What is an ordinary vessel? The term comes up in an interesting court decision involving a cook and a training ship. The decision deals with the amount of time needed to make someone a seaman in the eyes of the law. This is an important issue in Jones Act cases. As many readers know, the Jones Act provides legal rights for injured seamen. Someone must demonstrate close ties with a vessel to be entitled to these rights. On oceangoing cargo ships or inland towboats where crewmembers are aboard for long stretches of time, this issue is usually a no-brainer. The general guideline in the industry is that someone who spends about 30% of their time in the service of a vessel is a seaman for the purposes of the Jones Act.
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