Legal Definitions - seminaufragium

Seminaufragium is a historical term that refers to a situation where a ship is partially wrecked. This can happen when a ship is damaged in a storm or when the cost of repairing a damaged ship is more than the value of the ship itself. In such cases, goods may be thrown overboard to lighten the load and prevent the ship from sinking completely.

• During a storm, the crew of a ship may have to throw some of their cargo overboard to prevent seminaufragium.
• If a ship is badly damaged and the cost of repairs is too high, the owners may decide to abandon it and declare seminaufragium.

These examples illustrate how seminaufragium can occur when a ship is in danger of sinking or when it is no longer economically viable to repair it.