33 U.S.C. § 1601
Section 1601 · Definitions
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 9 court decisions — leading case Martha's Vineyard Scuba Headquarters, Inc. v. Unidentified, Wrecked & Abandoned Steam Vessel (1987)
Most recently applied in 767 F. Supp. 2d 1316 - In Re the Complaint of Gore Marine Corp. (February 2011)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
For the purposes of this chapter—
(1) “vessel” means every description of watercraft, including nondisplacement craft and seaplanes, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water; and
(2) “high seas” means all parts of the sea that are not included in the territorial sea or in the internal waters of any nation.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in opening par., was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 95–75, July 27, 1977, 91 Stat. 308, known as the “International Navigational Rules Act of 1977”, which enacted this chapter, repealed sections 1051 to 1094 of this title, enacted provisions set out as notes under this section, and repealed provision set out as a note under section 1051 of this title.
Effective Date of International Regulations; Repeal of Former Regulations
Section 10 of Pub. L. 95–75 provided in part that Pub. L. 88–131, enacting sections 1051 to 1094 of this title and a provision set out as a note under section 1051 of this title which sections included the former International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, was repealed effective on the date on which the International Regulations [promulgated pursuant to this chapter] entered into force for the United States [July 15, 1977]. See Proclamation dated Jan. 19, 1977, set out as a note under section 1602 of this title.
References to Former Regulations
Section 10 of Pub. L. 95–75 provided in part that: “The reference in any other law to Public Law 88–131 [enacting sections 1051 to 1094 of this title and enacting a provision set out as a note under section 1051 of this title], or to the regulations set forth in section 4 of that Act [sections 1061 to 1094 of this title], shall be considered a reference, respectively, to this Act [this chapter], or to the International Regulations proclaimed hereunder [set out as a note under section 1602 of this title].”
Short Title
Section 1 of Pub. L. 95–75 provided: “That this Act [enacting this chapter, repealing sections 1051 to 1094 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under this section, and repealing provisions set out as a note under section 1051 of this title] may be cited as the ‘International Navigational Rules Act of 1977’.”
Territorial Sea of United States
For extension of territorial sea of United States, see Proc. No. 5928, set out as a note under section 1331 of Title 43, Public Lands.