§11501 — Title 46 Shipping | U.S. Code

Summary

Seamen who break certain ship rules can lose pay, be confined, or be jailed. If a seaman deserts, they lose any money or things they left on board and part of their earned wages. If they refuse without good reason to join the ship, to sail with it, are absent without leave within 24 hours of the ship’s sailing, or skip duties without sufficient reason, they lose up to 2 days’ pay or enough to pay for a substitute. Quitting after the ship arrives but before it is secured costs up to one month’s pay. For willful disobedience at sea the captain may confine the seaman until it stops; on arrival the seaman loses up to 4 days’ pay or a court may jail them up to one month. For continued disobedience or neglect the captain may confine them on board with only water and 1,000 calories, giving full rations every 5th day, until it stops; on arrival the seaman forfeits, for each 24 hours of continued disobedience, not more than 12 days’ pay or a court may jail them up to 3 months. Assaulting a master, mate, pilot, engineer, or staff officer can bring up to 2 years in jail. Willfully damaging the ship or stealing or damaging stores or cargo means the seaman must repay the loss and a court may jail them up to 12 months. Convicted smuggling that harms the owner or master makes the seaman liable for the loss, allows wages to be kept to cover it, and can bring up to 12 months’ imprisonment.

Title 46, §11501

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

When a seaman lawfully engaged commits any of the following offenses, the seaman shall be punished as specified:

(1)For desertion, the seaman forfeits any part of the money or property the seaman leaves on board and any part of earned wages.

(2)For neglecting or refusing without reasonable cause to join the seaman’s vessel or to proceed to sea in the vessel, for absence without leave within 24 hours of the vessel’s sailing from a port (at the beginning or during the voyage), or for absence without leave from duties and without sufficient reason, the seaman forfeits from the seaman’s wages not more than 2 days’ pay or a sufficient amount to defray expenses incurred in hiring a substitute.

(3)For quitting the vessel without leave after the vessel’s arrival at the port of delivery and before the vessel is placed in security, the seaman forfeits from the seaman’s wages not more than one month’s pay.

(4)For willful disobedience to a lawful command at sea, the seaman, at the discretion of the master, may be confined until the disobedience ends, and on arrival in port forfeits from the seaman’s wages not more than 4 days’ pay or, at the discretion of the court, may be imprisoned for not more than one month.

(5)For continued willful disobedience to lawful command or continued willful neglect of duty at sea, the seaman, at the discretion of the master, may be confined, on water and 1,000 calories, with full rations every 5th day, until the disobedience ends, and on arrival in port forfeits, for each 24 hours’ continuance of the disobedience or neglect, not more than 12 days’ pay or, at the discretion of the court, may be imprisoned for not more than 3 months.

(6)For assaulting a master, mate, pilot, engineer, or staff officer, the seaman shall be imprisoned for not more than 2 years.

(7)For willfully damaging the vessel, or embezzling or willfully damaging any of the stores or cargo, the seaman forfeits from the seaman’s wages the amount of the loss sustained and, at the discretion of the court, may be imprisoned for not more than 12 months.

(8)For smuggling for which a seaman is convicted causing loss or damage to the owner or master, the seaman is liable to the owner or master for the loss or damage, and any part of the seaman’s wages may be retained to satisfy the liability. The seaman also may be imprisoned for not more than 12 months.

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 1150146:701 section 11501 provides penalties for specific offenses committed by seamen.

§11501 Penalties for Specified Offenses

Summary

Title 46, §11501

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

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