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One tiny word in a marine contract can decide who gets paid and who gets stranded. We unpack the real meaning of pay-first, pay-if-paid, and pay-when-paid in yacht builds, refits, and charters, and trace how P&I club traditions shaped today’s clauses. From owners to shipyards, subcontractors, brokers, and charterers, we map the entire payment chain so you can see where money stalls, why it stalls, and how to keep your project moving when one party hits a cash wall.

We go deep on insurance structure too: deductibles, primary layers, and the often-invisible reinsurance towers that can trigger pay-as-paid delays. You’ll hear how enforcement differs across jurisdictions—why Florida and England often honor these clauses, why France rejects them, and why a quiet New York governing law provision in a yacht policy can wreck a claim even when a breach didn’t cause the loss. Along the way, we share hard lessons from real cases: unpaid subs, insolvent yards with heavy mortgages, charterers arriving to unseaworthy yachts, and banks blindsided by misdirected funds.

The takeaway is practical and immediate. Read for conditional words like if, when, and as. Verify solvency as liquidity, not just net worth. Demand third-party guarantees from entities with real, provable assets. Check recorded liens on yard property, use escrow that protects deposits, and align broker fee splits with clear payment conditions. Above all, plan for collectability before you sign; a courtroom win without a pocket to recover from is no win at all.

If this helped you spot risks in your own contracts, subscribe, share the show with a fellow owner or broker, and leave a review with the clause you’re most worried about. Your question might shape a future episode.

Have a yacht law question? Email it to info@megayachtnews.com or michael@moore-and-co.com for your chance to have it answered on our podcast. All requests for confidentiality and/or anonymity are respected.

Hiring a lawyer is a big decision. Visit Moore & Company for the legal team's qualifications and experience. And, to learn the latest about superyacht launches, shipyards, designs, and destinations, visit Megayacht News.

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Thinking about bidding on a seized superyacht? We walk through the real mechanics of judicial sales—what triggers them, how courts run them, and why a properly executed auction can deliver title that holds up worldwide. From sanctions stories like Amadea to bread‑and‑butter arrests for unpaid crew wages, we separate media myths from the rules that actually govern these high‑stakes transactions.

We explain why the U.S. Marshal process is considered the gold standard under the Supplemental Rules for Admiralty and Maritime Claims, including publication, bidding requirements, deposits, and post‑sale confirmation. You’ll hear how foreign courts assess fairness and why cases like Blue Star in Malta matter for cross‑border recognition. We also dig into the uncomfortable stuff, especially how courts judge “prudent” buyers who ignore red flags and chase a bargain. If you’ve ever wondered how KYC, sanctions lists, and source‑of‑funds checks shape who gets to bid, we’ve got stories and specifics.

Finally, being able to conduct a sea trial or survey before bidding is likely impossible, so we share practical due diligence tactics: interviewing crew and former managers, tracing ownership records, and more. We also confront the reality of zombie yachts—uncrewed, uninsured, and decaying fast—and what happens when they result from a judicial sale order. Finally, we outline bidder responsibilities at the courthouse steps, why misrepresenting a principal is a fast track to trouble, and how to make sure the yacht you buy stays yours to enjoy.

If this helped you navigate the world of yacht auctions, follow the show, share it with a friend in the industry, and leave a quick review telling us your biggest auction question.

Have a yacht law question? Email it to info@megayachtnews.com or michael@moore-and-co.com for your chance to have it answered on our podcast. All requests for confidentiality and/or anonymity are respected.

Hiring a lawyer is a big decision. Visit Moore & Company for the legal team's qualifications and experience. And, to learn the latest about superyacht launches, shipyards, designs, and destinations, visit Megayacht News.

Text us your ideas and feedback!

We map the financial traps that sink yacht dreams: overcrowded yards, unsecured payments, "trust me" agreements, and deposits that erase leverage. Practical fixes follow—credit checks, real performance guarantees, firm delivery dates, and overall strategies that protect yacht and superyacht owners.

• why crowded yards can signal cash stress
• unsecured payments vs first preferred ship mortgage reality
• firm delivery dates and delay damages as leverage
• verifying guarantees and avoiding sham instruments
• reading yard-wide delays as systemic risk
• using credit searches and lien checks for clarity
• avoiding non-refundable deposits with strong LOIs.

Have a yacht law question? Email it to info@megayachtnews.com or michael@moore-and-co.com for your chance to have it answered on our podcast. All requests for confidentiality and/or anonymity are respected.

Hiring a lawyer is a big decision. Visit Moore & Company for the legal team's qualifications and experience. And, to learn the latest about superyacht launches, shipyards, designs, and destinations, visit Megayacht News.