Modern day route planning requires a balance between adhering to charterer-provided weather routing advise and Masters exercising their...

Container vessels colliding with gantry cranes can result in significant costs. While vessel negligence is often assumed in such cases,...

In The Yochow [2024] , the helmsman made two steering errors in quick succession while under pilotage. The second error resulted in a...

What is the role of tugs when assisting vessels in berthing and unberthing? If they notice an emergency situation developing, should they...

Over the past years many vessels have been detained by Indonesian or Malaysian navies for anchoring in their waters without permission....

There are a few ports around the world where both pilot cutters (serving as watch accommodation for pilots) and pilot boats (for...

Wash damage can cause vessels to break from their moorings, but how about damage caused by the suction effect during low water created by...

Vessels occasionally use local paper charts when entering & leaving ports instead of charts issued by BA or other agencies, for reasons...

Navigating through the Suez Canal is tough. It is one of those places where the ship’s crew has very little control and often don’t have...

Three interesting decisions by the courts on powers and responsibilities of coastal or port states. First was on jurisdiction of coastal...

Can a time charterer be held accountable to third parties for damage done by the ship, the root causes of which were connected to the...

Breaching the UKC policy for commercial reasons is a calculated risk taken frequently. Sometimes the safety margins are however just too...

Many may recall the collision between U.S.S. John S. Mccain and Alnic in Singapore Straits. Liability was apportioned 80-20 in favour of...

If a hurricane is about to hit the port, it is safer for vessels to unberth. If the decision is made to stay alongside then the managers...

It’s not often we see courts looking at the technicalities of calculating under keel clearance (UKC) in great detail. The Arklow Valour...

If a ship is suitably equipped to safely navigate and is manned by competent crew, then can the crew’s failure to properly plan a passage...

In ship collision cases, single liability principle is understood as being a form of set off because of the way calculations are done in...

A vessel that is ‘restricted in her ability to maneuver’ (RAM) enjoys certain privileges, for eg. those mentioned in Rule 18 of COLREGS....

There has always existed inherent tension in the relationship of responsibility between a ship master and pilot. Usually shipowners are...

Sluggish response to engine orders can get a ship into trouble, especially when there is a strong current. In the case of The American...

Ship owners and certain other parties are entitled to limit their liability for maritime claims basis the vessel’s tonnage. In which...

Do the CROSSING RULES (rule 15) apply where an outbound vessel is navigating within a NARROW CHANNEL and the other vessel is approaching...

Crossing the traffic lanes in Singapore straits can be a nightmare. One of the Masters I sailed with, best summed it up as ‘every...

In a multi ship collision it can be a difficult task to apportion liability. Approaching the question in a broad common sense way in The...

Owners of Ocean Prefect were bringing a claim for unsafe port against charterers, after she grounded twice in Umm Al Quwain. Owners were...

Choice of route can affect how cargo is to be cared for, so can owners be held liable for choosing one over the other? In The Santa...

Following a collision between ships - even after getting the apportionment heavily in one's favor, claiming for losses sustained may not...

Collisions and available forums for bringing claims – The Al Khattiya [2018] provides useful guidance. The defendant’s vessel collided...

Dragging & fouling of anchors, involuntary towage, and multiple collisions in crowded Singapore waters – The Tian E Zhou [2018] had it...

It is not often that Safety Management System of a shipping company is scrutinized by court. Surprisingly there have been two cases in...

Navigator's dilemma - confusion over applicability of COLREGS Rule 13 or 15, coupled with misuse of VHF led to Meghna Princess and Dream...