Watercraft Under Construction is Not a Vessel in Navigation

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that a watercraft under construction is not a vessel in navigation for purposes of the Jones Act. In the instant case, plaintiff allegedly incurred injuries while working on an oil drilling rig that was afloat, but not yet ready for operation and for which the required US Coast Guard certificates had not yet been issued. He brought suit under the Jones Act. The court held that the Jones Act was not applicable in that the rig was not yet a vessel in navigation. Cain v. Transocean Offshore USA Source: HK Law