East Cross Sea Transport Inc. v. Elgin Brown & Hamer (Pty) Ltd. (The Lake Superior) - 1992 (1) S.A. 102 (Durban and Coast Local Divison) (Magid J.)

Whether vessels “associated ships” - Ships owned by different companies having similar names and same directors - Whether discovery should be ordered

The respondent had not been paid for repairs carried out to the vessel Lake Huron , and arrested the vessel Lake Superior which, it alleged, was an associated ship. Lake Huron was owned by East Cross Transport. Lake Superior was owned by East Cross Sea. The directors of East Cross Sea were also directors of East Cross Transport. East Cross Sea was a wholly owned subsidiary of Afram (U.S.A.). East Cross Transport was a wholly owned subsidiary of Afram Lines (International). The shares in the two Afram companies were not held by the same person.