Opinion ID: 65391
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Was the customer in physical possession of the vessel?

Text: Under the Time Charter, Tidewater delivered the vessel to the customer at a specified port within a certain time period. [5] At the end of the charter period, the vessel was redelivered to Tidewater free of cargo and with clean tanks at a specified port. [6] While Tidewater provided a crew that manned the vessel at all times, [7] the vessel and crew were under the general direction and control of the customer. The government argues that the Tidewater crew operated the vessel and therefore it remained in Tidewater's possession. While the crew had physical possession of the vessel, the customer had significant control over the vessel and the crew, particularly as to when and where the vessel traveled. This control was sufficient to give the customer constructive possession of the vessel. Although Tidewater's crew was in physical possession of the vessel, this fact is relatively unimportant in light of the customer's constructive control of the vessel.