§ 57109. Operation of vessels purchased, chartered, or leased from Secretary of Transportation

§ 57109. Operation of vessels purchased, chartered, or leased from Secretary of Transportation

Unless otherwise authorized by the Secretary of Transportation, a vessel purchased, chartered, or leased from the Secretary may be operated only under a certificate of documentation with a registry or coastwise endorsement. Such a vessel, while employed solely as a merchant vessel, is subject to the laws, regulations, and liabilities governing merchant vessels, whether the United States Government has an interest in the vessel as an owner or holds a mortgage, lien, or other interest.

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1661.)

The words “only under a certificate of documentation with a registry or coastwise endorsement” are substituted for “only under such registry or enrollment and license” for clarity and to use the appropriate current language.