchorage. The area on the south side of Carquinez Strait northwest of the town of Martinez lying southwest of a line having a bearing of 108° true from the Port Costa Brick Co.'s stack about 1,000 feet south of the Associated Oil Co.'s Port Costa dock, westerly of a line bearing 154° true from the Benicia tannery tank.

SUISUN BAY ANCHORAGES

(See Plate 2)

7. General anchorage. The area of Suisun Bay adjacent to and northeast of the city of Benicia lying north of a line having a bearing of 771⁄2° true from the channel end of the Army Point wharf to the Point Edith Light and Echo Board, northwest of a line having a bearing of 215° true and passing through the channel end of the Shell Co.'s wharf at Martinez, and south of a line having a bearing of 270° true and passing through the Southern Pacific Co.'s water tank at Goodyear.

8. General anchorage. The area in the northeast portion of Suisun Bay lying east of a line extending true north from Seal Island Echo Board; north of a broken line extending from Seal Island Echo Board with a bearing of 80° true to Roe Island Light, thence with a bearing of 103° true to Middle Ground Light, thence with a bearing of 88° true to the buoy marking the east end of the dredged channel across Middle Ground Shoal, thence with a bearing of 100° true to the black buoy No. 7 marking the edge of the channel at Honker Bay, thence with a bearing of 100° true to Chipps Island.

9. General anchorage. The area immediately adjacent to Chipps and Van Sickle Islands, lying north of a line having a bearing of 95° true from the outer end of the Sacramento Short Line ferry slip on Chipps Island and northwest of a line having a bearing of 472° true and passing through the Van Sickle Island Echo Board.

THE RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Except in cases of great emergency, no vessel shall be anchored in the navigable waters of San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, and Suisun Bay, Calif., outside of the anchorage areas hereby defined and established, nor be made fast to the exterior end of any pier, nor to any vessel lying at the exterior end of any pier, or along any bulkhead in such manner as to obstruct or endanger the passage of any vessels to or from the adjacent wharf property, or impede the movements of any vessel entering or leaving adjacent slips.

2. Whenever in the opinion of the captain of the port such action may be necessary, that officer may require any or all vessels in any designated anchorage area to moor with two or more anchors.

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3. Every vessel whose crew may be reduced to such number that it will not have sufficient men on board to weigh anchor at any time, shall be anchored with two anchors, with mooring swivel put on before the crew shall be reduced or released.

4. Anchors must not be placed outside the anchorage areas, nor shall any vessel be so anchored that any portion of the hull or rigging shall at any time extend outside the boundaries of the anchorage area.

5. Any vessel anchoring under circumstances of great emergency outside of the anchorage areas must be placed near the edge of the channel and in such position as not to interfere with the free navigation of the channel, nor obstruct the approach to any pier nor impede the movement of any boat, and shall move away immediately after the emergency ceases, or upon notification by the captain of the port.

6. The captain of the port shall assign berths in the anchorages to all vessels applying. He may grant permits for habitually maintaining and using the same mooring place in an anchorage area, and no vessel shall occupy a permanent berth in an anchorage area, except under authority of such permit, which may be revoked at any time.

7. A vessel upon being notified to move into the anchorage limits or to shift its position on anchorage grounds, must get under way at once or signal for a tug, and must change position as directed with reasonable promptness.

8. Except as provided in rule 10, vessels carrying explosives or other dangerous articles, including inflammable liquids, inflammable solids, oxidizing materials, corrosive liquids, compressed gases, and poisonous substances shall be anchored within the anchorage areas "A" and "B" only, described above, under the heading "Anchorage grounds." These areas are reserved for this special purpose and are not to be used by vessels carrying other classes of freight except in cases of emergency.

Any vessel carrying explosives and desiring to proceed to the anchorages provided therefor, must first obtain a written permit from the captain of the port; and no vessel shall occupy a berth in such anchorages except by authority of such permit, which may be revoked at any time. All other vessels, especially tugs and stevedore boats, engaged or used in connection with loading explosives on vessels in anchorage areas must carry written permits from the captain of the port and must show these permits whenever required by the captain of the port or his properly authorized agents.

9. Whenever any water craft not fitted with mechanical power anchors in explosives anchorages "A" and "B" while carrying explosives, the captain of the port may require the attendance of a tug upon such water craft, when in his judgment such action is deemed necessary.

