Re: Message for BillP
Please understand I am NOT a lawyer and NOT giving legal advise...What I found (and not from public message boards) is the owner does NOT decide if it is a salvage, even if on the boat at time of exchanging tow lines. It doesn't matter who offers the tow line either (that is used in civil liability/injury law). The owner does NOT have to be informed at the time of tow if a salvage is happening. When the salvage boat operator thinks the floundered boat is in danger if he doesn't tow it he CAN claim salvage. The old maritime laws back this 100% and insurance companies will tell you so too. Guys with mega yachts are the big targets. It is basically up to the integrity of the tow boat operator whether he wants to claim salvage or not. <br /><br />Abandoned boats are a totally different matter. I know a fellow in Florida who salvaged a 45' trimaran that broke it's mooring and drifted to his dock. He tied it up and did the legal route to claim the vessel (yes, he was known locally as already being a dirt bag). This amounted to advertising and doing the paperwork. The owner was out of state for a year working on the Alaska pipeline and nobody knew how to contact him (the salvage guy knew this). Eventually the owner bought the boat back for cost of "salvage". A good citizen would have towed the tri one half mile back to the mooring and secured it for the owner.<br /><br />My personal advice is to contact your marine insurance company rep and ask. Also do some web searching for salvage laws. There are court cases online...it is out there. My links on this were gone a long time ago but it is interesting reading. <br /><br />Bill
) about boat salvage law. It is/was my understanding anyone that tows an abandoned or unoccupied vessel that is not anchored or moored has legally salvaged the boat and becomes the newly de facto owner. If you stay on/with your boat, the maritime salvage claim would not apply. I DO NOT KNOW if this accurate. Do you/anyone know more about this?