§ 10703 — Procedures Of Masters

(a) If the vessel is proceeding to the United States when a seaman dies, the master shall deliver the seaman’s money, property, and wages when the agreement required by this part is ended, as provided in section 10706 of this title. (b) If the vessel touches at a foreign port after the death of the seaman, the master shall report to the first available consular officer. The consular officer may require the master to deliver to the officer the money, property, and wages of the seaman. The consular officer shall give the master a receipt for the matters delivered and certify on the agreement the particulars of the delivery. When the agreement ends, the master shall deliver the receipt to a district court of the United States. (c) If the consular officer does not require the master to deliver the seaman’s money, property, and wages, the officer shall so certify on the agreement, and the master shall dispose of the money, property, and wages as provided under section 10706 of this title. (d) A deduction from the account of a deceased seaman is valid only if certified by a proper entry in the official logbook.