Sec.  80.305   Watch requirements of the Communications Act and the Safety
Convention.

   (a) Each ship of the United States which is equipped with a radiotelegraph
   station for compliance with part II of title III of the Communications Act
   or chapter IV of the Safety Convention must:

   (1) Keep a continuous and efficient watch on the radiotelephone distress
   frequency 2182 kHz from the principal radio operating position or the room
   from which the vessel is normally steered while being navigated in the open
   sea outside a harbor or port. A radiotelephone distress frequency watch
   receiver having a loudspeaker and a radiotelephone auto alarm facility must
   be used to keep the continuous watch on 2182 kHz if such watch is kept from
   the room from which the vessel is normally steered. After a determination by
   the master that conditions are such that maintenance of the listening watch
   would interfere with the safe navigation of the ship, the watch may be
   maintained by the use of the radiotelephone auto alarm facility alone.

   (2) Until February 1, 2005, keep a continuous and efficient watch on the VHF
   distress frequency 156.800 MHz from the room from which the vessel is
   normally steered while in the open sea outside a harbor or port. The watch
   must be maintained by a designated member of the crew who may perform other
   duties, relating to the operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such
   other duties do not interfere with the effectiveness of the watch. Use of a
   properly adjusted squelch or brief interruptions due to other nearby VHF
   transmissions are not considered to adversely affect the continuity or
   efficiency of the required watch on the VHF distress frequency. This watch
   need not be maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and
   participating in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system as required or
   recommended by the U.S. Coast Guard, when an efficient listening watch is
   maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a separate assigned
   VTS frequency.

   (b) Each cargo ship of the United States which is equipped with a
   radiotelephone station for compliance with part II of title III of the
   Communications Act or chapter IV of the Safety Convention must while being
   navigated outside of a harbor or port:

   (1) Keep a continuous watch on 2182 kHz in the room from which the vessel is
   normally steered while at sea, whenever such station is not being used for
   authorized traffic. Such watch must be maintained by at least one officer or
   crewmember who may perform other duties relating to the operation or
   navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not interfere with
   the watch. A radiotelephone watch receiver having a loudspeaker and a
   radiotelephone auto alarm must be used to keep the continuous watch on 2182
   kHz. After a determination by the master that maintenance of the watch would
   interfere with the safe navigation of the ship, the watch may be maintained
   by use of the radiotelephone auto alarm facility alone.

   (2) Keep a continuous watch on 156.800 MHz from the room from which the
   vessel is normally steered. The watch must be maintained by a crewmember who
   may perform other duties, relating to the operation or navigation of the
   vessel, provided such other duties do not interfere with the watch. Use of
   properly adjusted squelch of brief interruptions due to other nearby VHF
   transmissions are not considered to adversely affect the watch. This watch
   need not be maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and
   participating in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system when a watch is
   maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a VTS frequency.

   (c) Each vessel of the United States transporting more than six passengers
   for hire, which is equipped with a radiotelephone station for compliance
   with part III of title III of the Communications Act must, while being
   navigated in the open sea or any tidewater within the jurisdiction of the
   United States adjacent or contiguous to the open sea, keep a continuous
   watch on 2182 kHz while the vessel is beyond VHF communication range of the
   nearest VHF coast station, whenever the radiotelephone station is not being
   used for authorized traffic. A VHF watch must be kept on 156.800 MHz
   whenever such station is not being used for authorized traffic. The VHF
   watch must be maintained at the vessel's steering station actually in use by
   the qualified operator as defined by  Sec. 80.157 or by a crewmember who may
   perform other duties relating to the operation or navigation of the vessel,
   provided such other duties do not interfere with the watch. The use of a
   properly adjusted squelch is not considered to adversely affect the watch.
   The VHF watch need not be maintained by vessels subject to the
   Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS)
   system when an efficient listening watch is maintained on both the
   bridge-to-bridge frequency and a VTS frequency.

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at  68 FR 46967 , Aug. 7, 2003;  69 FR 64673 , Nov. 8, 2004]