Maritime Contract

One which relates to the business of navigation upon the sea, or to business appertaining to commerce or navigation to be transacted or done upon the sea, or in seaports, and over which courts of admiralty have jurisdiction concurrent with the courts of common law. Such contracts, according to the civilians, for services in building, repairing, supplying, and navigating ships, contracts respecting averages, jettisons, etc. In an early opinion by Story, J., these views were generally adopted (2 Gall. [U. S.] 398), but it has been since held that the contract for building a vessel is not a maritime contract. (20 How. [U. S.] 393: 22 How. [U. S.] 129).