York Antwerp Rules
Categories: Regulations
The Little Mermaid. There's Ursula, the evil voice-stealer-octopus-lady. She had two eel minions named Flotsam and Jetsam. Flotsam is debris in the water that floats. Jetsam is debris that sinks to the bottom of the ocean. So yeah...Ursula likes to cover her bases.
The York Antwerp Rules are maritime regulations that cover the protocols surrounding the stuff that sank...the jettisoned cargo. You might see these rules on sailor tattoos, bills of lading, contracts of affreightment, and marine insurance policies.
There are three main things in the York Antwerp Rules. First, danger to the ship must be imminent (or else why is stuff sunk at the bottom of the ocean? Has to be justifiable.). Second, there must be a voluntary jettison of some of the cargo to try to save the ship. Third, the attempt to avoid danger must be successful. If this happens, then all parties involved must share the financial losses together, proportionately.
Seems pretty fair, right? Unfortunately, we can’t control pirates, acts of god, or sea witches when it comes to shipping cargo over ye waters.