The following terms, wherever mentioned in this Regulation, shall have the meanings indicated next to them unless the context requires otherwise:
1. State: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2. Maritime Authority: The Transport General Authority represented in the maritime transport sector or one of its branches or representatives or any person it delegates to act on its behalf.
3. Organization: The International Maritime Organization (IMO).
4. Agreement: The International Convention on the Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea of 1972 and its amendments.
5. Regulation: The Implementing Regulation of the International Convention on the Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea of 1972 and its amendments.
6. Vessel: Includes any floating marine facility, including air-cushion vehicles and seaplanes used or capable of being used as means of transport.
7. Power-driven vessel: Any vessel that is propelled by machinery.
8. Sailing vessel: Any vessel that is propelled by sails even if it is equipped with machinery, as long as the machinery is not in use.
9. Fishing vessel: Any vessel that is engaged in fishing with trawl nets or seine nets or any other fishing device that restricts its ability to maneuver, but does not include trawl hooks or any other fishing device that does not restrict its ability to maneuver.
10. Seaplane: Any aircraft designed for maneuvering on water.
11. Vessel not under command: Any vessel that, due to exceptional circumstances, is unable to keep clear of another vessel as required by these rules.
12. Vessels with limited maneuverability: Any vessel that is restricted in its ability to maneuver according to the requirements of these rules due to its work, thus becoming unable to keep clear of another vessel. The following vessels may be considered as having limited maneuverability when:
A- Used for placing, maintaining, or recovering navigational marks or underwater cables or pipelines.
B- Used for dredging, surveying, or any underwater operations.
C- Used for supplying or transporting personnel, provisions, or cargo while underway.
D- Used for launching or recovering an aircraft.
E- Used for mine sweeping.
F- Used for towing operations that severely restrict the towing vessel's ability to deviate from its course.
13. Underway vessel: Any vessel that is not moored at a berth or tied to the shore or aground.
14. Length and breadth of the vessel: The overall length and maximum breadth as defined according to the provisions of the International Convention on Load Lines of 1966.
15. Restricted visibility: Any conditions that make visibility limited due to fog, snowfall, sandstorms, or any other similar conditions, and vessels are considered within visibility only if they can see each other with the naked eye.
16. Vessel restricted by its draft: A power-driven vessel with very limited ability to deviate from its course due to its draft in relation to the depth and width of the navigable waters available.
17. Masthead light: A white light placed on the longitudinal axis of the vessel that emits an unbroken light covering an arc of the horizon of (22.5°) beyond the beam on both sides of the vessel.
18. Side lights: A green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side, each emitting an unbroken light covering an arc of the horizon of (112.5°) and positioned to show their lights from the front to (22.5°) beyond the beam on their respective side. For vessels less than (20) meters in length, the two side lights may be combined into one lantern placed on the centerline of the vessel.
19. Stern light: A white light placed as close as possible to the stern of the vessel, emitting an unbroken light covering an arc of the horizon of (135°), positioned to show its lights over an arc of (67.5°) from the extreme stern on both sides of the vessel.
20. Towing light: A yellow light with characteristics similar to the "stern light" defined in paragraph (19) of this article.
21. All-round light: A light that emits an unbroken light covering an arc of the horizon of (360°).
22. Flashing light: A light that flashes at regular intervals with a frequency of (120) flashes or more per minute.
23. Whistle: Any device for sound signals capable of producing the required whistles and compliant with the specifications set forth in this Regulation.
24. Short blast: A whistle lasting approximately one second.
25. Long blast: A whistle lasting between four to six seconds.
26. Flag "A": A sample of international maritime flags indicating that the vessel has a submarine.
These rules shall apply to all vessels which flying the flag of the Kingdom upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels.
Nothing in this Regulation shall be inconsistent with any special rules made by the State with regard to navigation lights, signal lights or signals with additional whistles of the war vessels and vessels sailing in convoys or in respect of the navigation lights, signal lights or signals with additional whistles of fishing vessels in fleet. As well as, such lights for navigation, or signal lights or signals with additional whistles shall not be, to the extent possible, in conflict with any light or signal provided elsewhere in these articles. In addition, the Organization may adopt the traffic separation schemes for the purposes of these rules
In all cases where the competent government decides that the provisions and texts implementation of any of these articles cannot be fully applied to a vessel built for a special purpose in relation to the number, position , range or visibility arcs to the lights or the navigational shapes, as well as the organization and characteristics of the sound signals devices. Then it must be as compatible as possible with these articles for that vessel.
Nothing in this Regulation exempts any Vessel, Owner, Capitan or Crew from any consequences for negligence in the implementation of these articles or the negligence in taking any precautions required by the normal practice of the seafarers or in accordance with the particular circumstances of that case.
The vessel to which this Regulation applies shall be subject to the inspection and survey by the Maritime Authority, taking into account the guidelines, resolutions and codes of the International Maritime Organization.
The Competent Maritime Authority shall issue the necessary certificates.
Each vessel shall, at all the times, maintain a proper observation by sight and hearing as well as by all available means that appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions, so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and avoided the risk of collision.
Each vessel shall, at all the times, have to sail at a safe speed so that it can take appropriate and effective action to avoid the collision and may even be stopped at a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions. When determining the safe speed:
The following factors shall be considered for each vessel:
the state of visibility.
The density of vessels traffic and includes concentration of fishing vessels or any other vessels.
Vessel's maneuverability .
presence of rear light.
The condition of wind, sea, current and the proximity to the navigational hazards.
the draught in relation to the available depth of water
While the vessels equipped with a radar must adhere to the safe speed in the following cases in addition to the above:
Characteristics, efficiency and limitations of radar equipment.
any constraints imposed by the radar range scale in use the effect on radar detection of the sea state, weather and other sources of interference Radar may not detect the small vessels, ice and the other floating objects at Adequate range
Number of vessels visible on the radar screen, its location and movement.
The ability to estimate the vision more accurately when the use of radar to determine the distance of the vessels or other objects nearby.
Each vessel shall use all the available means, which appropriate to the circumstances and conditions to determine whether the collision risk exists or not. If there is a suspicion of a potential risk, then it must be treated with that as an existing risk.
Radar equipment, if installed and operated, should be used appropriately, including a long-range scanning to provide early warning of collision risk and radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects .
The assumption based on scanty information should be avoided, especially scanty radar information.
When determining whether there is a risk of collision, then the following considerations must be taken into account:
This risk shall be deemed existing if the angular direction of an approaching vessel does not appreciably change .
The risk may sometimes be existing even if there is a significant change in the angular direction of the approaching vessel, especially when approaching a large vessel or a tow, or when approaching a vessel at close range.