(a) Authority of canal officers. The movement of all boats and floating things in the canal and in the approaches thereto shall be under the direction of the superintendent or his authorized assistants, and their orders and instructions must be obeyed.

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(b) Signals. On entering the canal at either entrance, steamers or tugs must blow their whistles for 1 minute in order to warn craft approaching from opposite direction and give them time to guard against collisions, by tying up if necessary. All steamers approaching others going in the opposite direction shall slacken speed so as to pass in safety. Compliance is required with rule V of the rules and regulations for the government of pilots, adopted by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Rule V. Whenever a steamer is nearing a short bend or curve in the channel where, from the height of the banks or other cause, a steamer approaching from the opposite direction cannot be seen for a distance of half a mile, the pilot of such steamer, when he shall have arrived within half a mile of such curve or bend, shall give a signal by one long blast of the steam whistle, which signal shall be answered by a similar blast by the pilot of any approaching steamer that may be within hearing. Should such signal be so answered by a steamer upon the farther side of such bend, then the usual signals for the meeting and passing shall immediately be given and answered; but if the first alarm signal of such pilot be not answered, he is to consider the channel clear and govern himself accordingly.

(c) Speed. The rate of speed while passing through the canal shall not exceed 5 miles per hour.

(d) Keeping in the center. The center must be kept all the way through, except in passing other craft. In case of grounding, the rapid or strong working of boat’s engines is strictly forbidden.

(e)-(g) [Reserved]

(h) Rafts. (1) The passage of bag or sack rafts, or of loose logs, into or through the canal is prohibited.

(2) Rafts shall be made up with logs parallel to each other, in the direction of raft lengths, secured and held closely together by frequent cross-sticks, chains, or cables.

(3) Rafts shall not be of greater dimensions, either way, than 50 feet wide by 600 feet long, and if longer than 300 feet shall be handled by two tugs.

(4) No raft shall pass through the canal, unless by special permission of the superintendent or his authorized assistants, who will direct a time for passing that will least interfere with other navigation.

(5) Masters of tugs and other persons in charge of rafts are required to avoid damaging the canal revetments, and displacing buoys, spars, or the pedestal of any range light aiding navigation through the canal. They shall keep careful watch when passing aids to navigation, and should any be accidentally displaced, shall report the fact at the earliest possible moment to the superintendent or his authorized assistants.

(i)-(l) [Reserved]

(m) Refuse in canal. No person shall roll or throw any stones, ashes, cinders, or other material into the canal or the approaches thereto, or place any such material on any bank or berm of the canal so that it is liable to be thrown or roll in.

(n)-(o) [Reserved]

[Regs., Feb. 15, 1895, as amended Apr. 14, 1908; 42 FR 57962, Nov. 7, 1977; 56 FR 13765, Apr. 4, 1991]