A Submarine Battery Revolution And Why It Matters To You

On 12 January 2026, in its first judgment of the year, the Admiralty Court has dealt with a general average claim following a casualty and found that the vessel was unseaworthy at the relevant time and that owners had failed to establish that they had exercised due diligence.

The background facts

The HAPPY ARAS is a Belize registered, 94m, 2,659 gross tonne bulk carrier. On 20 March 2023, while laden with soya beans on a voyage from Reni, Ukraine, to Mersin, Turkey, she grounded at 20:58 local time on the north shore of the Datça peninsula in southern Turkey. The vessel sustained substantial damage, and a complex salvage, lightering and transhipment followed, concluding on 13 June 2023.

Following the casualty, the vessel owners declared General Average (GA) and sought the cargo contribution, assessed at approximately US$1.27 million. Cargo interests denied GA liability on the basis that the owners had breached their due diligence obligations to render the vessel seaworthy under Article III Rule 1 of the Hague Rules.

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