nom=de=plume wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Feb 5, 3:54 pm, wrote:

I was looking at a friend's magazine called Marine News (Jan/2010). It has
an interesting article about seaworthiness.

I couldn't find it on the website marinelink.com... guess it's too new.
But,
if you get the magazine, it might be worth reading if you employ others on
your boat.

Basically, it discusses a vessel owner's responsibilities for
seaworthiness...

Duty of Vessel Owner to Furnish a Seaworthy Vessel
Under the general maritime law, a vessel owner has a duty to furnish a
seaworthy vessel. A seaworthy vessel is one which is reasonably fit to
carry
the cargo it has undertaken to transport. While this duty is absolute,
'the
standard is not perfection, but reasonable fitness; not a ship that will
weather every conceivable storm or withstand every imaginable peril of the
sea, but a vessel reasonably suitable for her intended service.'

--
Nom=de=Plume


That's a good reminder on using common sense. Ive seen people out on
my favorite lakes that will have a 24' pontoon boat with about 25
people on it. it's so bad the the pontoons are about under water. or
an 18' open bow runabout with a load capacity of 7at 150lb. ea. and
there will be 10 adults plus gear hanging all over it.

Sooner or later, sumpin's gotta give.


Courts have found ships unseaworthy for a variety of reasons, from what I've
read on the subject, which makes sense. They include lack of bilge pump or
tools or similar, or items in disrepair, etc.



A failure like that wouldn't matter if one or one hundred were on board.