---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 10101"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "10101"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/10101"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen"
  - "Part G — Merchant Seamen Protection and Relief"
  - "Chapter 101 — General"
---

# §10101. Definitions


In this part—

- (1) “master” means the individual having command of a vessel.
- (2) “owner” means the [person](/usc/46/3701.md?p=3) to whom the vessel belongs.
- (3) “seaman” means an individual (except scientific personnel, a [sailing school instructor](/usc/46/2101.md?p=40), or a [sailing school student](/usc/46/2101.md?p=41)) engaged or employed in any capacity on board a vessel.
- (4) “fishing vessel” includes—
  - (A) a [fish tender vessel](/usc/46/2101.md?p=14); or
  - (B) a [fish processing vessel](/usc/46/2101.md?p=13) entered into service before January 1, 1988, and not more than 1,600 gross tons as measured under [section 14502 of this title](/usc/46/14502.md), or an alternate tonnage measured under [section 14302 of this title](/usc/46/14302.md) as prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) under [section 14104 of this title](/usc/46/14104.md) or entered into service after December 31, 1987, and having not more than 16 individuals on board primarily employed in the preparation of [fish](/usc/46/2101.md?p=11) or [fish](/usc/46/2101.md?p=11) products.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 560; Pub. L. 98–364, title IV, § 402(13), July 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 449; Pub. L. 98–557, § 33(d), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2876; Pub. L. 99–640, § 10(b)(3), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3550; Pub. L. 104–324, title VII, § 736, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3941.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |
| --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| 10101 | 46:713 |

Section 10101 defines the terms master, seaman, and owner as they apply to merchant seamen’s protection and relief.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Par. (4)(B). Pub. L. 104–324 inserted “as measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title” after “1,600 gross tons”.

1986—Pars. (1), (3). Pub. L. 99–640 struck out “owned by a citizen of the United States” after “vessel”.

1984—Par. (4). Pub. L. 98–364, as amended Pub. L. 98–557, added par. (4).