What Is Unseaworthiness?

A vessel is unseaworthy if its equipment or appurtenances are not “reasonably fit for their intended use.”

Things that can render a vessel unseaworthy include defective tools, ropes, cargo handling and hoisting equipment, conditions that cause illness (including unsanitary conditions and food), undrinkable water, improper safety equipment, negligent or inadequate management and instructions, poor policies and procedures, slippery surfaces, insufficient means of boarding the vessel, and incompetent or insufficient crew.