With insurance prices in the millions of dollars, having insurance for your yacht is critical to ensure that you are protecting the investment that you have made in your ship. Although it may not be something you think of often, your insurance could potentially be...
Maritime And Admiralty Law
Potential violations for illegal charter operations
The Coast Guard caught and ended the illegal operation of a charter vessel last year. These illegal operations carry harsh penalties due to the danger they pose to the public. In the example mentioned above, the Coast Guard and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office...
Superyachts and wire-transfer fraud
Sending money electronically or via wire-transfers has its risks. This is especially true when it comes to large amounts of money. As technology makes it much easier for criminals to defraud people, including yacht buyers and sellers, it is critical to understand how...
Coast Guard publishes new work instructions for the Small Passenger Vessel Risk Based Inspection Program
The Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CVC) has issued new work instructions for its Small Passenger Vessel Risk Based Inspection Program, according to the Coast Guard Maritime Commons blog. The instructions provide inspection program guidance to...
Post-Brexit EU VAT status: what has changed?
When the United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU) on December 31st of 2020, owners of yachts registered in the UK faced a great deal of uncertainty on their Value Added Tax (VAT) liabilities. To clarify the complexity of post-Brexit VAT status, a consortium of...
Coast Guard issues warning about illegal charter boat operations
Now that summer is just around the corner and people are ready for a long-awaited vacation, the U.S. Coast Guard expects increased boating traffic in San Francisco’s Bay Area. Many tourists likely will flock to Northern California once coronavirus restrictions lift on...
New law extends tax exemptions for nonresident-owned yachts
On April 4, 2021, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed HB 1107 — a law extending tax exemptions for nonresident-owned yachts. Washington State now will allow nonresident entity-owned yachts to acquire two 60-day permits a year to stay in the state without tax. This is in...
New law to help decrease boating accident injuries, fatalities
The polite name for the life-saving device is “engine cut-off switch” (ECOS). In common usage, however, it’s known as a kill switch. Both names describe the switch’s function: it immediately turns off a boat’s engine. The ECOS or kill switch can save the life of the...