Ask a Maritime Attorney - Page 55 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.

How Should I Select a Maritime Attorney?

March 26, 2009

I am starting a charter company in the Pacific Northwest and I would like to retain an attorney to assist with my startup issues and to consult with in the future. Unfortunately, I don’t know any lawyers and I don’t...

Can a Criminal Record Keep Me From Getting a Captain’s License?

March 18, 2009

I have worked on the water in various jobs for almost 40 years, and I have finally decided to pursue my Coast Guard captain’s license. Unfortunately, I had a felony conviction in the late 1970s, for which I served four...

Can an Insurer Sue a Boat-Borrowing Friend After a Grounding?

March 4, 2009

I had a humbling experience last year when a friend graciously allowed me to use his boat and I managed to run it aground. I will spare you the details of the incident, but we were all relieved when his insurance company paid...

The Boatyard’s Lift Dropped My Boat. What Should I Do?

February 19, 2009

My boat was damaged in a shipyard incident when a winch failed on the yard’s mobile hoist. The yard has offered to fix the boat, but they refuse to compensate me for my loss of use of the boat or for my own time that I have...

Can My Boat Qualify for a Homestead Exemption?

February 5, 2009

In a recent conversation with an attorney, he suggested a way to protect my boat from being seized or attached by a potential creditor would be to “homestead” the boat. Since it is my home and I claim a homeowner’s...