[DO N OT PUBLISH] IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 2- 12 84 9 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :1 1- cv -0 00 02 -CG-B

W ILLIAM CLARK, Pl ai nt iff - Co un te r Defen da nt .

App el la nt . ve rs us AMERIC AN MARINE & SALVAGE, LL C, Defen da nt- Co un te r Cl ai m an t, App el le e.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e So ut he rnDis tri ctof Al ab am a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Oct ob er 2 3, 2 01 2) Befo re MAR CUS, PRYOR a ndFAY, Circ ui t J ud ge s. PER CURI AM:

Case: 12-12849 Date Filed: 10/23/2012 Page: 1 of 8Thi s ap pe al pre se nt s t he is su e whe th er an em pl oyee who pe rfo rm s a v ari ety of tas ks , in cl ud in g m ari ne rep ai rs , with m os t o f hi s wo rkon lan d, b utot he r work on wate r, qu al ifi es as asea m an un de r th e Jo ne s Act , 46 U.S.C. § 3 01 04 , and ge ne ral m ari ti m e la w. The d is tri ctco urt ru le d tha t Will ia m Cla rkwas n ota se am an an d e nt eredsu m

m ary jud gm en t i n fa vo r of Am eri canMari ne an d a ga in st Cl ark ’s com

pl ai ntof u ns eawo rth in es s an d m ai nt en an ce an d c ur e, un de r m ari ti m e la w, andne gl ig en ce, u nd er t he Jo ne s Act . Becau se th e rec or d e st ab li sh es th at Cl ark ’s workha d n o s ub st an ti al co nn ect io n t o ave ss el in na vi ga ti on , we affi rm . I. BACK GROUND Am eri can Mari ne pro vi de s co m m erci al di vi ng , weld in g, an d re pa ir s erv ic es to sh ip own ers inMo bi le , Alab am a. InJan ua ry 20 10 , Aub rey Ro ne y , th e o wne r of Am eri canMari ne , hi redClarkto op erat e th e co m pa ny offi ce, res po ndto bu si ne ss cal ls , pre pa re i nv oi ces , andpe rfo rm m os t o f th e d iv in g, wel di ng , andve ss el rep ai r work fo r th e co m

pany. Cl arkals o c utth e g ras s o ut si de th e o ffi ce o ccas io na ll y , an d h e p erfo rm edrep ai rs on a work b arg e o wne d b y Am eri can Mari ne . Am eri can Mar in e o wne d t wo v es se ls , th e work b arg e an d adi ve bo at , bu t Cl arkdi d n ot res id e o r work p rimaril y

on eit he r ve ss el . Cl arkke pta di ary be twee n J an ua ry 1, 2 01 0, an d M ay

15 , 20 10 , in whi ch he reco rd edhi s d ai ly task s, h ou rs , andm il eag e. The e nt rie s i n C lark ’s di ary es tabl is h 2 Case: 12-12849 Date Filed: 10/23/2012 Page: 2 of 8th athe work ed76 8.5 ho ur s fo r Am eri can Mari ne , andth athe sp en t 1 59 ho ur s

rep ai rin g the workba rg e. The e nt rie s i n C la rk ’s di ary al so est ab li sh th athe sp en t 35 .5 h ou rs on a di ve bo atpe rfo rm in g c omm erci al di ve workan d 3 4.5 ho ur s o n t he work b arg e p erfo rm in g re pa irs on Nath an Fri ed land er’s d oc k. The en tri es in Cla rk ’s di ary, th e way he de sc rib edhi s t as ks on in vo ic es , and hi s d ep os it io n t es ti m on y

est ab li sh edth atCla rkpre pa redhi s re pa ir wo rkpri m ari ly fro m lan d o r fro m

a cu st om er’s v es se l. When Cla rkrece iv eda reque stforrep ai r se rv ic es , he trav el edby lan d fr om th e co m pa ny offi ce i n h is ve hi cl e o r a co m pa ny ve hi cl e to th e cu st om er’s b oa t o r do ck . Clark e nt eredth e wat er fro m th e d oc k o r th e cu st om er’s v es se l, co m pl et edth e rep ai rs , andreturne d t o h is ho m e o r th e bu si ne ss off

