Title 46, ShippingRelease 119-102
§7311 Able Seamen—sail
Title 46 › Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen › Part E — Merchant Seamen Licenses, Certificates, and Documents › CHAPTER 73 — MERCHANT MARINERS’ DOCUMENTS › § 7311
Summary
You qualify as an able seaman—sail if you have at least 6 months’ deck service on sailing school boats, sail‑powered ocean research boats, or similar sailing vessels that operate on U.S. oceans or navigable waters, including Great Lakes.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §7311
Shipping, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
For service on a sailing school vessel on any waters, an individual may be rated as able seaman—sail if the individual has at least 6 months’ service on deck on sailing school vessels, oceanographic research vessels powered primarily by sail, or equivalent sailing vessels operating on the oceans or navigable waters of the United States (including the Great Lakes).
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 731146:672(b)(4) section 7311 establishes the minimum service requirements for an individual to qualify as able seamen—sail on board sailing vessels.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective Apr. 15, 1984, see section 2(g)(1) of Pub. L. 98–89, set out as a note under section 3101 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 7311
Title 46, Shipping
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102