Each master or individual in charge of a vessel when shipping articles are required must complete and sign, and each merchant mariner paid off during or after such a voyage must sign the articles and otherwise comply with the requirements of this subpart. When signed by the master or individual in charge and by the mariner, the articles constitute a release from the duties to which they bound their parties.

Upon the discharge of any mariner in a foreign port, the master must make the required entries on the ship's articles. Upon the request of the master or a mariner, the consular officer will discharge the mariner in accordance with the requirements of 46 U.S.C. 10318.

If the merchant mariner holds a continuous discharge book, the master or individual in charge of the vessel must make the proper entries in it.

(a) Each master or individual in charge of a vessel must, for each merchant mariner being discharged from the vessel, prepare a certificate of discharge and two copies, whether by writing or typing them on the prescribed form with permanent ink or generating them from computer in the prescribed format, and must sign them with permanent ink. The prescribed format for a certificate of discharge is the same as the current form CG-718A. The form has the mariner's printed name, signature, citizenship, MMD or MMC number, certification statement, date, master's signature, rate/rank the mariner is serving on the voyage, date and place of shipment, date and place of discharge, name of the vessel, name of the operating company, official number of the vessel, class of the vessel, and nature of the voyage.

(b) Each mariner being discharged must sign the certificate and both copies with permanent ink.

(c) When the mariner leaves the vessel, the master or individual in charge must give the original certificate to the mariner.

(d) Except as directed by § 14.313, the shipping company must keep both copies of the certificate.

(e) The company must provide copies of certificates of discharge to the mariner and the Coast Guard upon request.

(a) At the end of each voyage upon which shipping articles are required, the master or individual in charge of the vessel must—

(1) Complete the articles, conforming the pertinent entries in them to those on the certificate of discharge and its copies;

(2) Note in the articles the execution of each Mutual Release;

(3) Attach to the articles each Mutual Release and a copy of each certificate of discharge ; and

(4) Pay to each merchant mariner all wages due.

(b) When paid off, each mariner must sign the articles.

(a) At the end of each foreign, intercoastal, and coastwise voyage by a vessel of the United States, or of each voyage by such a vessel that sails exclusively on bays or sounds (or by such a vessel at the close of the season on the Great Lakes, or once the vessel is withdrawn from service there, whichever occurs later), the shipping company may electronically transmit the data from the certificates of discharge to the electronic address provided by the Coast Guard in § 14.103 of this part .

(b) If the data is submitted manually, the shipping companies must provide the data for foreign and intercoastal voyages at the end of each voyage. For coastwise voyages or of each voyage by such a vessel that sails exclusively on bays or sounds (or by such a vessel at the close of the season of the Great Lakes, or once the vessel is withdrawn from service there, whichever occurs later), the shipping companies must submit a copy of each certificate of discharge to the address in § 14.103(a) at least once per calendar month.

(a) Each shipping company must keep all original shipping articles and copies of all certificates of discharge for 3 years. After 3 years the shipping companies must prepare the original shipping articles in alphabetical order by vessel name and send to the address in § 14.103(a) for storage at the Federal Records Center at Suitland, Maryland. The company may dispose of the copies of certificates of discharge. The Coast Guard will dispose of copies of certificates submitted manually, once the data are entered into its sea-service database and are validated.

(b) Each shipping company that goes out of business or merges with another company must send all original articles to the address in § 14.103(a) within 30 days of the transaction.

(c) Articles sent for storage to the address in § 14.103(a) of this part that are not prepared in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section may be returned to the shipping company for correction.

(d) The shipping company must provide copies of shipping articles and certificates of discharge to the mariner and the Coast Guard upon request.