§10302 — Title 46 Shipping | U.S. Code

Summary

A written shipping agreement must be made with each seaman before they start work. The agreement must cover eight kinds of information: the type and, as much as possible, the length of the voyage and where it will end; how many crew and each person’s job; when each seaman must be on board; the wages; rules of conduct and possible penalties (like fines or reduced rations) allowed by law; the food allowance; any wage advances or allotments; and other lawful terms. The agreement must be signed by the master or a representative of the owner, charterer, or managing operator, and by every seaman. The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or person in charge must keep the agreement and make it available to the seaman.

Title 46, §10302

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall make a shipping agreement in writing with each seaman before the seaman commences employment.

(b)The agreement shall contain the following:

(1)the nature, and, as far as practicable, the duration of the intended voyage, and the port or country in which the voyage is to end.

(2)the number and description of the crew and the capacity in which each seaman is to be engaged.

(3)the time at which each seaman is to be on board to begin work.

(4)the amount of wages each seaman is to receive.

(5)regulations about conduct on board, and information on fines, short allowance of provisions, and other punishment for misconduct provided by law.

(6)a scale of the provisions that are to be provided each seaman.

(7)any stipulation in reference to advances and allotments of wages.

(8)other matters not contrary to law.

(c)Each shipping agreement must be signed by the master or individual in charge or a representative of the owner, charterer, or managing operator, and by each seaman employed.

(d)The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall maintain the shipping agreement and make the shipping agreement available to the seaman.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 1030246:564 section 10302 requires the master to make a shipping agreement with each crew member and lists the information that must be included in the agreement.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–206, § 401(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Before proceeding on a voyage, the master of a vessel to which this chapter applies shall make a shipping articles agreement in writing with each seaman in the crew.” Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 103–206, § 401(2), added subsecs. (c) and (d).

§10302 Shipping articles agreements