The law of the sea.

The Pasha Bulker is no longer a tourist attraction on Nobby's beach, Newcastle. It took the efforts of three tugs, a salvage crew and a lot of good luck to drag it off the sand and into deep water - at a cost of many million dollars.
Many wonder how this beaching happened. The weather authorities were aware of the approaching storm and all shipping was warned to head out to sea to prevent such an event. Several ships ignored that warning and only narrowly escaped the fate of the Pasha Bulker.
What people fail to realise is the incredible power invested in a ship's captain. This has remained undiluted down the centuries from the early days when captains of sailing ships sailed unchartered seas in search of new lands to claim in the name of their sovereign. This was high risk with the chance of scurvy, shipwreck with no hope of returning home - and pirates. Often these forays lasted months and even years - and as a result the captains in command assumed the authority of a king or emperor. It was their sole discretion to impose justice on the high seas and in that role they had the power to conduct a marriage ceremony - and sentence a pirate to be hanged on the yardarm if captured.
This legendary power remains today, and as a consequence the warning to put to sea to avoid a storm is just that - a warning. Not a command. The decision as to what action will be taken remains solely with the ship's captain - but with it also goes the consequences of error.
In the case of the Pasha Bulker the retribution of the ship's owners will probably bring about the end of his command. Whatever the circumstances - and nomatter who else is involved - the buck stops with the captain.
That was illustrated recently when a British warship was holed on a well charted reef near Lord Howe island. The captain was ashore at the time - but the event led to his court martial and loss of further command.
It is said that being a ship's captain is a lonely command - and he sails upon a cruel sea. Many will review the Pasha Bulker saga with that well known observation - " There but for the grace of God - goes I ".