Marine - Maritime - Admiralty Consultants: 5

AAC Marine Group, Inc. is a Florida-based Accredited and Certified Marine Surveyor providing Boat Inspection, Appraisal, and Consulting services throughout the state of Florida, including St. Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota, Stuart, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. From Tampa Bay to Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas of Central and South Florida, AAC Marine inspects everything from 18-ft sport-fishing boats to 700-ft yachts and cruise ships, boat engines, tugs, barges, and more – all utilizing state-of-the-art technology including maritime thermal imaging systems. 

 Captain Arlen Leiner, MMS, AMS, Principal at AAC Marine, is an Accredited Marine Surveyor, Master Marine Surveyor, and has an engineering degree from the University of Toledo. He is trained for MARPOL, SOLAS, and IMO. He uses only state-of-the-art equipment and engine computers to ensure a full and accurate survey. 

Capt. Leiner's services are available to both commercial and private entities throughout the state of Florida, to clients looking to build a vessel from 30 to a 350-foot yacht including design flaws or paint problems, what is wrong with the boat or engine, or how to run a commercial fishing business or a party fishing boat.

Capt. Leiner's services also include:

• Surveys - Pre-Purchase, Insurance, Appraisals, Damages, Trip and Tow, Tug and Barges, Workboats, Fishing Boats
• Thermal Imaging - Variations in Temperature, Defects in Parts, and the Health of Large Motors for Boats, Machinery for Manufacturing Equipment
• Offshore Fishing Charters - All Licenses Included

View Capt. Leiner's Expert Witness Profile.

Capt. David G. Bacon, is a Maritime Consultant with over 30 years of experience providing exceptional customer service to clients from around globe. He has a United States Coast Guard Captains License (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel - unlimited tonnage). Capt. Bacon is the owner, operator, and captain of Wavewalker Charters. His vessel charters include fishing, cruising, eco-tours, whale watching, diving, kayaking, photography, oil seeps, and oil spills. He has decades of vessel operations experience with zero accidents and zero injuries. As the Founder and Executive Director of Softin, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing at-sea educational adventures for special-needs children and adults, Capt. Bacon has extensive knowledge of passenger safety orientation and creating/maintaining a safe environment for passengers, including special-needs passengers in for-profit and nonprofit (501c3) ventures. As the owner of two retail stores: Hook, Line, & Sinker Fishing Center and Guns of Santa Barbara, Capt. Bacon understands the value and importance of customer service.

Background - Capt. Bacon worked in corporate management with AT&T for nearly 20 years, serving as Manager of Technical Operations and Customer Support. He also served as President and CEO of Sea Cubed, Inc., developing, publishing, selling, and distributing quality nautical products and displays.

Freelance Writer - Capt. Bacon has published over 2,000 articles for various periodicals (both print and on-line) and continues as an active writer. His areas of editorial responsibilities (past and present) encompass technical, educational, advocacy, and entertainment. He has written for such publications as Pacific Coast Sportfishing, Western Outdoor News, www.noozhawk.com On-line News, and Fishing and Hunting News among many others.

Public speaking - Capt. Bacon has participated in approximately 85 engagements. He is a teacher at Santa Barbara Community college. He has over 15 years of experience hosting seminars, informational/motivational lectures, and presentations for civic organizations, trade shows, and clubs. He has been a speaker at the Parks and Recreation Department of Santa Barbara, and made radio guest appearances on Fish Talk Radio.

View Capt. Bacon's Expert Witness Profile.

Jack G. Cohen has been involved in the Automobile Industry for over 30 years, wholesaling and retailing, and running several dealerships and franchises. Mr. Cohen has been retained as an expert witness over 50 times since 2015. His services are available to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. He consults with attorneys, dealers, consumers, and insurance companies. 

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Alan Steinman is an expert in Maritime Medicine with particular emphasis on Sea-Survival, Drowning and Hypothermia. He has served as Surgeon General and Director of Health and Safety for the U.S. Coast Guard, as medical advisor to the Coast Guard's Chief of Operations, and as rescue physician on numerous Coast Guard search and rescue missions. He has an international reputation in hypothermia and cold-water survival. Dr. Steinman is widely published in the field of environmental medicine, including a chapter on immersion hypothermia in a leading textbook of emergency medicine. His research into human cold-water immersion and hypothermia merited the prestigious Arnold D. Tuttle Award from the Aerospace Medicine Association. The results from his human hypothermia studies contributed to the basis of current U.S. Coast Guard cold-water survival time charts. Dr. Steinman is Board Certified in Occupational Medicine; he is a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine. His Doctor of Medicine degree is from the Stanford School of Medicine; his post-graduate medical training was at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Steinman has experience in both federal and state courts serving as an expert witness in numerous cases involving sea-survival, drowning, and hypothermia.

George Zeitler, MSc, has over 30 years of experience in the Marine Industry in various regulatory, management, and consulting roles. He is an Accredited Marine Surveyor (Y&SC) by the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors and a Member of the International Institute of Marine Surveying.

Background Experience - Mr. Zeitler served 18 years as a USCG Marine Inspector / Casualty Investigator, and 7 years as a Class Society principal surveyor (DNV).  He then spent 1 year as VP of Operations for a niche cruise line. Mr. Zeitler went on to serve 5 years as a technical consultant for various segments of the marine industry, including 2 years as third party environmental auditor for criminal pollution cases. He has been an Accredited Yacht and Small Craft Surveyor for over 15 years. 

In 2002, Mr. Zeitler formed Zeitler Marine Services (ZMS), using his experience and knowledge to offer condition and valuation (pre-purchase and insurance) and damage survey services to the yachting and recreational boating communities in south Florida. He is currently the Director of the Chapman School of Seamanship Yacht and Small Craft survey course.

Litigation Support - Mr. Zeitler uses his vast experience verifying Compliance with Applicable Maritime Laws / Regulations through on site surveys and audits of client's vessels. His years of operational and regulatory enforcement help provide clients with a unique perspective that is key in identifying vulnerabilities onboard vessels as well as gaps in policies and procedures. He functions as a Court Appointed Monitor in situations where vessel operators are negotiating a plea agreement for a DOJ-approved Environmental Compliance Programs.

Areas of Expertise:

• Vessel Design and Construction
• Vessel Compliance with International and US Laws and Regulations
• Compliance with Federal and Voluntary (ABYC) Standards for Yachts and Small Craft
• Casualty Investigation
• Vessel Operations
• Cruise Ship Management, Operation, and Safety
• Environmental Compliance and Auditing