SIGNALS OF DISTRESS ġ S.L.234.21 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 234.21
SIGNALS OF DISTRESS RULES
14th January, 1997
LEGAL NOTICE 4 of 1997.
Title.
Interpretation.
Cap. 234.
2. The phrase "Maltese ships" shall have the same meaning as
is assigned to it by article 3 of the Merchant Shipping Act.
Application.
Prescription of 
signals of distress.
4. When a Maltese ship is in distress and requires assistance,
she shall use or exhibit the signals described in Annex IV of the
International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972,
which Annex is set out in the Schedule to these rules.
Use of signals of 
distress. 
5. (1) No signal of distress shall be used by any ship unless
the master of the ship so orders.
(2) The master of the ship shall not order any signal of distress
to be used by his ship unless he is satisfied:
( a ) that his ship is in serious and imminent danger, or that
another ship or an aircraft is in serious and imminent
danger and cannot of itself send that signal; and
( b ) that the ship in danger (whether his own ship or
another ship) or the aircraft in danger, as the case may
be, requires immediate assistance in addition to any
assistance then available to her.
(3) The master of a ship which has sent out any signal of
distress by means of radio shall cause that signal to be revoked as
soon as he is satisfied that the ship or aircraft to which the signal
relates is no longer in need of assistance as aforesaid.
2 ġ S.L.234.21 SIGNALS OF DISTRESS
SCHEDULE
(Rule 4)
ANNEX IV OF THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS
FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA, 1972
DISTRESS SIGNALS
1. The following signals, used or exhibited either together or separately,
indicate distress and need of assistance:
( a ) a gun or other explosive signal fired at intervals of about a minute;
( b ) a continuous sounding with any fog-signalling apparatus;
( c ) rockets or shells, throwing red stars fired one at a time at short intervals;
( d ) a signal made by radiotelegraphy or by any other signalling method
consisting of the group ...-... (SOS) in the Morse Code;
( e ) a signal sent by radiotelephony consisting of the spoken word
"Mayday";
( f ) the International Code Signal of distress indicated by N.C.;
( g ) a signal consisting of a square flag having above or below it a ball or
anything resembling a ball;
( h ) flames on the vessel (as from a burning tar barrel, oil barrel, etc.);
( i ) a rocket parachute flare or a hand-flare showing a red light;
( j ) a smoke signal giving off orange-coloured smoke;
( k ) slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering arms outstretched to each
side;
( l ) the radiotelegraph alarm signal;
( m ) the radiotelephone alarm signal;
( n ) signals transmitted by emergency position-indicating radio beacons;
( o ) approved signals transmitted by radiocommunication systems, including
survival craft radar transponders.
2. The use or exhibition of any of the foregoing signals except for the purpose
of indicating distress and need of assistance and the use of other signals which may
be confused with any of the above signals is prohibited.
3. Attention is drawn to the relevant sections of the International Code of
Signals, the Merchant Ship Search and Rescue Manual and the following signals:
( a ) a piece of orange-coloured canvas with either a black-square and circle
or other appropriate symbol (for identification from the air);
( b ) a dye marker.
