Opinion ID: 391190
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: captain kellog's letter

Text: 62 Finally, the trial court found that Keystone should have known of the damaged condition of the QUEENY's turbine because Captain Kellog was reluctant to perform a crash astern test that was not required. The captain did write a letter to Keystone indicating he felt such a test might damage the intricate and delicate propulsion system on the QUEENY. But, he had not been ordered to perform the test. Rather, in 1972, Keystone had sent out Master's Circular No. 5565 which stated, in significant part, as follows: 63 In general, crash stop data was recorded during Builder's trials before delivery of a new vessel or before redelivery after a major conversion. You will appreciate that an emergency crash stop is a severe exercise on both machinery and hull. It is not desirable to undergo such a strain unnecessarily. Therefore, where this information developed by the Builder is available from your records, the emergency crash stop need not be repeated. In this case, make the data readily available for reference. 64 (emphasis added.) Captain Kellog was on board the QUEENY during its sea trials, so he was well aware that this information was available in the ships records. 65 In any event, the Kellog incident took place in March 1972, about a year and a half after the valve sticking incident in 1970, and there simply is not enough evidence in the record to lead us to the conclusion that Kellog's letter was related to the valve problem, or that it should have led Keystone to the discovery of the problem with the QUEENY's valve. 66 In conclusion, isolated events, such as those discussed above, over such an extended period of time, do not place a shipowner on notice with respect to his vessel's alleged seaworthiness. In this regard, the courts must consider how many vessel activities are logged and monitored each day with respect to a vessel, let alone a fleet of vessels. The numbers are enormous. We find, therefore, that the separate and distinct events relied on by the trial court are, as a matter of law, not significant enough to support a ruling that Keystone had knowledge or privity of either the acts of negligence on board the QUEENY, or her purported unseaworthiness.