Marine Safety Expert | Captain, USCG (Retired) | Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering

Captain McAvoy provides expert testimony and technical analysis in both commercial and recreational maritime litigation, including vessel casualty investigations, ship inspection compliance disputes, mariner credentialing matters, waterways management incidents, and personal injury and property damage cases. His experience spans fishing vessels, commercial tank ships, offshore facilities, and recreational boats.

Captain McAvoy has deep expertise in domestic and international maritime regulatory frameworks, including SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, OPA 90, and CFR Title 46, as well as Outer Continental Shelf regulatory standards. He developed and implemented national compliance policy in these areas during his tenure as Office Chief at Coast Guard Headquarters.

Yes — he chaired the formal USCG/NTSB Marine Board of Investigation into the sinking of fishing vessel Lady Mary (six crew fatalities) and assisted in the Coast Guard's investigation of the Deepwater Horizon casualty. He also investigated the 265,000-gallon Athos I crude oil spill on the Delaware River.

Yes, Captain McAvoy has authored publications and provided testimony on the standards of care applicable to captains, masters, and skippers, drawing on decades of field inspection, investigation, and national policy experience. He is qualified to opine on both commercial and recreational vessel operator duties.

He holds a Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Michigan. His career included leading ship plan review and approval of new construction and engineering modifications at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center.

As an Associate at Robson Forensic, Inc., Captain McAvoy is available to provide objective, science-based expert analysis and testimony for matters across the commercial and recreational maritime spectrum, regardless of which party retains him.