---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 U.S.C. § 24"
title: "47"
title_heading: "Telecommunications"
number: "24"
heading: "Vessels laying cables; signals; avoidance of buoys"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/47/24"
units:
  - "Chapter 2 — Submarine Cables"
---

# §24. Vessels laying cables; signals; avoidance of buoys


The [master](/usc/47/30.md) of any [vessel](/usc/47/30.md) which, while engaged in laying or repairing submarine cables, shall fail to observe the rules concerning signals that have been or shall be adopted by the parties to the [convention](/usc/47/30.md) described in [section 30 of this title](/usc/47/30.md) with a view to preventing collisions at sea; or the [master](/usc/47/30.md) of any [vessel](/usc/47/30.md) that, perceiving, or being able to perceive the said signals displayed upon a telegraph ship engaged in repairing a cable, shall not withdraw to or keep at distance of at least one nautical mile; or the [master](/usc/47/30.md) of any [vessel](/usc/47/30.md) that seeing or being able to see buoys intended to mark the position of a cable when being laid or when out of order or broken, shall not keep at a distance of at least a quarter of a nautical mile, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month, or to a fine of not exceeding $500.


## Source credit

(Feb. 29, 1888, ch. 17, § 4, 25 Stat. 41.)