Risk and Reward
Many sailors have found themselves needing on-the-water assistance from another sailor, whether it’s something as simple as borrowing a jug of fuel or as serious as a rescue from a foundering vessel or a grounding. But will (or should) that person volunteer to help you, if doing so puts him or her in legal peril? And what if you are the person offering to help out? Is a vessel’s master obligated by law to provide assistance to any person in danger at sea, or any boat in danger of being lost?
This is what is known as the “Law of the Sea,” and it sets a model of moral behavior by mariners. However, while this centuries-old maritime tradition remains
