Jet Ski not a ship!!!

Well, you would all like to know that, all our tax paying money that goes towards the upkeep of the jurrasic idiots at the House of Lords; they have come up with this:

The Law Lords have backed a High Court ruling that a Jet Ski is not a ship!. This ruling was supported when a conviction was quashed of a jet-ski rider that caused an accident because he had been prosecuted under the Merchant Shipping Act.

Now how could anyone mistake a jet-ski for a ship????

 

"INCOMMING ENEMY SHIP!!!"

 

No rum ration for the jet Ski riders then

 

Does that mean the booties will be raiding all jet skis now looking for drugs?

 

Titter ye not.

Semantics be damned. If a bicycle counts as a vehicle for the purpose of prosecuting the irresponsible ( if only) a jet ski can count as a ship ('vessel' was the term used by the MCA IIRC). In the absence of any specific law the High Court and Law Lords have let a negligent jet ski rider get away with stoving a bloke’s head in. The injured party would have received more justice if he’d been a fox. To be expected.

Manchester Rogue. In certain circumstances a jet ski could certainly be referred to as an (incoming) unidentified, suspect or enemy vessel. It wasn’t a jet ski that hit the USS Cole but don’t think they are not viable asymmetric (groan) weapons platforms (groan) for suicide jockeys. Bigger picture old chap. Pardon the staff speak.

 

Seadog- agreed- small fast moving attack craft (FIACs) are perhaps the biggest threat to conventional blue water Navies, particularly post USS Cole. There are few cheaper and more effective ways to control coastal areas of water than with small fast attack craft. Anecdotally, I believe that the Libians use armed jetskis as part of their SF set up.

On a most boring note, if you were to read International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea (as I am obliged to for my job...), you would see that the term vessel includes 'every description of water craft, including non-displacement craft (hovercraft to you and I) and Wing in Ground craft, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water.' Thus the initial question of semantics is not as silly as it might seem. Right, back to work...

PP