Dark Story: Harvard Economist Explains Why Captains Are Arrested When Oil Is

Good article - well done. Very interesting twist regarding the legal case of the captain’s lawyer in the Wakashio case.

Never knew or didn’t recognized the implication of this:

Crew negligence is an insured risk. Owner negligence is not.

Blaming the captain also aligns with the public’s perception that the captain is solely responsible for the safety of the ship ignoring the role of shore-side management, regulators, commercial pressure and so forth.

the Prestige owner still got his feet up in his villa along with the Erika owners and a few others.

Who will get arrested when autonomous vessels are involved?

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I think that is an interesting question. Whoever it is they should be the ones being held responsible now. However the system now in place doesn’t do that.

People ashore should be held responsible for what happens on the ship in a way that is analogous to the way a captain is responsible for what the third mate does on watch.

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P&I Club Rep told me this a long time ago. The office moves make more sense after you hear something like that.

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That’s why Davidson was posthumously crucified after EL FARO. Granted, his actions contributed, but let’s face it, the office got off scot free

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Testimony from an deposition of an owner/operator of a fleet:

Q.· · ·But the company is still·responsible for the captain’s orders to have
those passengers do work while the vessel is at sea; isn’t that true?

Objection, calls for a legal conclusion.

Q.· · ·You’ve been doing this a while.

A.· · ·Doing what a while?

Q.· · ·Managing vessels.

A.· · ·Yes.

Q.· · ·Owning vessels?

A.· · ·Yes.

Q.· · ·Company responsible for the captain’s actions?

A.· · ·Yes.