Posted: April 24, 2012
I am shopping for a boat that would be suitable for use in California as a commercial fishing boat and also for whale-watching trips and other passenger excursions. One of the boats that I am looking at is a 65-foot Canadian-built boat that is registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and is being used locally as a commercial fishing boat. I had always understood that a boat must be built in the United States if it is to be used in any type of commercial service here. Is there an exception to that rule if the boat is registered with the California DMV rather than with the Coast Guard? On a similar note, do the regulations allow for a foreign-built boat to be used as a six-passenger or “six-pack” charter boat?
Posted: April 11, 2012
I am in a dispute with a marine surveyor over a survey that he performed on my boat. I bought a boat that was a bank repossession. We got a really go ...
Posted: March 28, 2012
I have lived on my 50-foot sailboat in a Northern California marina for many years. During that time, I have been charged for a holding tank pumpout s ...
Posted: March 13, 2012
I recently hired a mechanic to troubleshoot a problem with one of the main engines on my 48-foot power boat. He left a message for me with his finding ...
Posted: March 1, 2012
I read in a news magazine that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving the eviction of a houseboat from a marina in Florida. Is thi ...
Posted: February 14, 2012
I won a $15,000 judgment against a boat owner in state court. The judgment related to repair work that I did on the boat -- and, since the boat is doc ...
Posted: February 1, 2012
I am a licensed yacht salesman in California, and I am representing a boat owner under an “open” listing agreement for the sale of his boa ...
Posted: January 18, 2012
I was sued in small claims court last year by a marine engine mechanic who did some work on my boat. We had a dispute over whether the job was properl ...
Posted: January 4, 2012
I am considering buying a 39-foot sailing yacht that was built from a kit on a vacant lot. The boat was never completed or put in the water, and ...
Posted: December 23, 2011
Last year, I was involved in a boating accident when I hit an unlit channel marker buoy in San Diego Bay. I wasn’t going very fast, but unfortun ...
Posted: November 25, 2011
I read your article in the most recent issue of The Log Newspaper (Nov. 11-24) concerning the prohibition against the use of foreign-constructed boats ...
Posted: November 11, 2011
I just ran across an online discussion of how the Jones Act and other maritime regulations might interfere with the running of the America’s Cup ...
Posted: October 28, 2011
I have a question about the assessment of “possessory interest” taxes on my marina slip. I keep my boat in a city-owned marina that is in ...
Posted: October 14, 2011
My boat has been listed for sale with a yachtbroker for more than a year. I understand that boat sales in general are pretty slow right now, but ...
Posted: July 7, 2011
I was watching Fourth of July fireworks from my boat this weekend, and I was shocked at how many private boats were shooting off signal flares during ...