Yacht deals run on instant monetary transfers, layered entities, and cross‑border deals. This makes asset protection feel both urgent and fragile. Generally speaking, courts have responded with powerful tools now often called worldwide asset freezing orders. They’re designed to stop money before it disappears. They’re also on the rise. This growing tension between speed and…
Yachting contracts look clean and simple on paper. With new-builds and refits, owners hire shipyards, and shipyards hire contractors. With charters, meanwhile, owners hire yachts. What appears to be straightforward is actually knotty in practice, though Money flows down until it doesn’t, which is where clauses like pay-first, pay-if-paid, and pay-when-paid decide who profits and…
The past few years have pushed judicial yacht sales into the spotlight. Sanctions, unpaid crew wages, and more all feed court-ordered yacht auctions. The headlines sometimes frame them as fire sales, but the truth is more nuanced. The goal is to turn a deteriorating, expensive asset into cash while delivering clean title to a buyer….
Building and buying a superyacht is a matter of the heart. However, contracts and cash flow determine who’s smiling when delivery dates arrive. In this episode of The Yacht Law Podcast, we zero in on yacht yard red flags that can derail even the best-laid plans. While outward appearances at some builders may seem impressive,…
Arranging for your yacht to transit on a carrier vessel may seem straightforward until you see the contract. The moment she loads onto a superyacht transport ship, she becomes cargo, and cargo lives and dies by documents. Specifically, the bill of lading identifies ownership, outlines the destination, and establishes the contract of carriage. If names,…
Passion and enjoyment are often at the forefront of the yacht-ownership experience. However, it only takes one hurricane or one accident involving a watertoy or a crewmember to change everything. These sobering words highlight why proper yacht insurance coverage and risk management strategies are essential for superyacht owners. From named storms to towing a tender,…
A law enacted earlier this summer has created a significant opportunity for yacht owners, through a 100 percent bonus depreciation provision. It allows businesses to deduct the entire cost of a qualifying property in the year it’s placed in service, versus depreciating it over its useful life. This substantial financial advantage therefore could influence superyacht…
Japan, with its rich maritime history, reliable infrastructure, and welcoming attitude toward yachts, is emerging as the next great yachting frontier. The Mediterranean continues to attract approximately 70 percent of global yachting activity. However, this island nation of more than 3,000 islands and 18,000 miles of coastline offers a mostly-untapped cruising experience. It combines Eastern…
Artificial intelligence isn’t coming to the yachting industry—it’s already here. It’s transforming operations and creating opportunities. (In fact, it created all the artwork accompanying this article.) Simultaneously, it’s raising critical legal questions about its good and bad applications. The legal crux of the AI dilemma is one that owners, crew, designers, and builders need to…
The beauty of yacht interiors often steals the spotlight, but what happens when we approach design from a completely different angle? Anita Rivera Turcotte, founder of Verge Yacht Design, brings a novel perspective to yacht interiors that places engineering and function squarely before style. Simultaneously, the studio challenges preconceived notions about luxury and sustainability in…
