# Any port in a storm, specified exceptions?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-port-in-a-storm-specified-exceptions/620236>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 28, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-port-in-a-storm-specified-exceptions/620236 "2012-04-28T15:14:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-port-in-a-storm-specified-exceptions/620236/1 "2012-04-28T15:14:24Z")

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That an old maritime and now I suppose flight saying that when in trouble you accept help from anywhere no matter who or what they are. But are there any limits to that. Certainly people have refused help from one source;[Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_Arab_Airlines_Flight_114)for instance and considering what happened to them, they seem to have been justified. But are there situations where a stricken or in danger naval or air vessel must refuse help from a party (as opposed to the above case where it was a decision made on the spot). Would a sinking US Naval vessel be permitted to try to get to port if the nearest port was N Korean one?

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**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-port-in-a-storm-specified-exceptions/620236/2 "2012-04-28T15:18:25Z")

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> [@AK84](#):
>
> Would a sinking US Naval vessel be permitted to try to get to port if the nearest port was N Korean one?

sure they’d escort them to port, then interrogate the crew, parade them for propaganda, send the crew home and keep the ship as a trophy. I am sure that in that case the Captain would have orders to abandon ship and scuttle it and take to lifeboats rather than dock at a North Korean port.

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**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-port-in-a-storm-specified-exceptions/620236/3 "2012-04-28T15:29:49Z")

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I think the Hainan Island incident pretty much proved that any craft with an emergency better find a port flying a friendly flag before making an emergency landing (docking) at an unfriendly one.

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-port-in-a-storm-specified-exceptions/620236/4 "2012-04-28T15:35:03Z")

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Again, thats a judgement call. I am asking where accepting help might be forbidden.

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**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-port-in-a-storm-specified-exceptions/620236/5 "2012-04-28T15:44:27Z")

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> [@AK84](#):
>
> Again, thats a judgement call. I am asking where accepting help might be forbidden.

The US Navy is not going to make its orders on this subect public knowledge, but I can bet they have a policy on it.