We own a large motoryacht and almost lost her last year when the propeller shaft broke in half during a voyage to Mexico. The boat would have sunk like a rock if the rudder had not prevented the broken end of the shaft from...
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 Form a Corporation or LLC to ‘Own’ My Boat?
April 3, 2008
I am preparing to purchase a sportfishing yacht in the 40-foot range, and I have a couple of questions regarding title and registration. First, I am thinking of forming a corporation or LLC (limited liability corporation) to...
Can Lender Repossess Boat?
March 20, 2008
I own a documented vessel with a Preferred Ship Mortgage. I missed two payments, and my lender recently hired a private repossession company to pick up the boat. The bank said it will return the boat if I bring the loan...
How many crewmembers are allowed on a 60-foot boat when it is chartered to six passengers for hire? The short answer to this question is that you can carry as many “crewmembers” as you want during this type of charter, as...
If the Captain Has a Stroke, Does the Coast Guard Need to Know?
February 21, 2008
I own a large motoryacht and I employ a licensed captain to operate and manage the boat. The captain has a number of medical restrictions on his license, and he recently had a stroke. Can you give me some idea how this will...