U.S. Code > Title 46 Shipping > Subtitle II—Vessels and Seamen (§§ 2101—14702) > Part C—Load Lines of Vessels (§§ 5101—5116) > CHAPTER 51—LOAD LINES (§§ 5101—5116) > § 5101. Definitions

§ 5101. Definitions

In this chapter—
(1) “domestic voyage” means movement of a vessel between places in, or subject to the jurisdiction of, the United States, except movement between—
(A) a place in a territory or possession of the United States or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; and
(B) a place outside that territory, possession, or Trust Territory.
(2) “economic benefit of the overloading” means the amount obtained by multiplying the weight of the overload (in tons) by the lesser of—
(A) the average freight rate value of a ton of the vessel’s cargo for the voyage; or
(B) $50.
(3) “existing vessel” means—
(A) a vessel on a domestic voyage, the keel of which was laid, or that was at a similar stage of construction, before January 1, 1986; and
(B) a vessel on a foreign voyage, the keel of which was laid, or that was at a similar stage of construction, before July 21, 1968.
(4) “freeboard” means the distance from the mark of the load line assigned under this chapter to the freeboard deck.
(5) “freeboard deck” means the deck or other structure the Secretary prescribes by regulation.
(6) “minimum safe freeboard” means the freeboard that the Secretary decides cannot be reduced safely without limiting the operation of the vessel.
(7) “weight of the overload” means the amount obtained by multiplying the number of inches that the vessel is submerged below the applicable assigned freeboard by the tons-an-inch immersion factor for the vessel at the assigned minimum safe freeboard.