Arresting superyachts—as distinct from seizure—has been in the news lately. Indeed, ships can be arrested. While most of us think only people can be arrested, under maritime law, ships can also be arrested for over 20 different kinds of infractions (Article 1, Section 1, a-v).
http://www.admiraltylawguide.com/conven/arrest1999.html
Admiralty and Maritime Law
According to the Admiralty and Maritime Law Guide’s International Conventions on the Arrest of Ships, (Article 1, Section 2), “‘Arrest’ means any detention or restriction on removal of a ship by order of a Court to secure a maritime claim, but does not include the seizure of a ship in execution or satisfaction of a judgment or other enforceable instrument.”
http://www.admiraltylawguide.com/conven/arrest1999.html
Dilbar Arrested
The above photo is from Hamburg, Germany. It’s where the Dilbar, one of the largest and most expensive superyachts in the world, is being refitted. It’s been arrested in drydock at the Lürssen shipyard and is being held there by the German government because of its connection to the network of Russian oligarchs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilbar_(yacht)
To follow the arrests of other Russian superyachts and to learn more about the ins and outs of the superyacht industry, follow eSysman on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/c/eSysmanSuperYachts/videos
Words Matter
The reason for this blog post is that words do matter. There is a difference between arresting and seizing a ship. There is a difference between tracing and tracking assets. There is a difference between burglary, theft and robbery. To avoid confusion, these terms should not be used interchangeably.
https://mypropertyidregistry.com/2020/06/21/traceability-versus-trackability
https://mypropertyidregistry.com/2020/01/15/burglary-theft-robbery