ic e. On M arch 11 , 20 10 , Cla rk reco rd edin hi s d iary

th athe in jure d h is “ rig ht el bo w” whe n R on ey

he lp edCla rkto cli m

b o n b oa rda bo ataft er re su rfac in g fr om a di ve to “ m ark [] sun k[ en ] . . . barg es of[ f] [th e] coas t o f Bi lo xi .” Cla rkreco rd ed th atth e “ di ve bo atha d n o l ad de r [fo r a d iv er t o u se ] to ge t o n a ndoff th e b oa t.” On M ay 10 , 20 11 , Clarkreco rd edth athe “ hu rt [ hi s] bac k t ry in g t o h ol d up [a ] 20 fo otI be am

for[Ro ne y ]” whil e worki ng at t he Theo do re Sh ip Ch an ne l. Aft er h e returne d h om e fro m

th e sa m e si te on May 11, 2 01 0, Cl arkreco rd edth athi s “ ba ck hu rt[ ] ba d, . . . bu t [h e] [hadto ] ke ep go in g,” an d t ha t Ro ne y was “ m ak in g [C la rk ] 3 Case: 12-12849 Date Filed: 10/23/2012 Page: 3 of 8dr iv e [Ro ne y ’s] tru ckfro m hi s h ou se to th e job si te .” Andaft er wo rk in g o n t he sa m e job on May 12, 2 01 0, Cl arkreco rd edth athe “ hu rt [ hi s] bac k p ul li ng . . . [a] he av y cat walkon to [a] do ckfram e.” On M ay 15 , 20 10 , Clark

res ig ne d fr om

hi s po si ti onwit h Am eri can Mari ne . Cl arkfil eda co m

pl ai ntforun se awo rth in es s an d m ai nt en an ce an d c ur e, un de r m ari ti m e la w, andforne gl ig en ce, u nd er t he Jo ne s Act , forth e in juri es he su ffer eddu rin g h is workforAm eri can Mari ne , whi chm ov edforsu m m ary jud gm en t ag ai ns t h is co m pl ai nt . Am eri can Mari ne arg ue d t ha t Cl arkdi d n ot qu al ify as a s eam an be cau se he ha d n otwork eda subs ta nt ia l am ou ntof t im e in th e se rv ic e o f a v es se l i n n av ig at io n. Am eri can Mari ne arg ue d t ha t t he 70 ho ur s C la rk worke d fr om

th e d iv e b oa t an d wo rkba rg e were i ns uf fic ie ntforhi m

to qu al ify as a se am an , andth atth e 1 59 ho ur s t ha t h e sp en t re pa iri ng th e work b arg e “ di d n ottak e hi m to seaor e xp os e h im

to th e p eri ls of t he sea. . . [an d] di d n otgi ve hi m , in na tu re, a s ub st an ti al co nn ect io n t o ave ss el inna vi ga ti on .” To s up po rt i ts arg um en t ab ou t t he workba rg e, Am eri can Mari ne subm it te d p ho to gr ap hs of the work s it e an d a n a ffi da vi t fr om Ro ne y st at in g t ha t Cl ark ’s rep ai rs onth e work ba rg e were “ m os tl y

pe rfo rm edwhi le th e b arg e was dru g up o n t he sh or e wit h t he bo tt om of the ba rg e res ti ng on lan d” an d n ev er p erfo rm edwhi le th e work b arg e was “ in na vi ga ti on ”; Cla rkem pl oyed t he “ sk il ls an d t rai ni ng of aweld er an d s te el

4 Case: 12-12849 Date Filed: 10/23/2012 Page: 4 of 8fab ric at or ” to rep ai r an d i m pr ov e th e work b arg e; Cla rk ’s equ ip m en t i nc lu de d “ a weld in g m ach in e an d ast eel cu tt in g t or ch ”; th e “ weld in g m ach in e an d a cet y le ne cu tt in g g as cy li nd ers were l oc at edon a ut il ity tra il er o wne d b y

Cla rkan d a lways si tu at edonlan d” ; an d the “ weld in g l ead s an d c ut ti ng to rch were atall ti m es te th eredto th e la ndba se d wel di ng m ach in e an d c ut ti ng ga se s l oc at edon Cla rk ’s ut il it y tra il er.” The di stric t co urt g ran te d s umm ary jud gm en t i n fa vo r of Am eri can Mari ne . The di st ric t co urt ru le d t ha t, al th ou gh th e work b arg e was a ve ss el in na vi ga ti on an d C la rk ’s rep ai rs co nt rib ut edto it s fu nc ti on al ity , Cla rk ’s “ 15 9 h ou rs of d oc ks id e rep ai r work . . . [di d n ot ] [b ear] a subs ta nt ia l co nn ect io n t o ave ss el in na vi ga ti on .” The di st ric t co urt co nc lu de d tha t Cl arkdi d n otqu al ify as a s eam anbe cau se he

