August 5, 2026
Colin McRae and David Sipple (ret.), partners in HunterMaclean’s admiralty and maritime practice in Savannah, recently joined host Molly Carrott Taylor on the Ships of the Sea Podcast for an episode titled “Sailing Through Legal Tides: Maritime Law Explored.”
Recorded at the historic Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, the hourlong episode digs into the specialized field that governs everything from shipping accidents to environmental claims on navigable waters.
McRae and Sipple start with the basics, including the difference between admiralty law, which centers on ships and shipping, and the broader body of maritime law that aims for international consistency. From there, they get into the key statutes, like the Jones Act, which protects injured seamen, and the Limitation of Liability Act.
Where the conversation really comes alive is in the case stories, all drawn from Savannah’s own waters. They revisit the African Neptune allision with the Sidney Lanier Bridge, which claimed ten lives, and the Golden Ray capsizing near St. Simons, where four crew members were rescued after 36 hours. They also cover the Archangel G collision that cut a shrimp boat in half and the Sun Sapphire allision with an LNG dock, each one pointing to a different corner of maritime liability and salvage work.
Beyond the courtroom, the two describe the parts of the job most people never see: Protection and Indemnity Clubs, shipboard investigations, Coast Guard inquiries, and cases that swing from pollution disputes to stowaway repatriation. They also talk about the tight-knit network that holds the maritime bar together, and the round-the-clock demands of representing clients in an industry that never sleeps.
The episode rounds out with some of the newer challenges in the field, from environmental claims and NRDA procedures to the headaches of bunkering operations and inland barge disputes, a good look at why maritime law stays one of the more specialized and unpredictable areas of practice.
It’s a good window into the kind of work our admiralty and maritime team does every day. If your business touches the water, whether that means vessels, cargo, docks, or the disputes that come with them, our attorneys know these waters well. Reach out to Colin McRae or anyone on our admiralty and maritime team to talk through how we can help.
The full episode is available on the Ships of the Sea Podcast, and can be found heard below. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible.
