If you find a boat drifting in the ocean with no one board, is it finders
keepers? What if you were a professional salvager?

"Listen to the live broadcast of 'Nautical Talk Radio' with Captain Lou every
Sunday afternoon from 4 - 5 (Eastern Standard Time) on the web at
www.959watd.com or if you are in Boston or Cape Cod set your radio dial to
95.9FM.

nauticaltalk asks:

-If you find a boat drifting in the ocean with no one board, is it finders
keepers? What if you were a professional salvager?-

Bilge- I read your question and relayed it to our Chief Mate. Either one of two
things happen...you get it back to port and claim salvage.

If no one disputes your claim, then it's your boat.

If the insurers or P&I club dispute the claim, then usually the cargo and the
boat get sold at auction and you get paid the salvage cut first in line.

As I'm sure you're aware, this is why the Captain is habitually the last off a
sinking ship, once the Captain is gone, the vessel is no longer under the
owners' control. And if, say, the dishwasher and the firemen manage to bring it
into a port, then they get to retire.


For the authoritative word on the matter, check the CFRs.

Regards;


Mutiny is a Management Tool
Select Your Tattoo while Sober

Capt Lou wrote:
If you find a boat drifting in the ocean with no one board, is it finders
keepers? What if you were a professional salvager?

Short story... no

Slightly longer story... you can claim salvage rights but that entails
an obligation to the legal owners as well as a potential windfall for
you. To claim salvage rights you have to keep the boat & all it's
contents & equipment safe & secure. There have been cases where yachts
found drifting were stripped by the finders, and the "finders" were
taken to court by the boat's insurer.

If you were a professional salvor (or "salvager" if you prefer) then
you'd probably have a good Admiralty lawyer on speed dial.

Fair Skies
Doug King

On 17 Sep 2004 13:56:26 GMT, (Capt Lou) wrote:

If you find a boat drifting in the ocean with no one board

Oh no, it's not the "Mary Celeste", is it?
http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Nov...ry_celeste.htm

Take care...

--
Q