§ 162.255 Wrangell Narrows, Alaska; use, administration, and navigation.
(a) Definitions.
(1) The term “Wrangell Narrows” includes the entire body of water between Wrangell Narrows North Entrance Lighted Bell Buoy 63 and Midway Rock Light.
(2) The term “raft section” refers to a standard raft of logs or piling securely fastened together for long towing in Alaska inland waters in the manner customary with the local logging interests, i.e., with booms, swifters, and tail sticks. It normally contains 30,000 to 70,000 feet board measure of logs or piling and has a width of 45 to 60 feet and a length of 75 to 100 feet.
(b) Speed restrictions. No vessel shall exceed a speed of seven (7) knots in the vicinity of Petersburg, between Wrangell Narrows Channel Light 58 and Wrangell Narrows Lighted Buoy 60.
(c) Tow channel. The following route shall be taken by all tows passing through Wrangell Narrows when the towboat has a draft of 9 feet or less (northbound, read down; southbound, read up):
East of Battery Islets:
East of Tow Channel Buoy 1 TC.
East of Tow Channel Buoy 3 TC.
West of Tow Channel Buoy 4 TC.
East of Colorado Reef:
East of Wrangell Narrows Channel Light 21.
West of Wrangell Narrows Channel Lighted Buoy 25.
East of Tow Channel Buoy 5 TC.
East of Tow Channel Buoy 7 TC.
West of Petersburg:
East of Wrangell Narrows Channel Light 54 Fr.
East of Wrangell Narrows Channel Light 56 Qk FR.
East of Wrangell Narrows Channel Light 58 Fr., thence proceeding to west side of channel and leaving Wrangell Narrows by making passage between Wrangell Narrows Channel Daybeacon 61 and Wrangell Narrows North Entrance Lighted Bell Buoy 63 F.
(d) Size of tows. The maximum tows permitted shall be one pile driver, or three units of other towable equipment or seven raft sections.
(e) Arrangement of tows.
(1) No towline or aggregate of towlines between towboat and separated pieces shall exceed 150 feet in length.
(2) Raft and barge tows of more than one unit shall not exceed 65 feet in width overall. Single barge tows shall not exceed 100 feet in width overall.
(3) Tows other than rafts shall be taken alongside the towboat whenever possible.
(f) Anchorage. Vessels may anchor in the anchorage basin in the vicinity of Anchor Point. No craft or tow shall be anchored in Wrangell Narrows in either the main ship channel or the towing channel, nor shall any craft or tow be anchored so that it can swing into either of these channels.
(g) Disabled craft. Disabled craft in a condition of absolute necessity are exempt from the regulations in this section.
[CGD 75–082, 42 FR 51759, Sept. 29, 1977, as amended by CGD 82–039, 47 FR 27266, June 24, 1982; CGD 94–026, 60 FR 63624, Dec. 12, 1995]
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