---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 C.F.R. § 161.60"
title: "33"
number: "161.60"
heading: "Vessel Traffic Service Prince William Sound."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/33/161.60"
---

# §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](/cfr/33/167.1703.md) 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 (d)(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 (d)(2)](#d-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](/cfr/33/part168.md).
- (e) **Reporting Points.**

## Notes

### Amendments

[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]

### Authority

Authority: 46 U.S.C. 70001, 70002, 70003, 70034, 70114, 70119; Pub. L. 107-295, 116 Stat. 2064; DHS Delegation No. 00170.1, Revision No. 01.3.

### Source

Source: CGD 90-020, 59 FR 36324, July 15, 1994, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[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]