Maritime Law Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Maritime Law facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A 'constructive total loss' (CTL) in marine insurance arises when: → The cost of repair or recovery exceeds the insured value of the vessel
2. The 'New Jason Clause' modernized the original Jason clause primarily by: → Covering general average even for unseaworthiness unknown to the owner
3. Under COGSA, the carrier's liability for loss or damage is limited to: → $500 per package or customary freight unit
4. The seabed, ocean floor, and subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of sovereign jurisdiction are known by what common English term? → The “Area”
5. The 'NYPE' form referenced in charter party practice stands for: → New York Produce Exchange
6. Article 14 of the 1989 Salvage Convention introduced 'special compensation' to incentivize salvors to: → Prevent or minimize environmental damage even when property value is minimal
7. Under the 'discovery rule' applied to maritime latent disease claims (like asbestosis), the statute of limitations begins to run when: → The plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known of both the injury and its cause
8. Which organization provides the internationally recognized arbitration forum for resolving LOF salvage disputes? → Lloyd's of London (through the Lloyd's Salvage Arbitration Branch)
9. What is 'demurrage' in the context of a charter party? → Liquidated damages paid by the charterer for detaining the vessel beyond laytime
10. Admiralty courts apply the doctrine of 'laches' rather than statutes of limitations primarily because maritime claims are rooted in which legal tradition? → Equity
11. Which type of marine insurance policy covers cargo owners for loss or damage to goods during transit? → Cargo (marine cargo insurance)
12. Which legal standard determines whether a waterway qualifies as 'navigable' for admiralty jurisdiction purposes in the United States? → The Daniel Ball test — capable of interstate commerce in its ordinary condition
13. True or False: For a very long time, shipping has been acknowledged as one of the major drivers of socioeconomic progress. → True
14. Which of the following is not represented in this image as a marine territory? → Internal waters
15. Which U.S. statute provides the Coast Guard with authority to direct and compel salvage operations in U.S. waters to protect the environment? → Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90, 33 U.S.C. § 1321)
16. What federal law is the primary U.S. statute governing oil pollution liability and compensation from vessels? → Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90)
17. Which doctrine allows a federal admiralty court to hear state-law claims that arise from the same nucleus of operative fact as a maritime claim? → Pendent admiralty jurisdiction
18. A ship owner files a Petition for Exoneration or Limitation of Liability. Under which federal statute is this procedure governed? → 46 U.S.C. §§ 30501–30512 (Limitation of Liability Act)
19. The 'warehouse-to-warehouse' clause in cargo policies provides coverage from: → The point of origin warehouse to the final destination warehouse
20. The factors a court considers when assessing a salvage award include all of the following EXCEPT: → The nationality of the salvage vessel
21. Which of the following claims regarding marine surveyors is TRUE? → Marine surveyors can inspect all types of ships.
22. Lloyd's Open Form (LOF) is used in salvage primarily because it allows: → Salvage to commence immediately without negotiating detailed contract terms
23. Under current U.S. admiralty law following Atlantic Sounding Co. v. Townsend (2009), punitive damages are available to seamen for: → Willful and wanton failure to pay maintenance and cure
24. The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) primarily establishes: → The organizational framework for federal response to oil and hazardous substance releases
25. In marine insurance, 'general average' requires all parties sharing in a maritime venture to contribute to: → Losses deliberately incurred to save the venture from a common peril
26. What is the primary purpose of Supplemental Admiralty Rule C in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure? → To authorize arrest of a vessel or cargo to enforce a maritime lien
27. Under the 'locality test,' a maritime tort must occur on navigable waters OR satisfy which additional prong under the modern test? → Connection to maritime activity
28. Which federal statute grants U.S. district courts original jurisdiction over admiralty and maritime cases? → 28 U.S.C. § 1333
29. Which of the following does not pertain to a private naval warrant? → maritime traffic control
30. Under the 'off-hire' clause in a time charter, hire ceases when: → The vessel is not in full working order due to an event within the owner's sphere