Law Weblog

Statutory interpretation: a “wet bike” is not a “ship”.

Wednesday 7 December 2005 at 10:31 pm | In News | Post Comment

To suggest a jet ski – a “wet bike” called a Waverunner – was a ship was worthy of comic fiction, so held the Court of Appeal today (R v Goodwin [2005] CA).

On 5 July a jet ski had been held to be a “ship”.

The Court of Appeal considered the question and determined that it was neither used in navigation nor was it sea-going. On none of the points did it find the jet ski was a “ship”. Nor they said could it be described as a vessel. Even though they said that the suggestion that the Waverunner was a sea-going ship is worthy of A.P.Herbert, the matter is to be allowed to go to the Lords.