§ 160.202 Definitions.

Terms in this subpart that are not defined in this section or in § 160.3 have the same meaning as those terms in 46 U.S.C. 2101. As used in this subpart—

Agent means any person, partnership, firm, company or corporation engaged by the owner or charterer of a vessel to act in their behalf in matters concerning the vessel.

Barge means a non-self propelled vessel engaged in commerce.

Boundary waters mean the waters from main shore to main shore of the lakes and rivers and connecting waterways, or the portions thereof, along which the international boundary between the United States and the Dominion of Canada passes, including all bays, arms, and inlets thereof, but not including tributary waters which in their natural channels would flow into such lakes, rivers, and waterways, or waters flowing from such lakes, rivers, and waterways, or the waters of rivers flowing across the boundary.

Carried in bulk means a commodity that is loaded or carried on board a vessel without containers or labels and received and handled without mark or count.

Certain dangerous cargo (CDC) includes any of the following:

(1) Division 1.1 or 1.2 explosives as defined in 49 CFR 173.50.

(2) Division 1.5D blasting agents for which a permit is required under 49 CFR 176.415 or, for which a permit is required as a condition of a Research and Special Programs Administration exemption.

(3) Division 2.3 “poisonous gas”, as listed in 49 CFR 172.101 that is also a “material poisonous by inhalation” as defined in 49 CFR 171.8, and that is in a quantity in excess of 1 metric ton per vessel.

(4) Division 5.1 oxidizing materials for which a permit is required under 49 CFR 176.415 or for which a permit is required as a condition of a Research and Special Programs Administration exemption.

(5) A liquid material that has a primary or subsidiary classification of Division 6.1 “poisonous material” as listed in 49 CFR 172.101 that is also a “material poisonous by inhalation,” as defined in 49 CFR 171.8 and that is in a bulk packaging, or that is in a quantity in excess of 20 metric tons per vessel when not in a bulk packaging.

(6) Class 7, “highway route controlled quantity” radioactive material or “fissile material, controlled shipment,” as defined in 49 CFR 173.403.

(7) All bulk liquefied gas cargo carried under 46 CFR 151.50–31 or listed in 46 CFR 154.7 that is flammable and/or toxic and that is not carried as certain dangerous cargo residue (CDC residue).

(8) The following bulk liquids except when carried as CDC residue:

(i) Acetone cyanohydrin;

(ii) Allyl alcohol;

(iii) Chlorosulfonic acid;

(iv) Crotonaldehyde;

(v) Ethylene chlorohydrin;

(vi) Ethylene dibromide;

(vii) Methacrylonitrile;

(viii) Oleum (fuming sulfuric acid); and

(ix) Propylene oxide, alone or mixed with ethylene oxide.

(9) The following bulk solids:

(i) Ammonium nitrate listed as a Division 5.1 (oxidizing) material in 49 CFR 172.101 except when carried as CDC residue; and

(ii) Ammonium nitrate based fertilizer listed as a Division 5.1 (oxidizing) material in 49 CFR 172.101 except when carried as CDC residue.

Certain dangerous cargo residue (CDC residue) includes any of the following:

(1) Ammonium nitrate in bulk or ammonium nitrate based fertilizer in bulk remaining after all saleable cargo is discharged, not exceeding 1,000 pounds in total and not individually accumulated in quantities exceeding two cubic feet.

(2) For bulk liquids and liquefied gases, the cargo that remains onboard in a cargo system after discharge that is not accessible through normal transfer procedures, with the exception of the following bulk liquefied gas cargoes carried under 46 CFR 151.50–31 or listed in 46 CFR 154.7:

(i) Ammonia, anhydrous;

(ii) Chlorine;

(iii) Ethane;

(iv) Ethylene oxide;

(v) Methane (LNG);

(vi) Methyl bromide;

(vii) Sulfur dioxide; and

(viii) Vinyl chloride.

Charterer means the person or organization that contracts for the majority of the carrying capacity of a ship for the transportation of cargo to a stated port for a specified period. This includes “time charterers” and “voyage charterers.”

Crewmember means all persons carried on board the vessel to provide navigation and maintenance of the vessel, its machinery, systems, and arrangements essential for propulsion and safe navigation or to provide services for other persons on board.

Embark means when a crewmember or a person in addition to the crew joins the vessel.

Ferry schedule means a published document that:

(1) Identifies locations a ferry travels to and from;

(2) Lists the times of departures and arrivals; and

(3) Identifies the portion of the year in which the ferry maintains this schedule.

Foreign vessel means a vessel of foreign registry or operated under the authority of a country except the United States.

Great Lakes means Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, their connecting and tributary waters, the Saint Lawrence River as far as Saint Regis, and adjacent port areas.

Gross tons means the tonnage determined by the tonnage authorities of a vessel's flag state in accordance with the national tonnage rules in force before the entry into force of the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969 (“Convention”). For a vessel measured only under Annex I of the Convention, gross tons means that tonnage. For a vessel measured under both systems, the higher gross tonnage is the tonnage used for the purposes of the 300-gross-ton threshold.

Hazardous condition means any condition that may adversely affect the safety of any vessel, bridge, structure, or shore area or the environmental quality of any port, harbor, or navigable waterway of the United States. It may, but need not, involve collision, allision, fire, explosion, grounding, leaking, damage, injury or illness of a person aboard, or manning-shortage.

Nationality means the state (nation) in which a person is a citizen or to which a person owes permanent allegiance.

Operating exclusively within a single Captain of the Port zone refers to vessel movements within the boundaries of a single COTP zone, e.g., from one dock to another, one berth to another, one anchorage to another, or any combination of such transits. Once a vessel has arrived in a port in a COPT zone, it would not be considered as departing from a port or place simply because of its movements within that specific port.

Operator means any person including, but not limited to, an owner, a charterer, or another contractor who conducts, or is responsible for, the operation of a vessel.

Persons in addition to crewmembers mean any person onboard the vessel, including passengers, who are not included on the list of crewmembers.

Port or place of departure means any port or place in which a vessel is anchored or moored.

Port or place of destination means any port or place in which a vessel is bound to anchor or moor.

Public vessel means a vessel that is owned or demise-(bareboat) chartered by the government of the United States, by a State or local government, or by the government of a foreign country and that is not engaged in commercial service.

Time charterer means the party who hires a vessel for a specific amount of time. The owner and his crew manage the vessel, but the charterer selects the ports of destination.

Voyage charterer means the party who hires a vessel for a single voyage. The owner and his crew manage the vessel, but the charterer selects the ports of destination.

[USCG–2002–11865, 68 FR 9543, Feb. 28, 2003, as amended by USCG–2004–19963, 70 FR 74669, Dec. 16, 2005; 75 FR 59620, Sept. 28, 2010. Redesignated and amended at 80 FR 5330, Jan. 30, 2015]


Tried the LawStack mobile app?

Join thousands and try LawStack mobile for FREE today.

  • Carry the law offline, wherever you go.
  • Download CFR, USC, rules, and state law to your mobile device.