By Yasmine EDDAM
17 April 2025
Acquiring, maintaining or operating an inland waterway vessel often represents a substantial investment. To finance these operations, recourse to credit is common. Conversely, many professionals (suppliers, repairers, crews, port authorities, etc.) may hold debts relating to the operation of the boat. How can lenders guarantee repayment? How can other creditors be sure they will be paid, especially if the boat owner runs into financial difficulties? This is where security interests come in, legal mechanisms that assign the boat itself to guarantee one or more debts. Under French river law, there are two main categories of security interest that can be attached to a registered boat: liens and river mortgages. Liens are guarantees granted by law to certain debts deemed particularly worthy of protection. They often have priority but are generally hidden and temporary. A river mortgage, on the other hand, is a guarantee...
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