§ 10.104 - Definitions of terms used in this part.

Apprentice mate (steersman) of towing vessels means a mariner qualified to perform watchkeeping on the bridge, aboard a towing vessel, while in training under the direct supervision of a licensed master or mate (pilot) of towing vessels.

Approved means approved by the Coast Guard in accordance with § 10.302.

Approved training means training that is approved by the Coast Guard or meets the requirements of § 10.309.

Assistant engineer means a qualified officer in the engine department.

Assistance towing means towing a disabled vessel for consideration.

Ballast control operator (BCO) is a licensed officer restricted to service on MODUs. The duties involve the operation of the complex ballast system found on many MODUs. A ballast control operator, when assigned to a MODU, is the equivalent of a conventionally licensed mate.

Barge supervisor (BS) is a licensed officer restricted to service on MODUs. The duties involve support to the OIM in marine related matters including, but not limited to, maintaining watertight integrity, inspecting and maintaining mooring and towing components, and the maintenance of emergency and other marine related equipment. A barge supervisor, when assigned to a MODU is the equivalent of a conventionally licensed mate.

Boatswain means the leading seaman and immediate supervisor of unlicensed deck personnel who supervises the maintenance of deck gear.

Chief engineer means any person responsible for the mechanical propulsion of a vessel and who is the holder of a valid license as chief engineer.

Chief mate means the deck officer next in seniority to the master and upon whom the command of the vessel will fall in the event of the incapacity of the master.

Coast Guard-accepted means that the Coast Guard has officially acknowledged in writing that the material or process at issue meets the applicable requirements; that the Coast Guard has issued an official policy statement listing or describing the material or process as meeting the applicable requirements; or that an entity acting on behalf of the Coast Guard under a Memorandum of Agreement has determined that the material or process meets the applicable requirements.

Conviction means the applicant for a license or certificate of registry has been found guilty by judgment or plea by a court of the United States, the District of Columbia, any State, territory, or possession of the United States, a foreign country, or any military court, of a criminal felony or misdemeanor or of an offense described in section 205 of the National Driver Register Act of 1982, as amended (49 U.S.C. 30304). Conviction of more than one offense at a single trial will be considered to be multiple convictions. If an applicant pleads guilty or no contest, is granted deferred adjudication, or is required by the court to attend classes, make contributions of time or money, receive treatment, submit to any manner of probation or supervision, or forgo appeal of a trial court's conviction, then the applicant will be considered to have received a conviction. A later expunged conviction will not negate the conviction unless it is proved to the Coast Guard that the expungement is based upon a showing that the court's earlier conviction was in error.

Dangerous drug means a narcotic drug, a controlled substance, or a controlled-substance analogue (as defined in section 102 of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse and Control Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C. 802)).

Day means, for the purpose of complying with the service requirements of this part, eight hours of watchstanding or day-working not to include overtime. On vessels where a 12 hour working day is authorized and practiced, such as on a six-on, six-off watch schedule, each work day may be creditable as one and one half days of service. On vessels of less than 100 gross tons, a day is considered as eight hours unless the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection determines that the vessel's operating schedule makes this criteria inappropriate, in no case will this period be less than four hours.

Designated duty engineer means a qualified engineer, who may be the sole engineer on vessels with a periodically unattended engine room.

Designated examiner means a person who has been trained or instructed in techniques of training or assessment and is otherwise qualified to evaluate whether a candidate for a license, document, or endorsement has achieved the level of competence required to hold the license, document, or endorsement. This person may be designated by the Coast Guard or by a Coast Guard-approved or accepted program of training or assessment. A faculty member employed or instructing in a navigation or engineering course at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy or at a State maritime academy operated in accordance with regulations in 46 CFR part 310 is qualified to serve as a designated examiner in his or her area(s) of specialization without individual evaluation by the Coast Guard.

Disabled vessel means a vessel that needs assistance, whether docked, moored, anchored, aground, adrift, or under way; but does not mean a barge or any other vessel not regularly operated under its own power.

Employment assigned to is the total period a person is assigned to work on MODUs, including time spent ashore as part of normal crew rotation.

Endorsement means a provision added to a license which alters its scope or application. An example of an endorsement is a tonnage limitation increase within a general tonnage category, a pilot license route addition, or a radar observer qualification.

Evaluation means processing an application, from the point of receipt to approval or rejection of the application, including review of all documents and records submitted with an application as well as those obtained from public records and databases.

Fails a chemical test for dangerous drugs means that the result of a chemical test conducted in accordance with 49 CFR part 40 is reported as “positive” for the presence of dangerous drugs or drug metabolites in an individual's system by a Medical Review Officer in accordance with that part.

First assistant engineer means the engineer officer next in seniority to the chief engineer and upon whom the responsibility for the mechanical propulsion of the vessel will fall in the event of the incapacity of the chief engineer.

Great Lakes means the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters including the Calumet River as far as the Thomas J. O'Brien Lock and Controlling Works (between mile 326 and 327), the Chicago River as far as the east side of the Ashland Avenue Bridge (between mile 321 and 322), and the Saint Lawrence River as far east as the lower exit of Saint Lambert Lock.

Harbor assist means the use of a towing vessel during maneuvers to dock, undock, moor, or unmoor a vessel, or to escort a vessel with limited maneuverability.

Horsepower means, for the purpose of this part, the total maximum continuous shaft horsepower of all the vessel's main propulsion machinery.

Inland Waters means the navigable waters of the United States shoreward of the Boundary Lines as described in 46 CFR part 7, excluding the Great Lakes and, for towing vessels, excluding the Western Rivers. For establishing credit for sea service, the waters of the Inside Passage between Puget Sound and Cape Spencer, Alaska, are inland waters.

