Place of refuge for ships

A place of refuge for ships is a safe harbor or other secure place where a ship in distress can safely be taken to "prevent further damage or deterioration of the ship".[1]

It is often claimed that under international maritime law, "no port may be closed to a foreign ship seeking shelter from storm or bad weather or otherwise compelled to enter it in distress, unless another equally safe port is open".[2]

However, there are many limitations to this principle, especially when the ship may pose environmental or other dangers to the port.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ MI News Network (January 18, 2019). "What are "Places of Refuge" for Ships?". Marine Insight. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "Protection of Persons and Property at Sea and Maritime Law Enforcement", chapter 3 of A.R.Thomas and James C. Duncan (eds.), Annotated Supplement to The Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations p. 212-214 [1]
  3. ^ Murray, Christopher F. (2002). "Any Port in a Storm? The Right of Entry for Reasons of Force Majeure or Distress in the Wake of the Erika and the Castor" (PDF). Ohio State Law Journal. 63 (5): 1465–1506.
  4. ^ Noyes, John E. (January 2008). "Places of Refuge for Ships". Denver Journal of International Law & Policy. 37 (1): 135–145.
  5. ^ International Maritime Organization, "'Places of refuge' — addressing the problem of providing places of refuge to vessels in distress" [2]