Does anything special have to be done to create a maritime lien?
The filing of appropriate documents with the National Vessel Documentation Center is needed to create a preferred ship mortgage lien. All other liens arise spontaneously upon the provision of goods or services to the vessel or other maritime property, or upon the commission of the accident or other event that gives rise to a liability secured by the lien. Since there is no need to file, there is no reliable means of discovering all liens that may exist against a vessel. Liens not of record are called “secret liens.
The filing of appropriate documents with the National Vessel Documentation Center is needed to create a preferred ship mortgage lien. All other liens arise spontaneously upon the provision of goods or services to the vessel or other maritime property, or upon the commission of the accident or other event that gives rise to a liability secured by the lien. Since there is no need to file, there is no reliable means of discovering all liens that may exist against a vessel.
