Ask a Maritime Attorney

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 I Sue the Seller of a Boat with Hull Delamination for Fraud?

October 30, 2009

Earlier this year, I bought a sailing yacht that was advertised and rigged for offshore cruising. Six months after I bought it, some of the topside paint started to peel off, and it now appears that the boat has a serious...

Can Boats Be Withdrawn from Marina’s Lien Auction if Lender Doesn’t Attend?

October 16, 2009

I recently attended a public auction conducted by a marina in Florida, looking to purchase a particular boat that happened to be Coast Guard documented. The boat was subject to a mortgage held by a lender for around $200,000,...

What’s My Liability for Getting Bumped at a Mooring?

October 7, 2009

My boat was on a mooring in Catalina recently, when it bumped into the boat that was on the adjacent mooring. We were aboard at the time, and we did everything we could to fend off the other boat. Unfortunately, the crew of...

Do Six-Pack Charter Rules Apply to a ‘Boat and Breakfast’ Operation?

September 18, 2009

I own a four-stateroom motoryacht that I am setting up in a charter business. I understand that I am limited to six paying passengers, or a “six-pack” charter while I am under way. However, the boat will sleep eight...

Must Sellers of Fractional Yacht Ownership Shares Be Licensed Brokers?

September 4, 2009

I own an Internet marketing company based in California, and we are developing a new business to sell fractional ownership shares of large motoryachts through a new Web site. One of the boat owners we are working with is...

Can I Sue the Seller of a Boat with Hull Delamination for Fraud?

Can Boats Be Withdrawn from Marina’s Lien Auction if Lender Doesn’t Attend?

What’s My Liability for Getting Bumped at a Mooring?

Do Six-Pack Charter Rules Apply to a ‘Boat and Breakfast’ Operation?

Must Sellers of Fractional Yacht Owner­ship Shares Be Licensed Brokers?

Must Sellers of Fractional Yacht Ownership Shares Be Licensed Brokers?