The Law Relating to Brokerage & Yacht/Boat Sales
Brokers and boat retailers typically have responsibility for ensuring that the legal framework surrounding the sale and purchase of small craft is fit for purpose and for conducting the transaction successfully within this framework.
Would you like to ensure your business is operating as legally protected as possible?
Designed specifically for yacht and boat brokers and their wider support teams, this practical 3‑hour online course provides a clear, structured overview of the legal framework that governs yacht/boat brokerage and yacht/boat sale transactions.
The course has been updated post Brexit and is under constant review to give you the most updated and relevant information.
Delegates will be taken through the full lifecycle of a typical sale, from first contact with the seller through to completion, highlighting the real‑world risk areas brokers face and how to manage them confidently.
The session covers brokers’ duties and authority, due diligence on title and documentation, advertising and misrepresentation risk, use of the British Marine precedent contracts, completion mechanics, and the latest developments in consumer law, including the new rules under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA).
By the end of the course, delegates will have a solid grounding in the legal principles relevant to both new‑build and second‑hand yacht sales, along with practical tools, checklists and examples they can apply immediately in day‑to‑day brokerage work.
• Gain a step‑by‑step understanding of the legal considerations at each stage of a yacht sale
• Learn how to reduce misrepresentation and advertising risks
• Develop confidence in using the British Marine sale & purchase precedents
• Understand how current consumer law affects brokerage in practice
• Take away practical guidance you can implement straightaway
• Yacht brokers
• Brokerage managers and support teams
• Anyone involved in advertising, negotiating or completing yacht sales
LUCY GOFF & JENNIE HARRIS
Jennie and Lucy are the co-founders of Ocean Legal, the first English law firm to operate on a purely fixed-fee basis for both contractual and litigation matters.
Jennie Harris is a leading legal advisor in the maritime and ports sector, specialising in harbour operations, port authority governance, and regulatory compliance. With over a decade of experience, she advises statutory harbour bodies, marina operators, and marine businesses on bespoke contracts, statutory interpretation, and complex regulatory challenges—backed by practical experience across public and private sectors. Jennie was instrumental in developing Ocean Legal’s fixed-fee model, ensuring clients benefit from predictable pricing and service aligned with their objectives.
Lucy Goff complements this with deep expertise in the leisure and superyacht market. She advises clients globally on yacht sale and purchase, construction and refits and commercial contracts. Lucy also has significant experience in dispute resolution—handling marine insurance conflicts, racing collision cases, casualty incidents (e.g. groundings, fires, injuries), enforcement actions, and debt recovery. Recognised as a Rising Star in the 2024 Legal 500 and a Leading Associate in the 2025 edition, she brings a practical, solution-driven approach informed by her sailing background.
JONATHAN HADLEY-PIGGIN
Jonathan Hadley-Piggin is a partner at the London law firm Keystone Law. Jonathan attended Warsash Nautical College sponsored by BP Shipping where he gained a Class III Certificate of Competency (Deck Officer). Following time at sea with BP, he gained a commission in the Royal Navy and attended Britannia Royal Navy College, then, sponsored by the Navy read for a degree in Maritime Economics and Law at Cardiff University. In the Royal Navy, he specialised in navigation, serving in frigates and nuclear submarines before leaving the Navy to pursue a career in law.
Jonathan trained with the city firm Stephenson Harwood where, following qualification, he specialised in commercial charter disputes, collision, and salvage. In 1997, he started to focus on the leisure side of maritime law, acting for yacht owners, insurers, banks, charter companies and other organisation’s in the marine leisure sector both in the UK and abroad, particularly in the super yacht sector.
British Marine Member | £233.60 + VAT
Non-Member | £467.21 + VAT
Please register your interest for this online course here
Tuesday 21 April 2026, 9.15am - 12.15pm