Boat off mooring - salvage claim... Again?! Arrr!

[Fatbeard]

Sunday morning was a bit of a howler... woke and inspected ... updated log:

" Sun 29th July 07.35am
Windy night ... more wind this morning ...
White sloop just drifted in with no crew aboard... "

later...

" Jumped into drink (surprisingly warm). Swam over to her.
Plan was to get aboard, drop her anchor and secure her mid channel... sadly NO ANCHOR OR CHAIN! NOooOOoooo!
If I had left her for another half a minute she would have smashed into the bridge with 40knot wind behind her... bye bye mast... and probably bye bye boat (several other wrecked boats nearby confirm this possibility).
Secured a line, swam to bank and pulled her ashore with literally seconds to spare. Secured her best as I could (no fenders aboard no rope etc). She is now pinned by wind against the shoreline with 30cm gap between her and the bridge.
Swam back to (my boat), gathered gear... tide now going out so XXX is now grounded ... too windy for rowing and now stuck by ebb so half hour walk around to the other side across fields, a swamp and 1/4 mile of knee deep muddy shoreline. Really.

Mooring rode is slippery and rotten and has obviously parted in the weather last night.

The land she is moored on is strictly no admittance for various reasons ... also very difficult to access. Aboard XXX for evening high tide and manage to release her from where she is wedged and tie her up as safe as possible... affixed a salvage note and left.

Home for Sunday lunch a little after midnight. "

^^ above is a rough quote from my log with a few changes required to protect my privacy.

WWYD?

I'm about to visit the local police station to report the find and notify the owners. Yes, I cut the lock off... no damage to boat.

Boat value might be £5k.

 

[Spyro]

If it's insured then it's probably between you and them. If it's not insured you may find the owner will tell you to keep it then it's a whole new can of worms as you might need to recover it. What exactly is it you want? Unusual first post. You wouldn't be known by any other name???

 

[RichardS]

You swam across to another boat in a 40 knot wind, took a line ashore and tied her up?

Am I reading this right?

Richard

 

[sailorman]

You swam across to another boat in a 40 knot wind, took a line ashore and tied her up?

Am I reading this right?

Richard

 

[Deleted member 36384]

The way you describe the yacht I would have assessed that she was junk and that my life was worth more than swimming across in 40 kts to grub 5k. But maybe no anchor, rotten lines and a gash are indicative of a classy yacht in your neck of the swamp.

 

[MoodySabre]

We do favours for other boat owners as we would wish them do for us. In non-boating life too. Take a small "thank you" and be pleased with your efforts. It isn't about cashing in other people's misfortunes.

A friend of mine got involved with a salvage claim against him after his boat came off its mooring. It was resolved by my friend giving the person's son £100 towards a new bike.

 

[LadyInBed]

You say - salvage claim... Again?! Arrr!
Do you make a habit of it?

 

[Fatbeard]

Arrr! shipmates ... thanks for the replies!
@Spyro... "what I want" ... hmmm. Ideally yes I would rather deal with an insurer.
First time here saw MoodySabre's similarly titled post. I'm not unusual... I'm... N-N-normal. Arrr!
@Richard5 ... yes. Ofc I wore a life jacket ... it was less than 50m and I'm fat so I float.
Looking back the more serious risk was being crushed like a grape.
@Sailorman: Brexit +1 lets do it!
@BlowingOldBoots ... shes 10 years newer than my boat!
The day £5k isn't worth getting covered in warm stinking muck in a storm ... Theresa May would confirm.
BTW how much did you "grub" last Sunday? You're probably a millionaire ... old money ... silver spoon ... sorry to seem to differ, sir. Love your brexit posts.
@MoodySabre ... right on. I expect your friend was really pleased matey had bothered and gave him as much as he could afford, rather than the minimum he thought he could get away with? As you say, it's not about cashing in on misfortune ... more like making sure the effort was worthwhile? Tell me ... how much would you want to complete the items above? Would you waste your next Sunday risking your life and wading through a swamp (close enough) for say £500? If so I might hold you to it!
@LadyInBed... the area is a trap for boats that part from their moorings ... they drift up and get permanently stuck or break up on the very solid bridge. There are 3 others there now apart from this latest.

