10-40-150 Tugs for vessels.

   All wind-driven vessels, craft, or floats navigating the harbor, for which the opening of any bridge may be necessary, shall, while approaching and passing such bridge, be towed by a power tug or self-propelled by a vessel's motor.

   Any other vessel, craft, or float navigating that portion of the harbor bound by the Outer Drive Bridge on the east, the Van Buren Street Bridge on the south,and the Kinzie Street Bridge on the north, all inclusive, shall have the assistance of a tug or tugs at all such times, and under such conditions as the Commissioner of Transportation shall by general order from time to time prescribe, and also in any specific instance where the harbormaster or assistant harbormaster shall specially so direct. It shall be unlawful for any such vessel, craft, or float to back through any bridge draw in the harbor without the assistance of a tug or tugs, unless the Commissioner of Transportation shall have given his consent thereto; the Commissioner of Transportation may give such consent whenever in his judgment it seems advisable.

   Any person owning or in charge, possession or control of any such vessel, craft, or float violating any of the provisions of this section, shall be fined $5,000.00 for each offense.

(Prior code § 38-19; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10832; Amend Coun. J. 11-24-20, p. 24619, Art. III, § 1)

10-40-160 Towing – Permits.

   No person shall tow in the harbor, any vessel, craft or float containing material destined to be disposed of in the authorized dumping areas, without a permit from the department of transportation. The fee for each permit shall be $16.00 per day and the day shall consist of eight hours.

(Prior code § 38-20; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10832)

10-40-170 Towing – Procedures.

   It shall be unlawful for any vessel, craft or float to tow more than two barges or similar craft in one tow within the harbor, except that tows which consist of barges that are fastened rigidly together to form a single unit for the purpose of being towed may be towed in the main sanitary and ship canal and the west fork of the south branch of the Chicago River to and including the South Ashland Avenue turning basin; in the Little Calumet and Calumet Rivers to and including turning basin number five at 129th Street; and in Chicago and Calumet Outer Harbors; provided that the total width and length of such tows do not exceed 80 and 500 feet respectively.

(Prior code § 38-21)

10-40-180 Interference with dredging machine.

   No owner, master, or other person in charge of or in command of any tugboat or towing boat in the harbor shall run, or cause to be run, such tugboat or towing boat, or anything that they may have in tow, upon, against, or over any rope, chain, or other fastening, mooring, dredge or other machine used by the city, or the United States Government, for deepening, widening, and improving the harbor, so that the said dredge or other machine shall be displaced, hindered, or delayed in the working thereof.

(Prior code § 38-22)

10-40-190 Assistance for fouled vessel.

   If any vessel, craft, or float, either by winding or from any other cause, shall get foul and obstruct the navigation or passage of other vessels, craft, or floats, the commissioner of transportation shall have power and is hereby authorized to order to his assistance men and tackle from any other vessel, craft, or float. The commissioner of transportation shall have power and is hereby authorized to order to his assistance any tugboat or other powerboat that may be in the vicinity or passing at the time. Every master or officer of such boat, craft, or tug shall render the assistance so ordered, and any vessel, craft, or float receiving such assistance shall pay to the person or persons rendering the same the cost or expense of such assistance, the amount thereof to be fixed by the commissioner of transportation.

   Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than $25.00 nor more than $50.00 for the first offense, and not more than $75.00 for each subsequent offense.

(Prior code § 38-23; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10832)

10-40-200 Anchor dragging.

   All vessels, craft, or float while navigating the harbor shall not drag their anchors, nor shall any tugboat or towboat tow any vessel, craft, or float in the harbor whose anchor is dragging. The master, owner, or person in control of any vessel operated in violation of this section shall be fined not less than $500.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense.

(Prior code § 38-24; Amend Coun. J. 11-24-20, p. 24619, Art. III, § 1)

10-40-210 Moving vessel before bridge opening.

   Whenever any person having charge of any vessel, craft, or float shall wish to move it past any bridge, reasonable time shall be allowed for the opening of the bridge, and any person who shall move any vessel, craft, or float against any bridge before it shall be opened and shall injure the bridge shall be liable to the city for that injury in addition to any fine which may be levied.

(Prior code § 38-25)