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What are the dangers associated with navigating rough seas?

On Behalf of | Feb 9, 2020 | Maritime Accidents

It doesn’t matter whether you are skippering a small boat or serving as a captain to a large ship. The one thing that the individual charged with navigating a water vessel most dreads is operating it in rough seas. Doing this puts crew and passengers at a significant risk of getting hurt.

If someone is going to find themselves on a boat in a body of water during rough seas, then most anyone would agree that the skipper or captain at the helm of the water vessel should be an experienced navigator.

There’s a significant risk of swamping or capsizing when seas are rough. The most veteran captain will have reviewed forecasts and have known about the impending reduction of calm waters. That skipper will have prepared their boat for this. This along with their deliberate use of the throttle and helm will be key to helping them safely navigate the rough seas that they encounter.

A skipper’s or captain’s degree of preparedness and navigational experience is only one part of the equation though. It matters what type of boat that they’re at the helm of as well. Some low-profile recreational boats are only intended to be operated in calm waters. More robust boats are built to withstand choppier waters though.

There’s the potential for the seas to be so rough that they call into question the quality of craftsmanship of what appear to be even the sturdiest of water vessels. Boats that are poorly maintained are unlikely to fare well in particularly choppy waters. Ones with deteriorating electrical systems, mechanical problems and structural problems may not hold up either.

Two primary problems can be associated with operating a water vessel in rough seas. It puts your boat at risk of being seriously damaged or altogether totaled. Perhaps more importantly, though, it puts crewmembers and passengers at risk of getting seriously hurt or killed.

An attorney can help you recover compensation if you’ve been injured or lost a loved one at sea. Your Mahattan lawyer can most effectively do this if you can prove that your captain knowingly operated their boat in rough seas despite knowing of the perils associated with doing so.