Ask a Maritime Attorney - Page 5 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.

Ask A Maritime Attorney: Can you explain the public trust doctrine regarding long-term anchoring?

February 1, 2024

Question: I am a liveaboard boater and I have lived at anchor in various ports up and down the west coast. It comes with a lot of logistical problems, starting with getting back and forth to the boat while it is at anchor,...

Ask a Maritime Attorney: What are the laws regarding rescues at sea?

January 25, 2024

Question: I recently read a social media post about a rescue at sea that was successfully performed by a boat owner who was in the vicinity of the boat in trouble. The post said nothing about the legal requirements of a...

Ask a Maritime Attorney: Do You Need to Disclose Collisions and Repairs When Selling a Boat?

January 11, 2024

Question: Last year I completed a major structural repair to my boat after we ran into a breakwater in thick fog. I am now preparing to sell the boat and I am wondering whether I need to disclose the collision and the repairs...

Ask A Maritime Attorney: How will the Coast Guard regulate the license of a hired captain after crashing a sailboat?

December 7, 2023

Question: I have been reading a lot lately about a hired captain who ran a sailboat into the rocks at the entrance to Turtle Bay in Mexico in early November. The reports and statements by people who seem to know the facts...

Ask A Maritime Attorney: Do I owe annual California property tax on my boat that is docked in Marina del Rey but is not registered in California?

November 30, 2023

Question: I purchased a boat two years ago through the purchase of a “single-asset” Delaware LLC. The hailing port on my Coast Guard documentation is identified as Wilmington, Delaware, and that port is printed on the...