Legal Definitions - salvage service

A salvage service refers to the assistance or rescue provided to a vessel that is in peril or facing a significant threat. This aid is given because the vessel is experiencing, or is about to experience, a dangerous situation, such as grounding, sinking, fire, or severe mechanical failure. The key distinction of a salvage service is that it responds to an emergency or imminent danger, rather than simply helping a vessel move more quickly or for routine transport. This assistance can be offered voluntarily or under a formal agreement.

• Example 1: A pleasure yacht, caught in an unexpected squall, is pushed onto a sandbar near a rocky shore, damaging its rudder and hull. A nearby commercial fishing vessel spots the distress and carefully maneuvers to pull the yacht off the sandbar before it sustains further damage from the waves and rocks.

  Explanation: This is a salvage service because the yacht was in immediate danger (grounding, potential further damage, proximity to rocks) due to an unforeseen event (squall). The fishing vessel's actions were a rescue effort to mitigate this danger, not merely to tow the yacht from one safe location to another.

• Example 2: A large container ship suffers a catastrophic engine breakdown in a busy shipping lane, leaving it adrift and unable to maneuver. With strong currents pushing it towards a congested port entrance, a specialized salvage tug is dispatched to secure the vessel and tow it to a safe anchorage for repairs.

  Explanation: This illustrates a salvage service because the container ship was in a perilous situation – adrift and uncontrollable in a high-traffic area, posing a collision risk and potential environmental hazard. The tug's intervention was critical to prevent a dangerous incident, going beyond a routine towing operation.

• Example 3: A small research vessel experiences an electrical fire in its engine room while operating far offshore. The crew manages to contain the fire but the vessel loses power and begins to take on water slowly. Another research vessel, responding to a distress call, arrives to help pump out water, stabilize the vessel, and eventually tow it to the nearest port for emergency repairs.

  Explanation: This constitutes a salvage service because the research vessel was in grave danger from fire and progressive flooding, threatening its integrity and the safety of its crew. The assistance provided by the second vessel was a direct response to these life-threatening and vessel-threatening emergencies, aimed at preventing its loss.