§ 161.60 - Vessel Traffic Service Prince William Sound.

§ 161.60 Vessel Traffic Service Prince William Sound.

(a) The VTS area consists of the navigable waters of the United States north of a line drawn from Cape Hinchinbrook Light to Schooner Rock Light, comprising that portion of Prince William Sound between 146°30′ W. and 147°20′ W. and includes Valdez Arm, Valdez Narrows and Port Valdez.

(b) The Valdez Arm VTS Special Area consists of the waters of the Valdez Arm Traffic Separation Scheme (described in § 167.1703 of this chapter); the waters northeast of a line drawn from shoreline to shoreline through the points 60°58.04′ N, 146°46.52′ W and 60°58.93′ N, 146°48.86′ W; and southwest of a line bearing 307° True from Tongue Point at 61°02.10′ N, 146°40.00′ W.

(c) The Valdez Narrows VTS Special Area consists of those waters of Valdez Arm, Valdez Narrows, and Port Valdez northeast of a line bearing 307° True from Tongue Point at 61°02′06″ N., 146°40′ W.; and southwest of a line bearing 307° True from Entrance Island Light at 61°05′06″ N., 146°36′42″ W.

(d) Additional VTS Special Area Operating Requirements. The following additional requirements are applicable in the Valdez Narrows VTS Special Area:

(1) No VMRS User shall proceed north of 61° N. without prior approval of the VTS.

(2) For a vessel listed in paragraph (cd)(3) of this section—

(i) Approval to enter this area will not be granted to a vessel when a tank vessel of more than 20,000 deadweight tons is navigating therein;

(ii) A northbound vessel shall remain south of 61° N. until the VTS has granted permission to proceed; and

(iii) A southbound vessel shall remain in Port Valdez east of 146°35′ W. and north of 61°06′ N. until the VTS has granted permission to proceed.

(3) Paragraph (cd)(2) of this section applies to—

(i) A vessel of 1600 gross tons or more; and

(ii) A towing vessel of 8 meters or more in length, except for a vessel performing duties as an escort vessel as defined in 33 CFR Part 168.

(e) Reporting Points.

Table 161.60(d)—VTS Prince William Sound Reporting Points

Designator	Geographic name	Geographic description	Latitude/longitude	Notes
1A	Cape Hinchinbrook	Cape Hinchinbrook	60°16′18″ N; 146°45′30″ W	Northbound Only.
1B	Schooner Rock	Schooner Rock	60°18′42″ N; 146°51′36″ W	Southbound Only.
2A	Naked Island	Naked Island	60°40′00″ N; 147°01′24″ W	Northbound Only.
2B	Naked Island	Naked Island	60°40′00″ N; 147°05′00″ W	Southbound Only.
3A	Bligh Reef	Bligh Reef Light (Pilot Embark)	60°50′36″ N; 146°57′30″ W	Northbound Only.
3B	Bligh Reef	Bligh Reef Light (Pilot Disembark)	60°51′00″ N; 147°01′24″ W	Southbound Only.
4A	Rocky Point	Rocky Point	60°57′48″ N; 146°47′30″ W	Northbound Only.
4B	Rocky Point	Rocky Point	60°57′48″ N; 146°50′00″ W	Southbound Only.
5	Entrance Island	Entrance Island Light	61°05′24″ N; 146°37′30″ W.

[CGD 90-020, 59 FR 36324, July 15, 1994, as amended by CGD 95-033, 60 FR 28332, May 31, 1995; USCG-1998-3799, 63 FR 35532, June 30, 1998; USCG-2001-10254, 67 FR 53742, Aug. 19, 2002; USCG-2015-0433, 80 FR 44282, July 27, 2015; USCG-2023-0759, 89 FR 22948, Apr. 3, 2024]