Ask a Maritime Attorney - Page 9 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: How “broad” is the insurance coverage of physical damage to my boat?

March 9, 2023

Question: I have a question concerning the physical damage insurance coverage on my boat. The policy defines the phrase “caused by” quite broadly, stating that it means “any loss that is contributed to, made worse by,...

Ask A Maritime Attorney: Can I record a maritime lien against the boat to secure my attorneys’ fee claim?

February 23, 2023

Question: I am in litigation over the sale of my boat last year. The buyer sued me, as well as my yacht broker and his own broker. This is clearly a frivolous lawsuit, and it looks like we will be on the winning side. My...

Ask A Maritime Attorney: What are the time limits for filing a lawsuit under Federal Maritime Law versus State Law?

February 9, 2023

Question: Two years ago I was injured aboard a boat during the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. I waited a while to hire a lawyer, and when I finally had a firm retained, I was surprised to see that they filed the case in...

Ask A Maritime Attorney: Is there such thing as a “safe harbor” law and does it apply to a tenant whose slip rent is overdue?

January 5, 2023

Question I manage a small marina in Northern California and was recently confronted with a “safe harbor” question. One of our tenants was extremely delinquent on their slip rent and facing eviction. The boat is in...

Ask A Maritime Attorney: Can I sue for wake damage done to my property?

December 29, 2022

Question I own a waterfront home on the Sacramento Delta, and my boat and dock have been damaged several times by the wakes from passing boats. I am not sure if the area has a speed limit, but is there some kind of universal...