Answer
What is General Average?
Under York-Antwerp Rule A, General Average arises when an extraordinary sacrifice or expenditure is intentionally and reasonably made for the common safety, to preserve the property involved in a common maritime adventure from peril.
Is Main Engine / Bearing Damage Covered Under G.A.?
Yes, the bearing damage (or main engine / auxiliary machinery damage) WILL BE COVERED under General Average, As per
York-Antwerp Rule VII — Damage to Machinery and Boilers
Rule VII says that damage to machinery or boilers of a ship which is ashore and in peril, while attempting to refloat her, may be allowed in GA when it is shown that the machinery was deliberately worked for the common safety, accepting the risk of such damage.
In our case , all these conditions are satisfied:
- Vessel is Ashore (Grounded): The damage occurred specifically while the ship was aground, not while afloat.
- Presence of Peril: The grounded ship and cargo were in real, actual peril (e.g., risk of structural breakup, worsening weather, capsizing, or shifting).
- Intentional Overloading/Risk: The Master intentionally ran or overdriven the engines/machinery beyond normal limits, accepting the risk of damage, specifically to refloat the ship for common safety.
- Direct Result of Refloating Effort: The bearing damage was a direct result of the effort to force the vessel off the ground (e.g., thermal overload, loss of oil film under extreme reverse torque, or sand ingress into sea chests during refloating)