I was briefly involved in a lawsuit last year, in connection with a boat accident, and I was a little confused by some of the terminology. First, what is the difference between “admiralty law” and “maritime law?”...
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.
Should I Let a Boat Buyer Take Over My Loan Payments?
July 10, 2008
I am selling my boat and considering an offer from a buyer that involves some “creative financing.” The buyer was unable to qualify for financing from a conventional marine lender, but he has offered to make the payments...
I was involved in a collision with another boat while watching a Christmas boat parade last year, and both boats suffered quite a bit of damage. I believe that the captain of the other boat was at fault, but he refused to...
My boat was damaged in its slip during a storm last winter, when a cleat pulled out of the dock and my remaining tie up line parted under the resulting strain. Several months before the storm, I advised the marina manager...
Our Surveyor Missed Something: What Now?
May 29, 2008
Last year, we purchased a 40-foot sailboat, and we hired a marine surveyor to inspect the boat prior to the purchase. Catastrophe struck less than a month after we took delivery, when the headstay parted near the masthead and...