Legal Definitions - jettison

Jettison

In maritime law, jettison refers to the deliberate and voluntary act of throwing cargo, equipment, or other property overboard from a ship. This drastic measure is taken by the ship's captain or crew when the vessel is in immediate and severe danger, such as facing a storm that threatens to capsize it, running aground, or being at risk of sinking. The primary purpose of jettisoning property is to lighten the ship, improve its stability, or reduce its draft, thereby increasing the chances of saving the vessel, its crew, and the remaining cargo. The key principle is that a portion of the property is intentionally sacrificed to preserve the greater whole.

Examples:

• A container ship caught in a hurricane: A large cargo vessel carrying thousands of containers encounters an exceptionally violent hurricane. The ship begins to list severely, and the captain determines that without immediate action, the entire vessel and its crew are at risk of being lost. To prevent capsizing and stabilize the ship, the captain orders the crew to release and push several heavy, non-essential containers from the deck into the sea.
  This illustrates jettison because the containers were intentionally thrown overboard by the captain's order to lighten the ship and prevent a catastrophic loss in the face of immediate danger.
• A fishing trawler stranded on a reef: A commercial fishing trawler accidentally runs aground on a shallow, rocky reef during rough seas. The hull is breached, and the vessel is rapidly taking on water, threatening to break apart. To refloat the boat and prevent its complete destruction, the crew quickly offloads heavy fishing nets, a portion of their catch, and other bulky equipment into the ocean.
  Here, the fishing gear and catch were jettisoned deliberately to lighten the vessel, allowing it to potentially refloat and escape the immediate danger of sinking or breaking apart on the reef.
• A ferry experiencing an onboard fire: A passenger and vehicle ferry suffers a major engine room fire that, while eventually extinguished, leaves the vessel heavily laden with firefighting water and damaged machinery at the stern. This causes the ferry to sit dangerously low in the water and become unstable, especially in choppy seas. To restore stability and ensure the safety of passengers and the remaining vessel, the captain orders the crew to jettison several non-essential vehicles and heavy maintenance equipment from the vehicle deck.
  This is an example of jettison because the vehicles and equipment were intentionally discarded to reduce the ship's weight and improve its stability, thereby mitigating the immediate danger of further instability and potential sinking after the fire.