Marcel Vaarzon-Morel, Author at Vaarzon-Morel Solicitors

When Times Get Tough, The Tough Get Planning

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelOctober 4, 2011July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtMarine Business

Several years ago I attended a business clinic held by the NSW BIA and the single point I remember was, ‘In times of uncertainty, how business responds, is critical to its survival’. The uncertainty facing the marine industry today is real and it would be fool hardy for a company director to ignore the underlying economic factors causing this…

Marine Salvage

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelSeptember 15, 2011July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtOcean Magazine

Stranded on the high seas, the bilge pumps are working at full capacity as the engine-room floods and all power is lost. Circumstances have it that you are able to do little more than don a lifejacket, transmit a mayday message and prepare your crew to abandon ship. Both you and your vessel are now at the mercy of…

Keeping Afloat: Preparing for Personal Property Securities Reform

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelJune 3, 2011July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtMarine Business

While it can be hard for businesses to keep afloat with the barrage of constantly changing laws and regulations, some impending legislative reforms are too important to ignore. In less than six months, a radical (yet long overdue) federal scheme will come into force that will impact on manufacturers, retailers, lenders and borrowers alike. Right now, all across Australia,…

To Ship or To Sail

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelJune 2, 2011July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtOcean Magazine

Its early morning at the bustling Port Hueneme in California and a crane operator is carefully unloading a 72-foot, 42-ton Sunseeker Predator yacht from the weather deck of a European cargo ship. Clearing a stack of shipping containers the luxury yacht hangs suspended in the air, some 30-metres off the ground. Suddenly and inexplicably the crane gives way and…

Showtime… The Final Print

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelMay 13, 2011July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtMarine Business

Roll-up, roll-up, the boating show season is once again upon us. Over the next few months, thousands of boating enthusiasts will descend on marinas and exhibition centres across the country, all eager to see (and in some instances, buy) the latest and greatest of what our industry has to offer. For suppliers, retailers and BIA members, these shows offer…

Smart Sailing: Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelMarch 20, 2011July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtOcean Magazine

One New Year’s Eve, having just finished my shipwright apprenticeship, I sat down with a flute of Champagne and drawing pad, sketching an artist’s impression of what I considered to be the latest in sailing craft design. Like many yachting aficionados at this time of year, I had spent the week religiously watching yet another nail-biting Sydney to Hobart…

A Grey Cloud Over Our Industry

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelMarch 7, 2011July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtMarine Business

It has been a difficult few years for many Australian retailers in the maritime industry. The global financial crisis slowed sales across the board, and the surge in the Australian dollar and greater consumer confidence in online shopping has meant increased competition from cheaper overseas markets. These ‘grey marine products’ offer an affordable alternative to consumers, and many within…

Turning the Tide on Boating Insurance

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelJanuary 19, 2011July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtOcean Magazine

Insurance is often considered a necessary evil, an expense paid with little return in fair weather. But can the boat owner afford not to have the appropriate insurance especially in the face of escalating natural disasters. A few mariners in Queensland may be thanking their lucky stars as the state’s largest marine insurer responds quickly by treating all claims…

Piracy, Firearms and the High Seas

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelDecember 6, 2010July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtOcean Magazine

The first time I held a rocket-launcher was in the summer of 1982. I was an eager 23 year old working as a shipwright on Sydney Harbour at Rushcutters Bay. I had just completed a six-month major refit on an elegant 80-foot aluminium ketch and it now sat moored in port, anxiously awaiting its voyage to the Mediterranean. The…

Weathering the Stormy Seas of Unfair Contracts

Marcel Vaarzon-MorelNovember 19, 2010July 18, 2016Maritime & SuperyachtMarine Business

Due to such an excellent response to the September publication of ‘Unfair contract terms’ this article will look specifically at unfair contract terms where the contract does not fall under the spotlight of the newTrade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Act (No 1) 2010 (Cth), herein known as the ‘ACL’, that is where the contract isnot considered a ‘Standard Form Contract’. ACL Refresher To…