#maritime law

• Boarding — An attack executed at sea by forcing a vessel alongside an enemy ship and securing it to allow the crew to board and capture it through hand-to-hand combat; a mechanical collision, whether intentional or accidental, between two moving vessels on a navigable waterway; (figurative, modern sense) a sudden, direct, or bold approach toward a person in order to secure a favor, information, or an immediate interaction.
• Watercraft — The official generic name for any small or medium-sized floating vehicle (boat, launch, yacht, catamaran, kayak) propelled by oars, sails, or an engine, used for short-distance transport, recreation, fishing, or sports. Structurally, it features a watertight hull designed to offer buoyancy.
• Admiralty — The supreme administrative and operational governing body of the navy in a state; a ministry of marine or a high naval command responsible for maritime defense strategy. Historically, the term refers specifically to the Board of Admiralty of the United Kingdom, a structural organ holding full authority over the Royal Navy.
• Shipowner — A natural or legal person who exploits a commercial vessel in their own name, ensuring its equipping, provisioning, and outfitting for navigation, regardless of whether they are the legal owner of the ship or merely its charterer. The shipowner bears the legal and economic responsibility for maritime transport operations and the safety of the sailing crew.