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Vic Smith Vic Smith is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,310
Default Is a bell required?

On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:23:49 -0700, "
wrote:

On Sep 24, 8:16 am, Dave wrote:
On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:25:21 -0000, said:

Is a bell required, if I have a horn?


A more reliable way to get answers to questions like this than asking in the
group is to look at the rules.

http://www.boatingsafety.com/colregs.htm

Rule 33.


Actually, the most reliable way to get answers to these questions for
USA waters is to ask the US Coast Guard. They are the controlling
authority and what they say is law. You may argue with them in court
if you like, but they win 100% of their cases so I wouldn't advise
it. At any rate, rule 33 has been changed and the above url is out of
date. See http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navru...vrules2003.htm.
You are not required to have a bell on your 50' vessel. It might be a
good idea to print out the pdf of the new rule and keep it in your
rule book.

Second all of that.
Personally, I wouldn't trust anybody but the CG inspectors on a
question like this. They enforce the law as it's enforced, not as
it's written. Even then, you may get different interpretations.
It's your ass at stake, so err on the side of that.
Maybe you've noticed that nobody gave you a direct answer to a simple
question.
I suspect that's because they can't understand the regs, or refuse to
come to a conclusion on what they mean.
That's not surprising. This country can't even decide if it has real
borders.

--Vic