Towing vs. Salvage: Could Accepting Help Put a Lien on Your Boat? | Salty Podcast #101

🎙️ When does accepting assistance on the water stop being a routine tow and become a maritime salvage claim? In Salty Podcast #101, Cap’n Tinsley sits down with maritime attorney and U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain John Fulweiler of Saltwater Law to break down salvage law for recreational boaters. John has years of hands-on experience in the towing and salvage industry in addition to his maritime law practice, so we’re looking at this issue from both sides of the towline. We cover: ⚓ The three elements generally needed for a salvage claim: marine peril, voluntary assistance and success 🚤 The gray area between routine towing and maritime salvage 🌊 How a disabled boat, dragging anchor, grounding, flooding or other changing conditions can affect whether an incident is considered salvage 📄 What towing memberships may — and may not — cover 🛟 What boaters should understand when a towing or salvage company arrives to help 💰 Why a salvage award is NOT simply based on time and materials — and how even a relatively short operation can potentially result in a very substantial demand 🚨 How maritime liens work and what it means when a salvor has a lien against a vessel ⚖️ What happens if someone makes a salvage claim against your boat 🛡️ Why understanding your marine insurance coverage BEFORE something happens is so important 📧 Why John recommends getting important insurance questions and answers in writing We also talk about the incident in The Bahamas that sent me down this maritime-law rabbit hole in the first place. If you own a boat, cruise, sail, fish or spend serious time on the water, this is one of those episodes worth watching BEFORE you ever need assistance. John Fulweiler 🌊 Saltwater Law https://www.saltwaterlaw.com 📧 john@saltwaterlaw.com ☎️ 1-800-383-MAYDAY ⛵ Salty Abandon is Cap'n Tinsley from Orange Beach, AL Oct 2020 to Present: 1998 Island Packet 320 Nov 2015 to Oct 2020: 1988 Island Packet 27 Feb 2015 to Nov 2015: 1982 Catalina 25 👕 Salty Podcast SPF Sailor Shirts: https://saltypodcast.myshopify.com 🫶 SUPPORT THE PODCAST: http://patreon.com/SaltyAbandon 💨 AIRLOCK: Get rid of those boat smells with $30 off with code SALTY30 here: https://airlockusa.com/SALTY30 🛠️ PODCAST TOOLS 🎙️ STREAMYARD: Go live like a pro with an easy, browser-based studio for podcasts, interviews and livestreams. https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5430067749060608 ✂️ OPUS CLIPS: Turn long videos into short, shareable clips fast. https://tolt.link/saltypodcast ▶️ Salty Podcast YouTube Playlist: https://saltyabandon.com/SaltyPodcastPlaylist CHAPTERS: 0:00 When a Tow Becomes Salvage 0:25 Protect Your Boat and Your Wallet 1:08 Meet Maritime Attorney John Fulweiler 3:35 My Bahamas Grounding and Salvage Wake-Up Call 4:54 The 3 Requirements for a Salvage Claim 7:32 Towing Memberships vs. Salvage 10:12 When a Tow Company Calls It Salvage 12:33 What to Ask Your Marine Insurance Company 13:36 Where Boaters Get Into Trouble 16:35 Disabled Boat or Marine Peril? 18:55 How Salvage Awards Are Calculated 22:32 Could My Gulf Tow Have Become Salvage? 23:37 Why a Short Rescue Can Mean a Huge Salvage Demand 25:39 How Tow and Salvage Companies Make the Call 27:08 What to Do If You Receive a Salvage Claim 29:33 Maritime Liens and Vessel Arrest 31:18 Hidden Liens When Buying or Selling a Boat 33:10 Maritime Law vs. Laws on Land 35:23 Limitation of Liability and Federal Court 38:35 Could My Bahamas Helpers Still Make a Claim? 41:45 Finding a Maritime Attorney 42:44 John’s Advice Every Boater Should Know 45:13 John Fulweiler and SaltWaterLaw.com 47:34 Rhode Island Accents, Local Boating and What’s Next 49:22 Future Maritime Law Episodes #SaltyAbandon #SaltyPodcast #Sailing #IslandPacket #CruisingLife #MaritimeLaw #MaritimeSalvage #boating