Marine Investigation Expert Witness George Zeitler

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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

• George Zeitler's Curriculum Vitae

10/20/2021 · Marine - Maritime

The Role Of The Classification Society In Passenger Ship Safety

By: George Zeitler

The public wants to know who is directly responsible for cruise ship safety. Well, the simple answer is that responsibility for safety starts and ends with ship owners and managers. However, owners often seek assistance from classification (class) societies in identifying and evaluating safety risks. Although often referenced in the maritime world, class society roles and responsibilities relating to vessel safety are not widely known.

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8/6/2021 · Marine - Maritime

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The International Safety Management (ISM) Code In Developing A Safety Culture

By: George Zeitler

The adoption of the International Safety Management Code by the International Maritime Organization as a means to promote a change in maritime industry’s attitude towards safe operating practices has been well documented. The code placed a strong level of responsibility on the ship owner or operator to conduct a self-assessment of their policies and practices in order to develop and implement a safety management

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