Opinion ID: 200478
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Maintenance Cross-Appeal

Text: 39 Finally, SPC appeals the decision that the Officers were not liable for negligent maintenance of the vessel. There was conflicting testimony about the extent or existence of damage to the vessel, and the court found only that SPC may incur additional cost as a result of negligent maintenance of the wood railings, doors, and deck. There is nothing to suggest that the district court's findings as to upkeep were clearly erroneous. 40 It is unclear whether SPC attempts to make a breach of employment contract claim, a fiduciary duty claim, or a negligence claim, but it is irrelevant because each claim is meritless. Nothing in the Officers' employment contracts mentions upkeep of the vessel, no testimony suggested that the Officers were required to maintain the vessel, and the record is absent of any discussion by the parties regarding any such duty. The breach of employment contract therefore fails. 41 Both a breach of fiduciary duty and negligence claim are predicated upon a duty owed by the Officers to the ship owner. Here, however, SPC claims only to be the operator of the SCOTIA PRINCE. It introduced no evidence to show that it owned the vessel and, in fact, the record shows the owner to be Transworld Steamship Company (Panama), Inc. Even if SPC were somehow analogous to an owner, SPC's claim for negligent maintenance would fail. While a seaman has a duty to perform the duties of his position with diligence, faithfulness, and reasonable skill, see generally 2 Norton, The Law of Seaman § 25.16 (4th ed.1985), SPC has not shown that any of the Officers were responsible for maintaining the woodwork on the vessel. There is no authority in the lengthy history of admiralty cases to support the position that, on these facts, the Officers can be held liable (under a fiduciary or negligence theory) to the owner of the vessel for non-intentional negligent maintenance, and we refuse to establish such jurisprudence here.