So... what would you do? Just trolling there... but is there a recognised route to getting "something" for the risks time etc?

My plan: Report to local police and provide them with owners details.
Allow 24 hours then contact owner via their mooring body?

Possible owner is decent ... makes a reasonable offer straight away.
Possible owner is insured and simply forwards the claim to insurers.
Possible owner is rude angry and determined to reclaim boat at no cost via any means.

Are there any other possible reactions?
What would you do in his shoes?
Is there a moral aspect to this?
If there is an explicit moral ... is it 'preparedness brings it's own rewards' ... or 'rotten lines make rotten mornings'? Or have I completely missed the point?
How EXACTLY would you explain this to the bored looking policeman at the local lock up?
Is there any way I can make this whole process easier or more fun?

xxx.

 

[longjohnsilver]

What lock did you cut off, and why?

 

[Fatbeard]

@Longjohnsilver... Arrr!
Cabin / hatch lock.
Searching for anchor / ropes to tie her up with and fenders in case of collision with bridge.
Also it occurred to me that all might not be well below decks, and of course now responsible for the situation, had I not taken the perfectly sensible action of opening her and checking there might have been further damage or even total loss.
It seemed reasonable... and I did feel better once I was able to see daggerboard was raised no holes etc... yet you have a good point. She was technically safe at this point ... I could have tried to swim back for fenders and mooring ropes, or waited for tide to ebb and walked back to my boat to collect what was needed? It was more expedient to rummage for the required bits. The effort to drag her off the mud on the next tide required the winch and heavy mooring line stowed aboard.
Yet it would taste a lie not to admit that pure curiosity also played it's part.
On balance, in similar circumstances, I would probably do it again ... as a result I obtained the owners details, had a place to wait out the bad weather until the next tide, and access to the right equipment when I needed it.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I bet the owner is very please with you , probably been waiting for the right storm to get rid of his wreck of a boat and get a little insurance money back , and then you come alone ,now he back to owning a wreck again and has to compensate someone for the pledger. .

 

[Fatbeard]

@Sailaboutvic ... good perspective ... you get the prize for the most crooked answer so far!
@Longjohnsilver... Arrr! Damnit you're bang on... next time this happens (and it will) I will think twice before actually forcing an entry. It may not be required.

 

[nortada]

Sunday morning was a bit of a howler... woke and inspected ... updated log:

" Sun 29th July 07.35am
Windy night ... more wind this morning ...
White sloop just drifted in with no crew aboard... "

later...

" Jumped into drink (surprisingly warm). Swam over to her.
Plan was to get aboard, drop her anchor and secure her mid channel... sadly NO ANCHOR OR CHAIN! NOooOOoooo!
If I had left her for another half a minute she would have smashed into the bridge with 40knot wind behind her... bye bye mast... and probably bye bye boat (several other wrecked boats nearby confirm this possibility).
Secured a line, swam to bank and pulled her ashore with literally seconds to spare. Secured her best as I could (no fenders aboard no rope etc). She is now pinned by wind against the shoreline with 30cm gap between her and the bridge.
Swam back to (my boat), gathered gear... tide now going out so XXX is now grounded ... too windy for rowing and now stuck by ebb so half hour walk around to the other side across fields, a swamp and 1/4 mile of knee deep muddy shoreline. Really.

Mooring rode is slippery and rotten and has obviously parted in the weather last night.

The land she is moored on is strictly no admittance for various reasons ... also very difficult to access. Aboard XXX for evening high tide and manage to release her from where she is wedged and tie her up as safe as possible... affixed a salvage note and left.

Home for Sunday lunch a little after midnight. "

^^ above is a rough quote from my log with a few changes required to protect my privacy.

WWYD?

I'm about to visit the local police station to report the find and notify the owners. Yes, I cut the lock off... no damage to boat.

Boat value might be £5k.

So where did all of this happen

See your log entry is timed at 0735 and you got home after midnight so assume you were in attendance for a complete tide

 

[Fatbeard]

@nortada ... UK tidal estuary.
I couldn't face the walk back through all that mud so stayed aboard once prepped to drag her off!
To clarify it took me an hour to get back home after the second tide of the day dropped her in her current (fairly safe) position. I have yet to move her to my mooring which is more tolerant of visitors and more easily accessed.

