- (a) A professional mariner earns shore leave at the rate of one day of shore leave for each 3 and one-half consecutive days of assignment to a NOAA ship such that a total of up to 4 days of shore leave may be earned in any given pay period.
- (b) For a professional mariner, an assignment begins either on the date he or she assumes their duties aboard a NOAA ship or on the date he or she comes aboard when a voyage is in progress. The assignment terminates on the date he or she ceases to be assigned to a NOAA ship or on the date on which he or she is released from assignment of their duties.
(c) In computing days of assignment, the Administration shall also include:
- (1) The days a professional mariner spends traveling to join a NOAA ship to which assigned;
- (2) The days a professional mariner spends traveling between NOAA ships when the employee is assigned from one NOAA ship to another; and
- (3) The days on which the professional mariner is on sick leave when he or she becomes sick during an assignment (whether or not continued as a member of the crew) but not beyond the termination date of the assignment to the NOAA ship.
- (d) In computing days of assignment, the Administration shall not include days the professional mariner is on any kind of leave other than sick leave.