Would you claim salvage?

Would you request to be paid salvage for towing-in a leisure vessel in distress?

  • Yes, and I'd only do it if I were able to claim salvage

    Votes: 7 3.6%

  • Maybe I'd try it on, see what the reply is

    Votes: 9 4.6%

  • Of course not; I'd do my best to help a stricken vessel for free

    Votes: 178 91.8%
  • Total voters
    194
B

Babylon

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...if you were in a position to tow in a stricken leisure vessel?

Or would you do it - no matter the inconvenience to your own passage - out of altruism?

For the sake of simplicity, I'd like to confine the poll options to towing in normal leisure sailors in their yachts, mobos, etc, rather than larger commercial vessels, superyachts, professional fishing boats, etc.
 
What goes around etc

I have been in a situation where I towed somebody into Cherbourg (no doubt saving him from the SNSM accountants :D) and it never occurred to me that I might claim salvage, and if it had I wouldn't have done so. I hope that if I get in a jam someone will help me out without thinking of how they might profit by it.
 
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I must admit I have had one exxperience where I would have been tempted but we called a commercial launch for the casualty to tow them in. You have to treat every case on it's merits, and this was a plonker. We attended another yacht that day and were happy to help, and if we had needed to would have towed him home.
 
Babylon said:
...if you were in a position to tow in a stricken leisure vessel?

Or would you do it - no matter the inconvenience to your own passage - out of altruism?

For the sake of simplicity, I'd like to confine the poll options to towing in normal leisure sailors in their yachts, mobos, etc, rather than larger commercial vessels, superyachts, professional fishing boats, etc.
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If my share were worth enough to pay off my mortgage and/or give up work for life I'm sure I'd give in to the temptation.

There wasn't a box for that!
 
Done it several times, including last weekend and once putting my own vessel in danger, and had no intention of claiming.

I'm not sure there aren't very rare circumstances (mainly to do with the owner) where I wouldn't claim.

From the other end of the telescope, I was once on a friends yacht, becalmed and twirling in the tide among ships in the night, with an engine that would start but probably wouldn't run for long (so we could get out of the way of danger, but weren't going to use it until necessary). The skipper called the coastguard to advise the situation, but didn't specifically say 'securite', and before we knew it there was a lifeboat on its way. It was not long before we saw it blasting towards us searchlights blazing. We readied ourselves to pass a line, but realised in the nick of time that it wasn't the lifeboat at all, but a fishing boat that had heard the coastguard sending out the lifeboat, and nipped in ahead of them to try to make a fast buck.:(
 
Not enuff choices.

Any of you lot, buy me a pint.

Aaron Abramovich, you're welcome. Sir. Sorry to dirty your warp.

Paul Allen. Might you be interested in an idea that I've had? Bread knife in hand.
 
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. . . have towed someone in trouble and have also been towed. Salvage never mentioned and . . .
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If you are accepting 'a tow' you really should mention salvage up front. It's incumbent on the person accepting help to clarify the terms under which the help is given. There's no need to be formal but at least raising the issue could save hassles later.

I don't want to demonise fisherman and other professional mariners, but salvage in the commercial world isn't seen as preying on the unfortunate, but a way that someone who takes the time, incurs costs and even puts him and his boat at risk, can be adequately compensated. If no agreement is reached beforehand, then the default are the terms in a Lloyds open contract. A maritime court will take into account all factors before deciding a binding fee to be paid.

If there is a risk you and your boat might 'flee' before settlement is reached, a writ will be nailed to your mast and you can't go anywhere. All the precedents are well established over centuries of maritime tradition and law.
 
"What if the ship you saved were uninsured and carrying $1,000,000,000,000,000 in gold bullion to a murderous dictator who was going to spend every penny of the gold on slaughtering masses of cute puppies? You wouldn't be tempted to take your share?"

Perhaps; I might see if I could claim a couple of the puppies, but it'd depend on what flavour they were.
 
Interesting question. In all honestly I would not claim a thing if someone was on board and needed rescuing. But if I happened upon an abandoned boat mid-atlantic and towed it I would give it serious consideration. The insurance company would be happy to pay the cost rather than a total loss and I would imagine the owner would be please to see the vessel back.
 
Its not just leisure boaters who will help others in distress. Speaking to one of Boston Fishermen association alumni ( he might just punch me if I called him that to his face), he made it very clear that all seamen should help each other. It may be you the next time, although I think the chance of me hauling 36ft of steel tub up the river to the berth is slim.
 
Ie never claimed salvage - but have received a couple of bottles for rendering assistance.
Always help a fellow boater - but if they want to go where we are not heading then it may cost them.
 
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