Finders keepers....

Rustyknight

Rustyknight

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Many years ago, on trips between Poole and the Solent, it was common for us to come across bits and pieces that had fallen off other boats......

A few good sized fenders, about half a dozen life bouy lights (without the bouy), a couple of buckets, and one boat hook, have all been rescued and now reside either on the boat or in the garage.

For some reason, this supply of freebies has dried up in the last 5 or 6 years!

Why?? Are people tying things on properly now?..... either because of better training, or tight waddidness?, or is it just that more boats about means that someone else is finding it all??
 
Or you are getting old and the eagle eyes aren't what they used to be!
 
I'll have you know my contact lenses get cleaned every day!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I never had to buy a fender in the first ten years I had the boat, there always seemed to be one or two on the shoreline around Chichester harbour in the winter. More recently I've noticed you just don't see them aound any more. The year before last I finally replaced two that were well past their sell by date with new ones. Ouch.
 
Next time I'm on the boat, I'll see if I can make a list of things that are wearing out and let you know what I need.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Many years ago walking on the beach at Whitstable I found a fender on the waterline, took it back to the car popped it in the boot and thought no more about it. Three days later we got a visit from our local police, it seems that some local busy body in Whitstable had seen me pick the fender up, logged my car number and reported it to the police.

Thankfully it never went any further, the local police were bemused by the whole thing but they took the fender back and presumably somehow shipped it back to Whitstable.

I am now very careful what I pick up! Finders certainly isn't keepers.
 
Coming out of Yarmouth harbour last year we were passed by a very distinctive mobo off the next pontoon near our berth at Haslar, as she pulled ahead she dropped a fender and not noticing she carried on her way. This fender was not your average white jobby, it was large and of an unusual brand, with a very distinctive colour to match her hull and had matching coloured warp - absolutely no doubt it was one of hers.

Going into Portsmouth this motor boat passed us and we held the fender up and waved at her to indicate she had dropped it, the crew looked but turned their noses up and carried on. We thought they didn't understand what we were saying.

In the marina we backed down the aisle of boats and the mobo crew were by that time in their cockpit, I called out that they had dropped a fender and would they like it back - they replied very snootily that of course they hadn't dropped a fender (as if doing that would be beneath them).

What would you do? - I still have that fender in my cockpit locker.
 
Re: Fenders keepers....

[ QUOTE ]
What would you do? - I still have that fender in my cockpit locker.

[/ QUOTE ]Exactly the same as you, except that being an ornery old b*gger, I'd probably make a special effort to use it whenever they're around!

AFAIK, the law re lost property says you must take reasonable steps to find the owner. Obviously telling Mr Plod is one way of doing that, so you're covered by any acusation of theft, but there's no obligation to do so. If things got nasty, it would be for you to convince a court that the steps you'd taken to find the owner were reasonable.

BTW, you do have to take reasonable care of the stuff for a reasonable period in case the owner turns up.

IMHO, seeing the fender fall off the boat and trying to give it back would certainly cover you too. If they don't want it back, it ain't lost property - it's litter!
 
Re: Fenders keepers....

What you need to be able to do is recognise the difference between Flotsam and Jetsam. My memory has Flotsam as that which is washed off unintentionally and should be declared to the Receiver of Wrecks and is subject to salvage, Jetsam is intentionally jettisoned and is indeed finders keepers. But I could be wrong.
 
Re: Fenders keepers....

If I read that correctly, then anything that has fallen overboard and been given up for lost is officially "derelict" ( /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif could apply to some yachts I know). You, as salvor, have to give it to the Receiver and then after a year it becomes the property of the Crown. The trouble is, this was all drafted in the days when we had a Royal Yacht, and Queenie needed all those fenders and boathooks. These days they'd only clutter up the shed at Buck house, so really we're doing her a favour by not handing them in.
 
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