Yesterday, the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy claimed the replica of the HMS Bounty, which sank off the coast of North Carolina. Tragically, one crewmember died, and the ship’s captain remains missing. As more details emerge, questions are being raised about the decision to sail into the storm, a choice that some experts believe was…
As Hurricane Sandy relentlessly batters the U.S. East Coast, much of the focus is on the intensity of its wind speeds, which are forecasted to reach 90 miles per hour. Mariners, perhaps more than anyone, have long been acutely aware of the dangers posed by strong winds, as they are directly tied to wave action…
Hurricane Sandy may have claimed its first American victims today as it sank a tall ship and washed away two crew members as they tried to board a life boat. Fourteen people were rescued from the floundering HMS BOUNTY early this morning and an urgent search is on in the churning seas for the two…
Two weeks ago, a collision killed 38 people aboard a passenger ferry near Hong Kong. Two days ago, nearly two dozen people survived the sinking of a tour boat in San Francisco Bay. The first incident was tragic, the second merely ominous. Both incidents should have been avoided with the use of current technology and…
This morning, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully rescued three crew members who had abandoned their burning fishing vessel, the 35-foot Havanna, approximately 17 miles west of Cannon Beach, Oregon. The crew members were forced to abandon the vessel and took refuge in a life raft while waiting for help to arrive. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter…
This is the 50th anniversary of the “Columbus Day Storm,” the most powerful extratropical storm of all time. It is an appropriate moment to contemplate the significance of fall weather patterns to the North Pacific marine industry. Many years ago, a partner at the maritime law firm of BoatLaw was a principal of a tug…
The U.S. Coast Guard has reported that five fishermen were rescued from an island south of Kodiak early this morning after their 58-foot-long fishing vessel struck a rock and started taking on water. According to Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley, the crew of the KODIAK ISLE contacted watchstanders just after midnight…
A couple from Bellingham, Washington, played a pivotal role in the rescue of a man who had been adrift for 26 hours in the icy waters of Alaska. Last month, Tele Aadsen and Joel Brady-Power, both seasoned fishermen, may have saved the life of 19-year-old Ryan Harris, whose boat capsized northwest of Sitka, Alaska. The…
Early reports indicate that the deadly Hong Kong collision involved classic forms of malfeasance on the part of vessel operators. Included among likely causes were: 1. Failure of shipboard personnel to secure watertight hatches while a vessel was underway. 2. Failure to observe nautical rules of the road, as neither vessel gave way until they…
In a notable development for maritime law, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the Washington State Supreme Court’s decision in Clausen v. Icicle Seafoods, Inc., which upheld a jury award of $1.3 million in punitive damages. This award was granted to a crewmember who suffered from a spinal injury aboard a fish processing…
