Maritime Law, Conventions and Ship's Business
Conventions
UNCLOS (territorial sea 12 nm, contiguous zone 24 nm, exclusive economic zone 200 nm), SOLAS, MARPOL, Load Line, COLREG, STCW and MLC form the framework, implemented by flag States and enforced by port State control under the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda. Know which convention answers which question before you write.
Contracts and casualties
Bill of lading functions; charter parties (time, voyage, bareboat); laytime, demurrage, notice of readiness and off-hire; safe port and safe berth warranties. General average is a voluntary, extraordinary sacrifice for the common safety, adjusted under the York-Antwerp Rules; particular average is partial damage borne by the owner of that property. Salvage under Lloyd's Open Form is no cure, no pay, with SCOPIC for environmental protection. Towage, pilotage and agency complete the commercial side.
Liability
Hague-Visby, Hamburg and Rotterdam Rules limits; collision liability and both-to-blame; limitation of liability; maritime liens and the Himalaya clause.
Trap: calling every partial loss general average, and forgetting that general average needs a voluntary sacrifice for the common safety.
Worked example: if contributory values total 1,600,000 and a jettison of 80,000 saves the adventure, the rate is 5 per cent, so each interest contributes 5 per cent of its value.