(a) A vessel may be navigated in the U.S. waters of the Great Lakes without a United States or Canadian Registered Pilot when the vessel or its cargo is in distress or jeopardy.

(b) A vessel may be navigated in the U.S. waters of the Great Lakes without a United States or Canadian Registered Pilot when the Director, with the concurrence of the Commander, 9th Coast Guard District, notifies the master that a United States or Canadian Registered Pilot is not available.

(1) Notification to the master that a pilot is not available will be made by the Director, either directly to the vessel or through the appropriate pilotage pool, orally or in writing as the circumstances admit, and shall not be deemed given until the notice is actually received by the vessel.

(2) The determination that a pilot is not available will be made on an individual basis and only when a vessel has given proper notice of its pilotage service requirements to the pilotage pool having dispatching jurisdiction at the time. The vessel has no obligation or responsibility with respect to such notification other than properly informing the pilotage pool of its pilotage requirements. However, the failure or delay by the pool in processing a pilotage service request, or refusal or delay by the U.S. Coast Guard in notifying the vessel that a pilot is not available, does not constitute constructive notice that a pilot is not available, and the vessel is not relieved by such failure or delay from compliance with the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960.

(3) Upon receipt of proper notice of a vessel's pilotage requirements, the pilotage pool shall then determine from the tour de role the availability of a pilot to render the service required. If no pilot is reasonably expected to be available for service within 6 hours of the time the pilotage services are required by the vessel, the pilotage pool shall promptly inform the Commandant through the U.S. Coast Guard communications system in the manner as may be prescribed from time to time by the Commandant. The Commandant shall be informed of:

(i) Name and flag of the vessel;

(ii) Route of vessel for which a pilot is not available;

(iii) Time elapsing before a pilot is reasonably expected to become available;

(iv) Whether vessel has an “other officer” on board;

(v) Familiarity of master with route to be transited by the vessel;

(vi) Draft of vessel; and

(vii) Any circumstances of traffic or weather, or condition of the vessel or its cargo which would adversely affect the safety of the vessel in transiting without a pilot.

(4) When a pilot is expected to become available within 6 hours of the time pilot services are required, the vessel shall be informed that a pilot is available and the approximate time the pilot will report on duty. However, should any unusual circumstance or condition exist which may justify notification that a pilot is not available in less than 6 hours, the pilotage pool shall inform the Director as in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, along with the circumstances involved. Additionally, the vessel may contact the Director directly to request notification under paragraph (b)(1) of this section if a notice of pilot availability is not received from the appropriate pilotage pool within two hours of providing its pilotage requirements to the pool.

(5) Any vessel which requires the services of a pilot and is navigated without a pilot or proceeds prior to receipt of a message that a pilot is not available pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section shall be reported as in violation of section 7 of the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960 by the pilotage pool to the local Coast Guard unit having jurisdiction. If the message is received after the vessel proceeds, such message shall not be delivered without concurrence of the Coast Guard officer to whom the violation was reported.

(6) U.S. pilotage pools informing the Director that a pilot is not available for a vessel shall also obtain notice that a pilot is not available from the appropriate Canadian Supervisor of Pilots for those portions of the route which are in Canadian waters in the manner prescribed by them. The notice for Canadian District No. 1 waters shall be obtained from the Supervisor of Pilots, Department of Transport, Cornwall, Ontario, and the notice for Canadian District No. 2 waters shall be obtained from the Supervisor of Pilots, Department of Transport, Port Weller, Ontario. Authority to issue notice for Canadian waters of District No. 3 has been granted to the Director by the Department of Transport, Ottawa, and separate notice from Canada for this District is not required until such time as separate Canadian pilotage dispatch facilities may be established.

(7) Notice that a pilot is not available shall not be delivered to any vessel unless the message contains the concurrence of the Commander, 9th Coast Guard District, and notice for Canadian waters of Districts No. 1 and No. 2, if required, has been obtained from the appropriate Canadian authority.

(8) In the event of an emergency or any other compelling circumstance, the Director may issue, without the specific request for service as provided under paragraph (b)(2) of this section, individual or general notification that a pilot or pilots are not available. Pilotage pools shall advise the Director of any condition or circumstance coming to their attention which may warrant such a determination.

[32 FR 14221, Oct. 13, 1967, as amended by CGD 88-111, 55 FR 17582, Apr. 25, 1990; 55 FR 19145, May 8, 1990; 61 FR 5721, Feb. 14, 1996. Redesignated at 61 FR 32655, June 25, 1996, and further redesignated and amended by USCG-1998-3976, 63 FR 35139, 35140, June 29, 1998]