Can I offer rides for people on my personal 26′ foot Bayliner and only accept donation. Would I be responsible for anyone that got hurt on board. What if I had them sign a waiver?
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on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 7:18 pm and is filed under Sailboat Donations.
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October 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
You can’t operate a business without a license and insurance, lots of insurance.
Unless you are a non-profit organization you can not accept donations, so you would add fraud to your crime of operating a business without a license.
Even with a waiver you are ultimately responsible for safety of people on your boat, that is one reason you will be needing lots of insurance.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Waiver-shmaiver….forgetzke.
Make sure you:
- have paid up liability insurance
- license to carry passengers
- Coast Guard clearance etc… etc…. etc….
- cash reserves for legal team
- Staff complement
ok for openers?
October 26th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Depends what state you are in.
It seems you love your boat a lot, why not? But are you going to force a donation? There is no such thing! It would be a payment. And if you are accepting a payment for a service, you can be sued. Sure, you can have a waiver like, “If I drown, I will not sue the Bayliner owner”. But if the person survives, he could even sue you for “getting wet”. Just get good lawyers!!