§ 165.788 Safety Zone; Bahia de San Juan, Ponce, Puerto Rico.

(a) Regulated area. A safety zone is established in the following area:

The waters around liquefied gas carriers conducting ship-to-ship liquefied gas transfer operations in an area 100-yards around each vessel in the approximate position 17°54′20″ N, 066°35′6″ W. All coordinates are North American Datum 1983.

(b) Regulations.

(1) No person or vessel may enter, transit or remain in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, San Juan, Puerto Rico, or a designated Coast Guard commissioned, warrant, or petty officer. Those in the safety zone must comply with all lawful orders or directions given to them by the Captain of the Port or the designated Coast Guard commissioned, warrant, or petty officer.

(2) Vessels encountering emergencies, which require transit through the safety zone, should contact the Coast Guard patrol craft or Duty Officer on VHF Channel 16. In the event of an emergency, the Coast Guard patrol craft may authorize a vessel to transit through the safety zone with a Coast Guard designated escort.

(3) The Captain of the Port and the Duty Officer at Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico, can be contacted at telephone number 787–289–2041. The Coast Guard Patrol Commander enforcing the safety zone can be contacted on VHF–FM channels 16 and 22A.

(4) Coast Guard Sector San Juan will, when necessary and practicable, notify the maritime community of periods during which the safety zones will be in effect by providing advance notice of scheduled ship-to-ship liquefied gas transfer operations of liquefied gas carriers via a Marine Broadcast Notice to Mariners.

(5) All persons and vessels must comply with the instructions of on-scene patrol personnel. On-scene patrol personnel include commissioned, warrant, or petty officers of the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard Auxiliary and local or state officials may be present to inform vessel operators of the requirements of this section, and other applicable laws.

[USCG–2020–0630, 86 FR 7974, Feb. 3, 2021]