Lower level means a category of deck and engineer licenses established for assessment of fees. Lower level licenses are all licenses, other than those defined as upper level, for which the requirements are listed in subparts D, E, and G of this part.

Master means the officer having command of a vessel.

Mate means a qualified officer in the deck department other than the master.

Mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) means a vessel capable of engaging in drilling operations for the exploration for or exploitation of subsea resources. MODU designs include:

(a) Bottom bearing units which include:

(1) Self-elevating (or jack-up) units with moveable, bottom bearing legs capable of raising the hull above the surface of the sea; and,

(2) Submersible units of ship shape, barge type or novel hull design, other than a self-elevating unit, intended for operating while bottom bearing.

(b) Surface units with a ship shape or barge type displacement hull of single or multiple hull construction intended for operating in a floating condition, including semi-submersibles and drillships.

Month means 30 days, for the purpose of complying with the service requirements of this part.

National Driver Register (NDR) means the nationwide repository of information on drivers maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as provided under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 303.

NDR listed convictions means a conviction of any of the following motor vehicle-related offenses or comparable offenses:

(a) Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of, or impaired by, alcohol or a controlled substance; or

(b) A traffic violation arising in connection with a fatal traffic accident, reckless driving, or racing on the highways.

Near coastal means ocean waters not more than 200 miles offshore.

Oceans means the waters seaward of the Boundary Lines as described in 46 CFR part 7. For the purposes of establishing sea service credit, the waters of the Inside Passage between Puget Sound and Cape Spencer, Alaska, are not considered oceans.

Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) for the purposes of part 10 means the officer or individual so designated at one of the Regional Examination Centers, or any person so designated by the Commandant.

Offshore installation manager (OIM) is a licensed officer restricted to service on MODUs. An assigned offshore installation manager is equivalent to a conventionally licensed master and is the person designated by the owner or operator to be in complete and ultimate command of the unit.

On location means that a mobile offshore drilling unit is bottom bearing or moored with anchors placed in the drilling configuration.

Operator means an individual licensed to operate certain uninspected vessels.

Orally assisted examination means a license examination as described in subpart I of this part verbally administered and documented by an examiner.

Original license means the first deck, engineer or radio officer license issued to any person by the Coast Guard.

Passes a chemical test for dangerous drugs means the result of a chemical test conducted in accordance with 49 CFR part 40 is reported as “negative” by a Medical Review Officer in accordance with that part.

Pilot of towing vessels means a qualified officer of towing vessels operating only on inland routes.

Practical demonstration means the performance of an activity under the direct observation of a designated examiner for the purpose of establishing that the performer is sufficiently proficient in a practical skill to meet a specified standard of competence or other objective criterion.

Qualified instructor means a person who has been trained or instructed in instructional techniques and is otherwise qualified to provide required training to candidates for licenses, documents, and endorsements. A faculty member employed at a State maritime academy or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy operated in accordance with 46 CFR part 310 and instructing in a navigation or engineering course is qualified to serve as a qualified instructor in his or her area(s) of specialization without individual evaluation by the Coast Guard.

Raise of grade means an increase in the level of authority and responsibility associated with a license.

Rivers means any river, canal, or other similar body of water designated by the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection.

Senior company official means the president, vice president, vice president for personnel, personnel director, or similarly titled or responsible individual, or a lower level employee designated in writing by one of the aforementioned for the purpose of certifying employment and whose signature is on file at the REC at which application is made.

Service as when computing the required service for MODU licenses, is the time period, in days, a person is assigned to work on MODUs, excluding time spent ashore as part of crew rotation. A day, for the purposes of this definition, is a minimum of four hours, and no additional credit is received for periods served over eight hours.

Standard of competence means the level of proficiency to be achieved for the proper performance of duties on board vessels in accordance with national and international criteria.

STCW means the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended in 1995 and 1997 (incorporated by reference in § 10.102).

STCW Code means the Seafarer's Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code.

STCW endorsement means a certificate or endorsement issued in accordance with STCW. An STCW endorsement issued by the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), will be valid only when accompanied by the appropriate U.S. license or document; and, if the license or document is revoked, then the associated STCW endorsement is no longer valid for any purpose. References to STCW placed on a U.S. license or merchant mariner's document will suffice as STCW endorsements for the mariner serving on a vessel operating exclusively on a domestic voyage (i.e., to and from U.S. ports or places subject to U.S. jurisdiction).

Underway means that a mobile offshore drilling unit is not in an on location or laid up status. Underway includes that period of time when the MODU is deploying or recovering its mooring system.

Undocumented vessel means a vessel not required to have a document issued under the laws of the United States.

Upper level means a category of deck and engineer licenses established for assessment of fees. Upper level licenses are those licenses for which the requirements are listed in §§ 10.404 to 10.407 of subpart D of this part and §§ 10.510, 10.512, 10.514, and 10.516 of subpart E of this part.

Vessel Security Officer (VSO) means a person onboard the vessel accountable to the Master, designated by the Company as responsible for security of the vessel, including implementation and maintenance of the Vessel Security Plan, and for liaison with the Facility Security Officer and vessel's Company Security Officer.

Western Rivers means the Mississippi River, its tributaries, South Pass, and Southwest Pass, to the navigational demarcation lines dividing the high seas from harbors, rivers, and other inland waters of the United States, and the Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route, and that part of the Atchafalaya River above its junction with the Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route including the Old River and the Red River, and those waters specified in 33 CFR 89.25.

Year means 360 days, for the purpose of complying with the service requirements of this part.