The Contracting Governments undertake to put into force the provisions of the Regulations annexed hereto concerning lightships which are not on their stations. The necessary measures to that effect should be taken within one year from the coming into force of the present Agreement.

The present Agreement should not be considered as in any way modifying the legal situation in the different countries as regards the relations between the public and the authorities responsible for the lightship services.

The present Agreement, of which the English and French texts are both authentic, shall bear today’s date. Until and including April 30, 1931, it shall be open for signature on behalf of any Government represented at or invited to the Conference which elaborated the present Agreement.

Governments may accept the present agreement by signature only, when the latter is not made subject to ratification by ratification or accession.

The instruments of ratification shall be transmitted to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, who will notify their receipt to all the Governments concerned.

The Agreement shall enter into force on the ninetieth day following its acceptance by five Governments.

As from May 1, 1931, the present Agreement shall be open to accession on behalf of any Government referred to in Article 3.

The instruments of accession shall be transmitted to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, who will notify their receipt to all the Governments concerned.

After the coming into force of the Agreement in accordance with Article 4 each subsequent signature, ratification or accession shall take effect on the ninetieth day from the date of signature, or of the receipt by the Secretary-General of the League of Nations of the instruments of ratification, or of the notification of accession.

The present Agreement may be denounced on behalf of any Contracting Government after a period of seven years from the date when it came into force in respect of that Government. Denunciation shall be effected by a notification in writing addressed to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, who will inform all the Government referred to in Article 3. Such denunciation shall take effect one year after the date of its receipt by the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, and shall operate only in respect of the Government on whose behalf it was notified.

On the expiration of each period of seven years after the coming into force of the present Agreement, its revision may be demanded by any Contracting Government. At all other times, revision of the present Agreement may be demanded by one-fourth of the Contracting Governments.

Any Contracting Government, may, at the time of signature, ratification or accession, declare that, in accepting the present Agreement, it does not assume any obligations in respect of all or any colony, protectorate or territory under suzerainty or mandate; and the present Agreement shall not apply to any territories named in such declaration.

Any Contracting Government may give notice to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations at any time subsequently that it desires that the Agreement shall apply to all or any of the territories, which have been made the subject of a declaration under the preceding paragraph, and the Agreement shall apply to all the territories named in such notice ninety days after its receipt by the Secretary-General of the League of Nations.

Any Contracting Government may declare, either after a period of seven years from the date of the notification provided for in the preceding paragraph or at the time of the denunciation provided for in Article 7, that it desires that the present Agreement shall cease to apply to all or any colony protectorate or territory under suzerainty or mandate, and the Agreement shall cease to apply to the territories named in such declaration one year after its receipt by the Secretary-General of the League of Nations. In default of such a declaration, the denunciation of the Convention under Article 7 will not affect the application of the Convention to any territories referred to in the present Article.

Each Contracting Government may make the acceptance of the present Agreement conditional on its acceptance by one or several of the Governments mentioned in Article 3.

The present convention shall be registered by the Secretary-General of the League of Nations on the date of its coming into force.
 

1. When a lightship is not its station, whether it has dragged or broken adrift from its moorings or is proceeding towards its station or towards a portkit should not show its characteristic light nor make its characteristic fog-signals.

2. A lightship which has dragged or broken adrift from its moorings should hoist a special signal, which preferably should be:

By day : Two large black spheres, one forward and one aft;

By night : Two red lights, one forward and one aft.

It would, furthermore, strike its characteristic top marks, if they are fitted to permit of this.

When circumstances do not permit of the use of the foregoing day signals, or when these are employed as the normal characteristics of the lightship, red flags should be used instead of black spher.

3. In addition, as a supplementary measure of precaution, a lightship which has dragged or broken adrift from its moorings should:
 

(a) By day fly a flag signal signifying:
 

"I am not in my correct position",

as laid down in the International Code of signals.

(b) By night, show atleast every quarter of an hour and simultaneously two flares, one red and the other white.

When circumstances render it impracticable to use flares, a red and a white light shall be displayed simultaneously.

4. Lastly a lightship under way must carry the same lights and make the same sound signals as other vessels under way and, if self-propelled, should hoist by day the signal provided for in paragraph 2.