“ sp en t o nl y

9.1 [pe rcen t] of h is ti m e p erfo rm in g J on es Act wo rk .” The d is tri ct co urt al so reject edCla rk ’s arg um en t t ha t h e qua li fie d a s a s eam an as am at te r of la w bec au se hi s wo rkas aco m m erci al di ve r was in he ren tl y m ari ti m e. II . STANDARD OF REVIEW W e rev ie w a su m

m ary jud gm en t d e n ov o. Ci ty of Ri vi era B each v. Th at Cert ai n Un na m edGray , Two St ory Vess el App ro xi m at el y

Fif ty-Seve n F eetIn Len gth, 6 49 F.3d12 59 , 12 65 (11 th Cir . 20 11 ). Becaus e th e is su e o f whe th er an em pl oyee qu al ifi es as a“ se am an. . . is a m ix edqu es ti on of l aw an d fa ct , . . . it 5 Case: 12-12849 Date Filed: 10/23/2012 Page: 5 of 8of

te n wi ll be in ap pr op ria te to tak e th e que st io n fr om th e jury.” Harbo r Tug an d Barg e Co . v. Pap ai , 52 0 U.S. 5 48 , 55 4, 1 17 S. Ct. 1 53 5, 1 54 0 (1 99 7) ; s ee Ard oi n v. J . Ray McDerm ot t & Co ., 64 1 F .2d27 7, 2 80 (5t h C ir. 1 98 1) . “ Nev ert he le ss , ‘summ ary jud gm en t o r a d ire ct edve rd ic t i s m an da te d wh ere t he fact s an d t he law wil l re as on ab ly sup po rt o nl y on e co nc lu si on .’ ” Pap ai , 52 0 U.S. at55 4, 1 17 S. Ct. at15 40 (qu ot in g M cDerm ot t In t’l, In c. v. Wila nd er, 4 98 U.S. 33 7, 3 56 , 11 1 S . Ct. 80 7, 8 18 (19 91 )); see Ro be rts v. Will ia m s- McWil li am s C o., 6 48 F.2d25 5, 2 61 (5 th Cir . 19 81 ). II I. DI SCUSSI ON A two -p arttes t g ov ern s wh ethe r a m ari ne em pl oyee is a se am an : t he em pl oyee’s du ti es m

us t “ co nt rib ut e to th e fu nc ti on of t he ve ss el ,” an d t he em pl oyee m us t “ ha ve a co nn ect io n t o ave ss el in na vi ga ti on . . . th atis subs ta nt ia l in term s o f bo th it s dur at io n a ndit s n atur e.” Ch an dr is , Inc . v. Lat si s, 5 15 U.S. 34 7, 3 68 , 11 5 S . Ct. 2 17 2, 2 19 0 (1 99 5) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d) . As a ge ne ral rul e, an em

pl oyee “ who sp en ds les s t ha n abo ut30 pe rcen t o f hi s t im e in th e se rv ic e o f a v es se l i n n av ig at io n s ho ul d n otqu al ify as a s eam an .” Id . at 3 71 , 11 5 S . Ct. at21 91 . “ [T]he in qu iry int o t he na tu re o f th e em pl oyee’s co nn ect io n t o th e v es se l m

us t co nc en tra te on whet he r th e em pl oyee’s du ti es tak e h im

to sea .” Pap ai , 52 0 U.S. at55 5, 1 17 S. Ct. at15 40 . A seam an ne edno t “ ai d i n n av ig at io n 6 Case: 12-12849 Date Filed: 10/23/2012 Page: 6 of 8orco nt rib ut e to th e tr an sp orta ti on of t he ve ss el , bu t a s eam an m us t b e d oi ng th e sh ip ’s work .” W il an de r, 49 8 U.S. at35 5, 1 11 S. Ct. at81 7. If the em pl oyee ha s

