I have been following the Velux 5 Oceans Race online. In that event, sailing yachts are raced around the world by their skippers singlehandedly in five high-speed legs, called “ocean sprints.” The race, the boats and the...
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.
Can a Bank Seize a Documented Vessel Without a U.S. Marshal?
January 20, 2011
I’ve been trying to help my boat neighbor negotiate a loan modification with her bank. She is late on her payments, but she is a liveaboard, so we are talking about her losing her home. We have exchanged correspondence...
Can Small-Boat Mechanics Put a Lien on a DMV-Registered Boat?
January 5, 2011
I have a small boat repair company in Orange County. Several months ago, I completed a job on a 30-foot powerboat, but the boat owner has refused to pay the final invoice in the amount of $3,600. He has not contacted me to...
I often volunteer at my yacht club on the race committee, and I sometimes serve as the principal race officer or “PRO.” It is generally assumed by PROs and others involved in race committees that if an individual holds a...
What Disclosure Is Required When a Boat Is Sold ‘As-Is?’
December 8, 2010
I made an offer on a boat, and we just completed the sea trial and survey. The marine surveyor identified a few problems, and I am considering the best way to approach the seller and his broker to see if something can be done...