: I have a friend who would like to sell plans for a S&G design
: that he developed. He is concerned about liability should
: someone go out and get into trouble while using his design.
: Since people sell plans all the time I was wondering how
: designers go about minimizing their exposure to liability.

: Jim

Would be great if Nick would answer this, which I'm sure is what you were hoping for.

But, the liability for boats is widely understood, so selling one used shouldn't be an issue, thousands of them are sold yearly.

Selling plans is quite a bit different than selling completed boats new, the designer has no control at all on how the boat is built nor if the plans are even followed. That said, doing a serious amount of testing of the boat, by several experienced people well before any thought of selling the plans should definately be done and any deficiencies need to be fixed first.

Look at any set of plans you buy, there is always a disclaimer on them about the suitability of the plans for the intended use.

Talk to your attorney as mentioned.

Bill H.