Complete loss of oil in new boat due to loose oil filter, is the manufacturer liable

[BBill]

If any case existed it would have been the moment you found the loose filter...and contacted the dealer at that time. Otherwise adding oil, tightening the filter and running the engine worked against you.

There is no way the engine ran 20 min without oil and had no measurable wear. My take is it had enough oil in the crankcase to at least splash or mist parts. A loose filter may leak oil at high pressure and not leak when the pressure drops. If that was the case the engine may have been getting enough oil at idle. Too many variables to know for sure. Good luck and i know you will be checking the engine more often now.