Seaworthiness (law)

Seaworthiness refers to the assurance that a vessel is seaworthy, meaning that it is properly equipped and sufficiently maintained to survive the risks incident to a voyage. In the context of marine insurance, unless otherwise stated, it is an implied condition of an policy of insurance that the vessel is seaworthy.

Within the context of other maritime contracts, a carrier of goods by sea owes a duty to a shipper of cargo that the vessel is seaworthy at the start of the voyage; a shipowner warrants to a charterer that the vessel under charter is seaworthy; and a shipbuilder warrants that the vessel under construction will be seaworthy when completed.