10. The district engineer in charge of works of river and harbor improvement is empowered to authorize, in writing, the anchoring in or near the vicinity of such a work of a single scow carrying explosives for use on the work, but only in quantities considered by him safe and necessary. The district engineer shall prescribe the conditions under which this explosive shall be stored and handled and shall in each case furnish the captain of the port with a copy of the written permit to anchor explosives on the work and a copy of the rules and regulations for the storage and handling.

11. Municipal ash scows may be anchored in such places as the captain of the port may designate.

12. Whenever the maritime or commercial interests of the United States so require, the captain of the port is hereby empowered to shift the position of any vessel anchored within the anchorage areas, of any vessel anchored outside the anchorage areas, of any vessel which is so moored or anchored as to impede or obstruct vessel movements in any channel or obstruct or interfere with range lights, and of any vessel which, lying at the exterior end of a pier or alongside an open bulkhead, obstructs or endangers the passage of vessels to or from adjacent wharf property or impedes the movements of vessels entering or leaving adjacent slips.

13. Permits to anchor in channels within the limits of San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, and Suisun Bay, Calif., may be granted by the captain of the port to wrecking plants or other vessels legally engaged in recovering sunken property or in laying pipe or cable lines legally

established or in repairing the same, when the application for such anchorage is approved by the district engineer in charge of works of river and harbor improvements and to plant engaged in dredging operations, when authorized by the district engineer.

The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to plants engaged under the supervision of the district engineer of the Engineer Department, upon works for the improvement of rivers and harbors, but the district engineer will in advance advise the captain of the port of proposed work for such improvement in all cases where plant is to be employed under his supervision.

14. Nothing in these rules and regulations shall be construed as relieving the owner or person in charge of any vessel from the penalties of the law for obstructing navigation or for obstructing or interfering with range lights, or for not complying with the navigation laws in regard to lights, fog signals, or for otherwise violating law.

REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE USE AND NAVIGATION OF THE WATERS OF SAN PABLO BAY, CARQUINEZ STRAIT, AND SUISUN BAY, CALIF., AND THE HANDLING OF EXPLOSIVES THEREIN BY VESSELS OTHER THAN COMMON CARRIERS CARRYING EXPLOSIVES

THE LAW

Section 7 of the river and harbor act approved August 8, 1917, provides as follows: "That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of War to prescribe such regulations for the use, administration, and navigation of the navigable waters of the United States as in his judgment the public necessity may require for the protection of life and property, or of operations of the United States in channel improvement, covering all matters not specifically delegated by law to some other executive department. Such regulations shall be posted, in conspicuous and appropriate places, for the information of the public; and every person and every corporation which shall violate such regulations shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction thereof in any district court of the United States within whose territorial jurisdiction such offense may have been committed, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500, or by imprisonment (in case of a natural person) not exceeding six months, in the discretion of the court."

NOTE. The act of Congress approved March 4, 1921, imposes certain restrictions upon the transportation of explosives by common carriers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, and also provides that "The Interstate Commerce Commission shall formulate regulations for the safe transportation within the limits of the jurisdiction of the United States of explosives and other dangerous articles, including inflammable liquids, inflammable solids, oxidizing materials, corrosive liquids, compressed gases, and poisonous substances, which shall be binding upon all common carriers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce which transport explosives or other dangerous articles by land or water, and upon all shippers making shipments of explosives or other dangerous articles via any common carrier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce by land or water." Other vessels carrying explosives will be governed by the following regulations.

THE REGULATIONS

Under authority of section 7 of the river and harbor act approved August 8, 1917, the following regulations are prescribed to govern the use and navigation of the waters of San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, and Suisun Bay, Calif., by vessels, other than common carriers, carrying explosives:

1. The officer of the Coast Guard designated "captain of the port" shall have immediate supervision of the enforcement of these regulations, but such supervision shall not be construed to diminish or affect the duties of other Federal officials as prescribed in section 17 of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1899.

2. Vessels carrying explosives shall be at all times in charge of competent persons and must display by day a red flag of at least 16 square feet at the masthead, or at least 10 feet above the upper deck, if the vessel has no mast; at night a red light will be displayed in the same positions specified for the red flag. For use in emergencies each barge must be provided