Nautical Challenge Ltd v Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd (The “Alexandra 1” and The “Ever Smart ”) – Supreme Court (Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lord Briggs, Lady Arden, Lord Hamblen and Lord Burrows JJSC sitting with Nautical Assessors) [2021] UKSC 6 – 19 February 2021

Admiralty – Collision action – Crossing rules – Whether applicable to vessel navigating towards narrow channel – Whether give-way vessel had to be on a sufficiently constant course for crossing rules to apply

On 11 February 2015 a collision occurred between the claimant’s VLCC Alexandra 1 and the defendant’s 75,246 grt container vessel Ever Smart just outside the dredged channel by which vessels entered and exited the port of Jebel Ali in the UAE. The collision was at night but there were clear skies and good visibility of 10 to 12 miles.