 

[sailaboutvic]

@Sailaboutvic ... good perspective ... you get the prize for the most crooked answer so far!
@Longjohnsilver... Arrr! Damnit you're bang on... next time this happens (and it will) I will think twice before actually forcing an entry. It may not be required.

Joking apart .
Many including my self have boarded yacht that have been dragging and stop them from ending up on the shore or rocks .
We do this to help another owner not for financial gain also for my part , I find it very sad when I see a boat smashed on rocks ,
I would hoped if the shoe was on the other foot , someone would do the same for us .

To answer your question , to said that you reported it to the police , good ,
I would had just left a note on the boat explaining would I done and left my details .
any one with a ounces of decent with be in touch. With at less a thank you .
I hope you left it well secured, if it break away again you could be held responsible for any damage .

 

[Spyro]

By your own admission you forced an entry. Claiming salvage you might climb aboard and attach a line but you broke in. If it was mine it was me who would be having a word with the bored looking policeman. Or I could just forget about it and reimburse you for your time, perhaps even double time for a Sunday. But not for the time you spent sleeping on my boat.

 

[davidej]

@Longjohnsilver... Arrr!
Cabin / hatch lock.
Searching for anchor / ropes to tie her up with and fenders in case of collision with bridge.
Also it occurred to me that all might not be well below decks, and of course now responsible for the situation, had I not taken the perfectly sensible action of opening her and checking there might have been further damage or even total loss.
It seemed reasonable... and I did feel better once I was able to see daggerboard was raised no holes etc... yet you have a good point. She was technically safe at this point ... I could have tried to swim back for fenders and mooring ropes, or waited for tide to ebb and walked back to my boat to collect what was needed? It was more expedient to rummage for the required bits. The effort to drag her off the mud on the next tide required the winch and heavy mooring line stowed aboard.
Yet it would taste a lie not to admit that pure curiosity also played it's part.
On balance, in similar circumstances, I would probably do it again ... as a result I obtained the owners details, had a place to wait out the bad weather until the next tide, and access to the right equipment when I needed it.

 

[davidej]

So you swam across to this yacht with a hacksaw in your teeth in case you needed to break into it?

 

[Fatbeard]

@Spyro... yep... my mistake. At the moment I spotted her I assumed it would be required to open her during whatever transpired next, and did this as soon as practical without considering the consequences.
@davidej ... nearly. Grab bag with tools, water, fags, lighter, knife, elec tape, cord etc.
This isn't the first boat adrift here and I have had time to work out a small light bundle.
@Sailaboutvic ... yes I see your perspective... we should all just help each other out and make everyone happy because that's the world we live in and I'm the prince of lollypop lane AHHAahahAHAH!
Joking aside, this jackass has left a boat on a swing mooring with a rotten mooring line for +3 years by condition and bills inside. The boat goes adrift causing who knows what chaos before I stop her. It seems wrong.
And frankly your argument would seem more substantial if you were a non boater with no vested interest in limiting the expectations of people silly enough to risk two minutes of their time helping your sorry azz out of scrapes! No offence.

Thank you guys for the comments... I've learned a bit which is always nice. Will check this thread again after lunch.

 

[TSB240]

Is this a pirate thread?
Does anyone else think that this seem a very strange first post?
Why the need to protect ones privacy?
Why is your main motivation monetary?

I thought this forum was all about helping our fellow boat owners rather than gaining from their misfortune and crowing about it.

I would have thought you could have at least posted the location and which Police Station you have reported this to.

In our area we also contact the CG to notify of a boat that has come adrift from its mooring. They usually have better contacts with local mooring contractors and boat owners.

I am not sure you have a valid claim in any case as salvage has to be in Tidal waters and not within a harbour authorities jurisdiction. In any case salvage is usually improved by using ones own ropes and gear which you studiously avoided.

I think you are a chancer of the lowest order. You will probably have to go to court to make any claim in any case. I doubt your pockets are big enough to fund that excercise!

I suggest you stop crowing and pass on your good wishes to the owner in the hope he might make a small gesture to you.

My gesture would probably be two fingers given your attitude.