Application

(1) This Part applies to all ships of less than 300 gross tonnage. All ships of 300 gross tonnage and over to which these Regulations applies shall comply with the provisions of chapter IV of the 1974 SOLAS Convention. (2) No provision in this Part shall prevent the use by a ship or survival craft in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention and to make known its position and to obtain help. (3) Ships to which this Part applies shall comply with the applicable requirements of chapter IV of the 1974 SOLAS Convention as appropriate for ships operating in sea areas Al, A2 and A3 to the extent required by the Administration. (4) In determining the extent to which ships will comply as required by subregulation (3), the Administration shall take into account the following functional requirements of which the ship, while at sea, shall be capable of– (a) transmitting distress alerts by at least two separate and independent means, each using a different radio communication service; (b) receiving shore to ship distress alerts; (c) transmitting and receiving ship to ship distress alerts; Merchant Ships (Registration) 204 (d) transmitting and receiving search and rescue coordinating communications; (e) transmitting and receiving on scene (f) transmitting and receiving maritime safety (g) transmitting and receiving general radio communications to and from shore-based radio systems; and (h) transmitting and receiving bridge to bridge (5) In lieu of complying with requirements of subregulation (3), existing ships may, until 1 February 1999, comply with the requirements of regulations 103 to 113.