§  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) If it is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, 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.

   (2) 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) If it is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, 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 47 U.S.C. 381–386 but which is not carrying MF-DSC
   radio equipment, 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 § 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;  73 FR 4484 , Jan. 25, 2008]