A place of refuge for ships is a safe

harbor A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

or other secure place where a ship in distress can safely be taken to "prevent further damage or deterioration of the ship". It is often claimed that under

international maritime law Admiralty law or maritime law is a body of law that governs nautical issues and private maritime disputes. Admiralty law consists of both domestic law on maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between priva ...

, "no port may be closed to a foreign ship seeking shelter from storm or bad weather or otherwise compelled to enter it in distress, unless another equally safe port is open". However, there are many limitations to this principle, especially when the ship may pose environmental or other dangers to the port.

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...

, "'Places of refuge' — addressing the problem of providing places of refuge to vessels in distress

/ref>

Bibliography

* Anthony Morrison, ''Places of Refuge for Ships in Distress: Problems and Methods of Resolution'', 07 June 2012 in ''Legal Aspects of Sustainable Development'' 12

Notes

Law of the sea {{Navy-stub