Boating Safety: Definitions

Boating Safety: Definitions. As used in this chapter: (a) “Boat livery” means a business which holds any vessel for renting, leasing, or chartering. (b) “Commonwealth” means the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (c) “Department” means the Department of Public Safety. (d) “Director” means the Director of Public Safety. (e) “Length” means the distance from end to end of a vessel over the deck excluding sheer. (f) “Open boat” means those motorboats and motor vessels with all engine and fuel tank compartments and other spaces to which explosives or flammable gases and vapors from these compartments may flow, open to the atmosphere and so arranged as to prevent the accumulation of gases and vapors within the vessel. (g) “Operator” means the person who is in control or in charge of a vessel while it is in use. (h) “Owner” means a person who claims lawful possession of a vessel by virtue of legal title or equitable interest which entitles him to possession of that vessel. (i) “Passenger” means every person carried on board a vessel other than: (1) The owner or his or her representative; (2) The operator; (3) Bona fide members of the crew engaged in the business of the vessel who have contributed no consideration for their carriage and who are paid for their services; or (4) Any guest on board a vessel which is being used exclusively for pleasure purposes who has not contributed any consideration, directly, or indirectly, for his or her carriage. (j) “Person” means an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint-stock association or governmental entity and includes a trustee, receiver, assignee, or similar representative of any of them. (k) “State” means a state of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. (l) “Vessel” includes every description of water-craft, other than a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water. (m) “Undocumented vessel” means a vessel which does not have and is not required to have a valid marine document as a vessel of the United States. Source: PL 3-25, § 3. Commission Comment: With respect to the references to the “Director of Public Safety” and the “Department of Public Safety,” see Executive Order 943 (effective August 23, 1994), reorganizing the executive branch, changing agency names and official titles, and effecting other changes, set forth in the Commission comment to 1 CMC § 2001.