⚠ Wire-fraud warning: We never send or change wire instructions by email. Always verify by phone using a known number before sending funds.
Vessel Documentation · Title · Closings

Yacht closings and documentation, handled clean.

USCG documentation, title & registration, escrow coordination, and foreign flagging — managed end to end so your deal closes on time, the first time.

Led by Lisa Chalker — roughly 10,000 yacht closings behind her.
USCG Documentation Title & Registration Escrow Coordination Foreign Flag
What we do

Every document, every filing — under one roof.

Closings & Escrow

  • Brokered-sale closings
  • For-Sale-By-Owner closings
  • Escrow & settlement coordination
  • Buyer's & seller's closing statements
  • Disbursement & authorization to close

USCG Documentation

  • Initial documentation
  • Transfer of ownership
  • Annual renewal & reinstatement
  • Deletion / re-flag
  • Name & hailing-port change

Title & Liens

  • Abstract of title (USCG)
  • Title & lien searches — vessel and seller
  • Preferred ship mortgage recording
  • Satisfaction & release of liens

State & International

  • Florida & multi-state titling/registration
  • Foreign flagging — Cayman, Marshall Is., BVI
  • U.S. cruising permits
  • Corporate entity formation
How it works

A clean closing, step by step.

Contract & Deposit

Purchase & sale agreement in hand; deposit to the agreed escrow holder.

Survey, Sea-Trial & Acceptance

Buyer's acceptance of vessel; we track the contingency dates.

Title & Lien Search

USCG abstract of title plus lien searches on the vessel and seller.

Tax Determination

Florida sales/use tax (6%, $18,000 cap) and nonresident considerations.

Funds & Closing Prep

Closing statements and disbursement authorization; funds confirmed before closing.

Closing & Filing

Execute, disburse, file with the NVDC/state, and deliver your running package.

Lisa Chalker
headshot
Who runs your closing

Lisa Chalker, Managing Director

Lisa Chalker (formerly Lisa Borkowski) has spent more than a decade on the documentation and closing side of the yacht business, where she's known for getting complicated deals across the line. With her husband, Capt. Lee Borkowski, she co-owned ASAP Marine Documentation & Registration in Fort Lauderdale for over seven years — even authoring the document-production software the firm ran on. She later served as Director of Administration at 26 North Yachts and then Denison Yacht Sales before co-founding All Oceans Closings, which she led as President.

Her work spans USCG documentation, state titling, foreign-flag registration, lien and title searches, and full escrow-backed closings — with a particular focus on the hard ones: repossessions, U.S. Marshal seizures, estate and divorce sales, trusts, and absentee or overseas owners. She has spoken on "Listing to Closing" at FYBA/IYBA, and by her own count has handled in the neighborhood of 10,000 closings.

"The wisdom that comes with 10,000 successful closings is invaluable." — Bob Denison, Denison Yacht Sales
Security first

We protect your funds like the deal depends on it — because it does.

Wire fraud is the single biggest threat in a boat transaction. Here is exactly how we handle it.

We never email wire changes

Above Deck Closings will never send or change wiring instructions by email. If you receive any email claiming we have, treat it as fraud and call us.

Verify by phone, every time

Before you send funds, call a known number and verbally confirm the account details. Repeat the account number back. No exceptions.

We verify counter-parties out of band

We confirm seller, lienholder, and lender payoff details independently — not from an email signature line.

Get started

Start a closing.

By submitting you agree to be contacted about your transaction. We never share your information.

Talk to us

(954) 000-0000

closings@abovedeckclosings.com

Lighthouse Point, Florida

Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm ET

Buying or selling without a broker? We handle FSBO closings too — same clean process, start to finish.