“ on ly a tran si to ry

or s po rad ic co nn ect io n t o ave ss el in na vi ga ti on , and. . . [h is ] em pl oym en t d oe s n otreg ul arl y ex po se [hi m ] to th e p eri ls of t he sea ,” th e em pl oyee is a “ la nd -b as edwork er . . . [who is no t] ent it le d t o . . . pro te ct io n” un de r th e Jo ne s Actor m ari ti m e la w. Chan dr is , 51 5 U.S. at36 8, 1 15 S. Ct. at21 90 . Cl arkwork edon ly spo rad ic al ly from a ve ss el in na vi ga ti on . Clark wo rk ed pr im ari ly from

lan d a ndtra ve le d b y

lan d t o m ari na s an d o th er s it es fro m whi ch so m et im es he en te redth e wat er t o p erfo rm m ari ne rep ai rs . Clark wo rk edon ly 70 of hi s 7 68 .5 h ou rs — o r le ss th an ten pe rcen t o f hi s wo rkho ur s —in th e se rv ic e o f a v es se l i n n av ig at io n o wne d b y Am eri canMari ne . Alth ou gh th e rec or d es tabl is he s t ha t t he 15 9 h ou rs du rin g wh ic h C la rkm ad e rep ai rs an d i m pr ov em en ts to th e work b arg e co nt rib ut edto it s fu nc ti on al it y , Cla rk pe rfo rm edm os t o f th e rep ai r work o n l an d o r, atlea st , whi le tet he redto a la ndba se , andth atworkwas no t o f a s eafa rin g n atur e. Cl arkm ak es two arg um en ts th athe pe rfo rm edsea m an ’s work , bu t b ot h arg um en ts fai l. Fi rs t, Cl arkarg ue s t ha t p erfo rm in g re pa irs to th e work b arg e ex po se d h im

to th e d an ge rs of t he sea . Clark e qu at es hi s wo rkto th atof acran e op erat orwho work edon bo arda de rri ckbarg e m oo redin th e Mi ss is si pp i Ri ve r to 7 Case: 12-12849 Date Filed: 10/23/2012 Page: 7 of 8lo adan d u nl oa d c arg o s hi ps , see In r e End eav orMari ne Inc ., 23 4 F .3d28 7,

28 9– 92 (5t h C ir. 2 00 0) , bu t t he un di sp ut edev id en ce es tabl is he s tha t Cl ark pe rfo rm edm os t o f hi s re pa irs of t he workbarg e whi le he was o n l an d. Se co nd , Cl arkarg ue s t ha t h is workas aco m m erci al di ve r ex po se d h im to m ari ne pe ril s, b ut

“ [s ]eam anst atus is no t co ex te ns iv e wit h s eam en ’s ris ks .” Ch an dr is , 51 5 U.S. at 36 1, 1 15 S. Ct. at21 86 . Clark l ik en s h is si tu at io n t o t ha t o f a co m m erci al di ve r in W al la ce v . Ocean eeri ng Int ern at io na l, 7 27 F.2d42 7 (5 th Cir . 19 84 ), bu t t ha t d iv er pe rfo rm ed“ [m ]ore t ha n 9 5 [p erce nt ] of [hi s] work. . . atsea ” whi le “ [h ]e, alo ng wit h t he va rio us othe r cre w m em be rs , [work ed ,] ate an d s le ptab oa rd ” a se m i-s ub m ers ib le dri ll in g v es se l an ch or edinth e Gul f of Mex ic o, i d. at43 0, 4 36 . Cl ark , in co nt ras t, h adon ly a tran si to ry an d s po rad ic co nn ect io n t o ave ss el own ed by Am eri can Mari ne when he pe rfo rm edth e work o f a co m m erci al di ve r. See i d. at43 3– 34 & n .4. The di stric t co urt co rrec tl y co nc lu de d t ha t Cl arkdi d n otqu al ify as a se am an . Clark fa il edto in tro du ce an y ev id en ce tha t h is workwas s ub st an ti al ly co nn ect edto a ve ss el in na vi ga ti on . Am eri can Mari ne was e nt it le d t o asu m m ary jud gm en t ag ai ns t Cl ark ’s com pl ai nt . IV. CONCLUSI ON W e AFFIRM th e su m

m ary jud gm en t i n fa vo r of Am eri can Mari ne . 8 Case: 12-12849 Date Filed: 10/23/2012 Page: 8 of 8