Legal Definitions - keelage

Keelage is a historical legal term that refers to two related concepts concerning maritime activities:

• The right or authority held by a port, town, or individual to demand a payment from ships that enter or anchor within a specific harbor, port, or waterway.
• The actual toll or fee paid by a ship for the privilege of using or mooring in that particular harbor or waterway.

Essentially, it was a charge levied on vessels for the use of port facilities or simply for being present in a designated area of water.

Examples:

• Imagine a powerful feudal lord in medieval England who controlled a strategic river mouth leading to a prosperous trading town. This lord possessed the right of keelage, meaning he could legally demand a fee from every merchant ship that sailed into his waters to trade. The payment made by a Dutch merchant vessel upon anchoring in the lord's harbor would be the keelage, contributing to the lord's treasury.

• In the 17th century, a bustling port city might have had a municipal charter granting its port authority the right of keelage. This allowed them to collect fees from all foreign vessels that docked to unload cargo. For instance, a Spanish galleon arriving with goods from the New World would be required to pay a specific sum, which was the keelage, to the port officials before its crew could disembark or begin trade, with these funds often used for harbor maintenance and lighthouse upkeep.

• Consider a wealthy private landowner in the 18th century who invested heavily in dredging a shallow inlet on their property to create a deep-water anchorage suitable for larger ships. If this landowner had been granted the right of keelage by the crown for this improved facility, they could charge other shipowners a fee for using their private harbor. A whaling ship seeking safe refuge during a storm might pay this landowner a specific amount, which would be the keelage, for the privilege of anchoring in the protected waters.