Ask a Maritime Attorney - Page 32 of 66

David Weil has been the proud author of the “Ask a Maritime Attorney” column in The Southern California Log Newspaper and Sea Magazine since 2006, with over 300 installments of the column. We have provided links in this section to those articles, covering a wide range of topics of interest to the California maritime and boating communities.

Are Boating Anglers Liable for Injuries Caused by a Trolled Fishing Line?

September 11, 2013

On a recent trip to Catalina, we were motoring our inflatable dinghy outside of the moorings, but fairly close to the harbor. Another boat passed in front of us, and we noticed at the last second that they were trolling a...

What Rules Determine a Race Committee Boat’s Liability in a Collision?

August 28, 2013

I am on the race management committee for my yacht club and I have a question concerning possible exposure of the club and its volunteers to liability during races and other events. Specifically, if a member volunteer who is...

Is an MCA License Adequate to Captain a Foreign-Built Charter Boat?

August 14, 2013

I am considering the purchase of a foreign-built yacht that I would like to operate as a charter yacht in California. The boat is now U.S.-flagged with a MARAD waiver to allow it to operate in U.S. waters as a “six-pack”...

Is There a Statute of Limitations for a Maritime Mechanic’s Lien?

July 31, 2013

Several months ago, I inherited a classic boat from my father when he passed away. I am interested in selling the boat — but when my yacht broker reviewed the abstract of title from the Coast Guard, we learned that a notice...

Is a USCG Certificate of Inspection Required for a Nonprofit Group’s Boat?

July 17, 2013

I volunteer for a nonprofit organization in Northern California whose services include taking inner-city kids and their parents out for tours of San Francisco Bay. We were recently approached by the Coast Guard and advised...