TITLE 33 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER I - PRELIMINARY

33 USC 151 - High seas and inland waters demarcation lines

(a) Establishment and purpose
The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall establish appropriate identifiable demarcation lines dividing the high seas from harbors, rivers, and other inland waters of the United States, for the purpose of determining the applicability of special navigational rules in lieu of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

(b) Applicability of other statutes; limitation; position
The Secretary shall also establish appropriate identifiable lines dividing inland waters of the United States from the high seas for the purpose of determining the applicability of each statute that refers to this section or this section, as amended. These lines may not be located more than twelve nautical miles seaward of the base line from which the territorial sea is measured. These lines may differ in position for the purposes of different statutes.

(c) “United States” defined
For the purposes of this section, the term United States includes the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any other Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.

33 USC 152 - Regulation of length of towlines

The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall prepare regulations limiting the length of hawsers between towing vessels and seagoing barges in tow and the length of such tows within any of the inland waters of the United States designated and defined from time to time pursuant to section 151 of this title, and such regulations shall have the force of law.

33 USC 153 - Penalty for use of unlawful towline

The master of the towing vessel shall be liable to the suspension or revocation of his license for any willful violation of regulations issued pursuant to section 152 of this title in the manner prescribed for incompetency, misconduct, or unskillfulness.

33 USC 154 - Repealed. Pub. L. 96591, 8(a), Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3435

Section, acts June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 1, 30 Stat. 96; May 21, 1948, ch. 328, 1, 62 Stat. 249; Aug. 8, 1953, ch. 386, 1, 67 Stat. 497, provided for adoption of rules of navigation of harbors, rivers, and inland waters. See section 2001 of this title. Prior rules for preventing collision prescribed by R.S. 4233 to be followed by vessels of the Navy and mercantile marine of the United States, applicable originally to all waters, were superseded as to navigation on the high seas and waters connected therewith by the International Rules (act Aug. 19, 1890, ch. 802 [sec. 61 et seq. of this title]) were superseded as to navigation on the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal, by act Feb. 8, 1895, ch. 64 (section 241 et seq. of this title); were adopted as special rules for the navigation of harbors, rivers, and inland waters of the United States, except the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal by act of Feb. 19, 1895, ch. 102 (see section 301 et seq. of this title); and were superseded by act June 7, 1897, ch. 4, as to navigation of all harbors, rivers, and inland waters of the United States except as specified in this paragraph, leaving them applicable solely to the Red River of the North and the rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries (see section 2001 et seq. of this title).

155 to 159. Repealed. Pub. L. 96591, 8(a), Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3435

Section 155, act June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 1, 30 Stat. 96, defined sailing vessel, steam vessel, and under way. See section 2003 of this title. Section 156, act June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 1, 30 Stat. 96, defined visible. See section 2003 of this title. Section 157, acts June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 2, 30 Stat. 102; May 25, 1914, ch. 98, 38 Stat. 381; June 30, 1932, ch. 314, 501, 502 (b), 47 Stat. 415; May 27, 1936, ch. 463, 1, 49 Stat. 1380; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, 101104, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7875, 60 Stat 1097; May 21, 1948, ch. 328, 3, 62 Stat. 249; Aug. 14, 1958, Pub. L. 85–656, § 1, 72 Stat. 612, provided for promulgation of special rules by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, and covered publication of rules and hearings in connection therewith. See section 2071 of this title. Section 157a, Pub. L. 88–163, Oct. 30, 1963, 77 Stat. 281, provided for regulations for navigation or operation under bridges over navigable waters. See section 2001 et seq. of this title. Section 158, acts June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 3, 30 Stat. 102; May 21, 1948, ch. 328, 3, 62 Stat. 249; Aug. 14, 1958, Pub. L. 85–656, § 1, 72 Stat. 612, set out penalties for violations by pilots, engineers, mates, or masters. See section 2072 of this title. Section 159, acts June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 4, 30 Stat. 103; May 21, 1948, ch. 328, 3, 62 Stat. 249; Aug. 14, 1958, Pub. L. 85–656, § 1, 72 Stat. 612, provided for a penalty for violations by vessels. See section 2072 of this title.