Title 46ShippingRelease 119-73

§8102 Watchmen

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Vessels and Seamen › Part Part F— - Manning of Vessels › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - GENERAL › § 8102

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Vessels carrying passengers at night must have enough watchmen near the cabins and on every deck to look out for fires or other dangers and to raise an alarm. If the owner, charterer, or managing operator fails to provide these watchmen, they must pay the United States Government a civil penalty of $1,000. Owners, charterers, managing operators, agents, masters, or others in charge of fish-processing vessels over 100 gross tons (measured under section 14502 or an alternate tonnage under section 14302 as set by the Secretary under section 14104) must have enough watchmen on board who are trained in firefighting whenever hotwork is being done to guard against fires and sound the alarm.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §8102

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The owner, charterer, or managing operator of a vessel carrying passengers during the nighttime shall keep a suitable number of watchmen in the vicinity of the cabins or staterooms and on each deck to guard against and give alarm in case of a fire or other danger. An owner, charterer, or managing operator failing to provide watchmen required by this section is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of $1,000.
(b)The owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a fish processing vessel of more than 100 gross tons as measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title shall keep a suitable number of watchmen trained in firefighting on board when hotwork is being done to guard against and give alarm in case of a fire.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 810246:47046:471 section 8102 requires the person responsible for the management of a vessel carrying passengers to have a suitable watch at night to guard against, and to sound an alarm in case of fire or other danger, or be liable for a civil penalty.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–324 inserted “as measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title” after “100 gross tons”. 1984—Pub. L. 98–364 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 8102

Title 46Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73