Solicitor for Maritime Law in Gzira

I’m setting up a commercial shipping operation using vessels based in Malta, and I want to understand what insurance coverage is actually a legal requirement, as opposed to what might simply be commercially prudent to have in place.

I own a vessel currently registered under the Malta flag, and I’m considering either selling it to a buyer who wants to register it elsewhere, or reflagging it myself under a different jurisdiction. What’s actually involved in deregistering a ship from the Maltese registry?

I’m involved in operating a Malta-flagged vessel that has connections, through cargo or prior ownership history, to parties potentially affected by international sanctions. I want to understand what could actually happen if the vessel were seized or detained by foreign authorities enforcing these sanctions, and how Maltese authorities would be involved.

I’m considering an arrangement where I would charter a vessel on a bareboat basis, and I’ve heard this might involve a specific type of registration process in Malta that’s different from a standard, full ship registration. Can you explain what this actually means and how it differs?

I own a yacht just under 24 metres in length that I’d like to operate commercially, chartering it out to paying guests, and I want to understand whether Malta’s registration framework has specific provisions suited to a vessel of this particular size operating commercially rather than purely for private use.

I agreed verbally with a boat owner in Malta to charter their vessel for a specific period, including the agreed price and dates, but nothing was put in writing at the time. The owner is now saying the arrangement is off and wants to charter it to someone else instead who is offering more money. Can I actually enforce our original verbal agreement?

I work as crew on a vessel operated by a shipping company based in Malta, and there have been concerning signs the company might be facing serious financial difficulty, potentially heading toward insolvency. I’m worried about what would happen to my unpaid wages if the company actually goes bankrupt.

I’m not an EU citizen and I’m interested in registering my yacht under the Malta flag given its international reputation. I want to understand whether my nationality would actually prevent me from doing this, or whether Malta’s ship registry is genuinely open to non-EU owners as well.