§10302. Shipping articles agreements

(a) The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall make a shipping agreement in writing with each seaman before the seaman commences employment.

(b) The agreement shall contain the following:

(1) the nature, and, as far as practicable, the duration of the intended voyage, and the port or country in which the voyage is to end.

(2) the number and description of the crew and the capacity in which each seaman is to be engaged.

(3) the time at which each seaman is to be on board to begin work.

(4) the amount of wages each seaman is to receive.

(5) regulations about conduct on board, and information on fines, short allowance of provisions, and other punishment for misconduct provided by law.

(6) a scale of the provisions that are to be provided each seaman.

(7) any stipulation in reference to advances and allotments of wages.

(8) other matters not contrary to law.

(c) Each shipping agreement must be signed by the master or individual in charge or a representative of the owner, charterer, or managing operator, and by each seaman employed.

(d) The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall maintain the shipping agreement and make the shipping agreement available to the seaman.

( Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 561 ; Pub. L. 103–206, title IV, §401, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2435 .)

Section 10302 requires the master to make a shipping agreement with each crew member and lists the information that must be included in the agreement.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1993-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–206, §401(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: "Before proceeding on a voyage, the master of a vessel to which this chapter applies shall make a shipping articles agreement in writing with each seaman in the crew."

Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 103–206, §401(2), added subsecs. (c) and (d).