Chapter 72. To amend the Act of March third, nineteen hundred and thirteen, entitled “An Act to regulate the officering and manning of vessels subject to the inspection laws of the United States.” May 11, 1918.[[S. 1545](/us/bill/65/s/1545).][[Public, No. 147](/us/pl//).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House
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CHAP. 72.— An Act To amend the Act of March third, nineteen hundred and thirteen, entitled “An Act to regulate the officering and manning of vessels subject to the inspection laws of the United States.” May 11, 1918.[[S. 1545](/us/bill/65/s/1545).][[Public, No. 147](/us/pl//).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Steam vessels.Licensed officers and crew. That section forty-four hundred and sixty-three of the Revised Statutes of the United States be, and it is hereby, amended to read as follows:
" “Sec. 4463. Minimum number of, Including lifeboat men, to be prescribed.[R. S., sec. 4463, p. 864](/us/rs/s4463/p864), amended.Vol. 37, p. 732. No vessel of the United States subject to the provisions of this title or to the inspection laws of the United States shall be navigated unless she shall have in her service and on board such complement of licensed officers and crew including certificated lifeboat men, separately stated, as may, in the judgment of the local inspectors who inspect the vessel, be necessary for her safe navigation.Changes in certificates of inspection.
The local inspectors shall make in the certificate of inspection of the549 vessel an entry of such complement of officers and crew including certificated lifeboat men, separately stated, which may be changed from time to time by indorsement on such certificate by local inspectors by reason of change of conditions or employment. Such entry or Appeal.indorsement shall be subject to a right of appeal, under regulations to be made by the Secretary of Commerce, to the supervising inspector and from him to the Supervising Inspector General, who shall have the power to revise, set aside, or affirm the said determination of the local inspectors.
“If any such vessel is deprived of the services of any number of theContinuing voyage if deficiency in crew unavoidable. crew including certificated lifeboat men, separately stated, without the consent, fault, or collusion of the master, owner, or any person interested in the vessel, the vessel may proceed on her voyage if, in the judgment of the master, she is sufficiently manned for such voyage: *Provided*, That the master shall ship, if obtainable, a number*Proviso*.Procuring number equal to loss. equal to the number of those whose services he has been deprived of by desertion or casualty, who must be of the same grade or of a higher rating with those whose places they fill.
If the master shall fail toPenalty if deficiency not explained. explain in writing the cause of such deficiency in the crew including certificated lifeboat men, separately stated, to the local inspectors within twelve hours of the time of the arrival of the vessel at her destination, he shall be liable to a penalty of $50. If the vessel shall notOther penalties. be manned as provided in this Act, the owner shall be liable to a penalty of $100, or in case of an insufficient number of licensed officers to a penalty of $500.
” " Sec. 2. That the board of local inspectors shall make an entry inRecord of minimum deck officers.Vol. 37, p. 733, amended.Number required. the certificate of inspection of every ocean and coastwise seagoing merchant vessel of the United States propelled by machinery, and every ocean-going vessel carrying passengers, the minimum number of licensed deck officers required for her safe navigation according to the following scale: That no such vessel shall be navigated unless she shall have on boardMaster. and in her service one duly licensed master.
That every such vessel of one thousand gross tons and over, propelledMates.Vessels of 1,000 tons and over. by machinery, shall have in her service and on board three licensed mates, who shall stand in three watches while such vessel is being navigated, unless such vessel is engaged in a run of less than four hundred miles from the port of departure to the port of final destination, then such vessel shall have two licensed mates; and every vessel of two hundred gross tons and less than one thousand grossOver 200 and less than 1,000 tons. tons, propelled by machinery, shall have two licensed mates.
That every such vessel of one hundred gross tons and under twoSmaller vessels. hundred gross tons, propelled by machinery, shall have on board and in her service one licensed mate, but if such vessel is engaged in a trade in which the time required to make the passage from the port of departure to the port of destination exceeds twenty-four hours, then such vessel shall have two licensed mates. That nothing in this section shall be so construed as to prevent localIncrease authorized. inspectors from increasing the number of licensed officers on any vessel subject to the inspection laws of the United States, if, in their judgment, such vessel is not sufficiently manned for her safe navigation: *Provided*, That this section shall not apply to fishing or whaling*Proviso*.Exceptions, including wrecking vessels.Vol. 36, p. 462. vessels, yachts, or motor boats as defined in the Act of June ninth, nineteen hundred and ten, or to wrecking vessels.
Sec. 3. That it shall be unlawful for the master, owner, agent, orLimitation of watch duty of deck officers. other person having authority to permit an officer of any vessel to take charge of the deck watch of the vessel upon leaving or immediately after leaving port, unless such officer shall have had at least six hours off duty within the twelve hours immediately preceding the time of sailing, and no licensed officer on any ocean or coastwise vessel shall be550 required to do duty to exceed nine hours of any twenty-four while in port, including the date of arrival, or more than twelve hours of any twenty-four at sea, except in a case of emergency when life or propertyPenalty for violations. is endangered.
Any violation of this section shall subject the person or persons guilty thereof to a penalty of $100. Sec. 4. Conflicting laws repealed. That all laws or parts of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed. Approved, May 11, 1918.