# Is it against the law for the captain of any vessel to leave before everyone else?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 18, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846 "2012-01-18T00:19:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/1 "2012-01-18T00:19:55Z")
See subject. Obviously, question prompted by current Italian cruise disaster.
Also, does this apply to other carriers, eg aircraft, or makes distinctions between civilian and non-civilian missions?
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/2 "2012-01-18T01:50:12Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> See subject. Obviously, question prompted by current Italian cruise disaster.
>
> Also, does this apply to other carriers, eg aircraft, or makes distinctions between civilian and non-civilian missions?
The captain, upon involving the coast guard and issuing abandon ship orders, must take orders from the coast guard, which pretty much means he stays with the ship until ordered to do otherwise.
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### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/3 "2012-01-18T02:19:37Z")
In which country?
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### Author:  [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/4 "2012-01-18T03:13:04Z")
> [@Princhester](#):
>
> In which country?
Never thought of it.
To answer a question with a question: in national waters (three miles out?) or on high seas (whatever that means 🙂 ).
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/5 "2012-01-18T03:22:17Z")
Anyone remember the Jules Feiffer cartoon, [Munro,](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNgiWU9LY7A) who was drafted at a very young age?
“I’m only four!”
“I’M ONLY FOUR!”
“It is the official policy of army not to draft draft men of four, ergo, you cannot be four, you only think you’re four. Go on sick call.”
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### Author:  [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/6 "2012-01-18T03:31:02Z")
> [@Princhester](#):
>
> In which country?
In Italy it is, and the captain of that cruise ship is facing twelve years
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### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/7 "2012-01-18T03:37:25Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> Anyone remember the Jules Feiffer cartoon, [Munro,](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNgiWU9LY7A) who was drafted at a very young age?
>
> “I’m only four!”
>
> “I’M ONLY FOUR!”
No, I don’t remember it because when it came out, I WAS ONLY ONE!
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/8 "2012-01-18T03:46:49Z")
Sorry, my post #5 was put in the wrong thread. It’s still funny, tho.
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### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/9 "2012-01-18T03:53:22Z")
> [@guizot](#):
>
> In Italy it is, and the captain of that cruise ship is facing twelve years
Moreover, if your ship is scraping on the rocks of an island that belongs to Italy, then you are clearly within Italian jurisdiction.
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### Author:  [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-for-the-captain-of-any-vessel-to-leave-before-everyone-else/609846/10 "2012-01-18T03:55:31Z")
Captain McVay of the **USS Indianapolis** left the ship before everyone was off, but was acquitted of those particular charges.[**LINK**](http://www.ussindianapolis.org/mcvay.htm)