Chap. 120.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 1965, 1968 and 1969 and
to repeal section 1967 of the Code of Virginia in relation to pilots.

Approved March 2, 1908.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sections
nineteen hundred and sixty-five, nineteen hundred and sixty-eight and
nineteen hundred and sixty-nine of the Code of Virginia, in relation
to pilots, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§1965. What vessels to take pilots and where.-—The master of every
vessel, other than vessels exclusively engaged in the coastwise trade and
those made exempt by United States statutes, inward bound from sea,
shall take the first Virginia pilot that offers his services, Cape Henry
bearing west of south, to Smith’s Point, Yorktown, Newport News, or
Norfolk, or any intermediate point; and any such vessel, outward
bound, shall take the first Virginia pilot that offers his services at
Smith’s Point, Yorktown, Newport News, or Norfolk or any inter-
mediate point to sea; and any master refusing to do so shall immedi-
ately pay to the said pilot full pilotage from the sea to Newport News,
Smith’s Point, Yorktown, or Norfolk, or from said ports to the sea, as
the case may be; but no master of a vessel coming from sea shall be
compelled to take a pilot after arriving within the line at which Cape
Henry bears south; and any such vessel inward bound arriving within
the line of Cape Henry bearing south without having taken a pilot, shall
not be liable for pilotage, but the master may pilot his own vessel to
Hampton Roads or York Spit light, and then employ any steamboat
or towboat to tow his vessel to her port of destination, but in no instance
will any master of a vessel subject to the provisions of this section be
allowed to employ any steamboat or towboat below Hampton Roads
or York Spit light without paying full pilotage to the first regular pilot
that offers his service to said vessel: provided further, that after a
licensed Virginia pilot shall have offered his services to any vessel sub-
ject to the provisions of this chapter (or whose services shall have been
voluntarily required), such pilot shall have full discretion as to when
such vessel shall be piloted to or from sea or to or from any port or
place within the State, and shall not be interfered with by the master
or any other person, but such pilot’s discretion shall be exercised in a
reasonable way with a view to the vessel’s safety.
Any pilot, master or other person violating the provisions of this
section shall be subject to the penalties prescribed in this chapter.

§1968. Signal for pilot: The master of any vessel wanting a pilot
for any port in this State, shall signify it by a signal at the foremast or
foretopmast head ; whereupon a pilot shall repair to and pilot said vessel.

§1969. Rates of pilotage: Pilots shall have pilotage at the following
rates: For vessels bound from sea to Smith’s Point, West Point, New-
port News, Norfolk, or any place between Smith’s Point, West Point,
Newport: News, or Norfolk, if the vessel be boarded or spoken eastward
of Cape Henry bearing south, there shall be paid for each foot the
vessel draws, as follows: Vessel drawing under eight feet, two dollars
per foot; vessels drawing eight feet and under ten feet, two dollars
and fifty cents per foot; vessels drawing ten feet and under thirteen
feet, three dollars and fifty cents per foot; vessels drawing thirteen
feet and under sixteen feet, four dollars per foot; vessels drawing six-
teen feet and under twenty feet, four dollars and fifty cents per foot;
vessels drawing twenty feet or over, five dollars per foot. If any vessel
be boarded or spoken twenty miles eastward of Cape Henry, twenty-five
cents per foot shall be added to the foregoing rates. There shall be
paid the same pilotage from Smith’s Point, West Point,, Newport News,
Norfolk, or any intermeriate point to sea as from sea to those places.
From Newport News to any point or place on James river, or from any
point or place on James river to Newport News, there shall be paid one
dollar and fifty cents per foot, but the employment of a pilot between
said points or places shall be optional with the master. Vessels coming
from sea to Hampton Roads, and thence to any port in Maryland, shall
be subject to the same rate of pilotage as vessels bound from Newport
News to sea.

All vessels coming into Hampton Roads seeking, in ballast, shall pay
the same rate of pilotage as vessels calling for the sole purpose of coaling:
provided, however, that if such vessel coming to Hampton Roads, seek-
ing, is afterwards chartered to load in any port or place in this State,
she shall pay the usual pilotage in and out as though she had come to a
direct port. All steamers calling at any port or place in this State for
the sole purpose of coaling, shall pay one dollar less per foot than the
regular rates under ten feet and all such vessels drawing ten feet and
under twenty feet shall pay one dollar and fifty cents per foot less
than regular rates; and all such vessels drawing twenty feet and over,
shall pay two dollars less per foot than the regular rates. All vessels
having paid inward pilotage, that go from Norfolk to Newport News
or from Newport News to Norfolk, to load or finish loading, shall,
if they take a pilot (which shall be optional with the master), pay a fee
of ten dollars to the pilot for transporting such vessel between said
ports: provided, further, that in all cases where pilotage is optional,
none but licensed Virginia pilots shall be locally employed, under the
penalty prescribed in section nineteen hundred and sixty-three of this
chapter.

2. Be it further enacted, That section nineteen hundred and sixty-
seven of the Code of Virginia be, and the same is hereby, repealed.