For the purposes of these rules, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) The term "commercial ferry" means every corporation, company, association, joint stock association, partnership and person, their lessees, trustees or receivers, appointed by any court whatever, owning, controlling, leasing, operating or managing any vessel over and upon the waters of this state.

(2) The term "certificated commercial ferry" means a person required by chapter 81.84 RCW to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity before operating any vessel upon the waters of this state.

(3) The term "common carrier ferry vessel" means a vessel primarily engaged in transporting freight other than vehicles, whose gross earnings from the transportation of passengers and/or vehicles are not more than ten percent of the total gross annual earnings of such vessel.

(4) The term "vessel" includes every species of watercraft, by whatever power operated, for public use in the conveyance of persons or property for hire over and upon the waters within this state, excepting all towboats, tugs, scows, barges, and lighters, and excepting rowboats and sailing boats under twenty gross tons burden, open steam launches of five tons gross and under, and vessels under five tons gross propelled by gas, fluid, naphtha, or electric motors.

(5) The term "transportation of property" includes any service in connection with the receiving, delivery, elevation, transfer in transit, ventilation, refrigeration, icing, storage and handling of the property transported, and the transmission of credit.

(6) The term "transportation of persons" includes any service in connection with the receiving, carriage and delivery of the person transported and that passenger's baggage and all facilities used, or necessary to be used in connection with the safety, comfort and convenience of the person transported.

(7) The term "for hire" means transportation offered to the general public for compensation.

(8) The term "transfer" means sale, assignment, mortgage, lease or any other voluntary or involuntary conveyance of an interest in a certificate by the entity owning a certificate.

(9) The term "launch service" means transportation of passengers and/or freight to or from a vessel under way, at anchor or at a dock.

(10) The term "person" means any natural person or persons or any entity legally capable of taking any action.

(11) The term "published schedule" means a time schedule that is published by the certificate holder and filed with the commission in accordance with the provisions of WAC 480-51-090.

(12) For the purposes of these rules, where the terms "United States Coast Guard" and/or "Coast Guard" are used, the term "Washington state department of labor and industries, marine division" shall be substituted if the commercial ferry boat operates on Washington state waterways not subject to Coast Guard regulation or if the vessel itself is subject to department of labor and industries, marine division, rules and regulations rather than those of the United States Coast Guard.

(13) The term "excursion service" means the carriage or conveyance of persons for compensation over the waters of this state from a point of origin and returning to the point of origin with an intermediate stop or stops at which passengers leave the vessel and reboard before the vessel returns to its point of origin.

(14) The term "charter service" means the hiring of a vessel, with captain and crew, by a person or group for carriage or conveyance of persons or property.