Q: If a marina allows larger boats to overhang their slips and a smaller boat hits the larger boat while the larger boat
is still in its slip not moving, can the marina be sued? So the question is about liability issues a marina might encounter
by allowing boat overhang in the slips.
annegwynn1@gmail.com
A:
The degree of overhang could be a factor. If the smaller boat was moving, it's likely that it would be confronted by the argument that the other vessel was not moving. Maritime law applies a presumption that serves in favor of a non-moving vessel in encounters with moving vessels. The degree of interference to navigation presented by the larger vessel, based on the particular setting here, could become an issue. But in marinas, it is not uncommon for larger vessels to extend beyond their slips.
Tim Akpinar
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