1. INTRODUCTION1

This chapter deals with liabilities arising from the vessel’s operation. These are usually called “wet” topics, to contrast with what are called the “dry” aspects of maritime law which usually refer to cargo and charterparty claims. In this book contracts for the carriage of passengers and cargo as well as charterparty claims are dealt with in separate chapters.2 Marine pollution which includes an expanding body of rules and international conventions is also described separately.3