squatting washed up boats

[Dameon]

Tow it out, "find it" tow back in under salvage rights laws. Google maritime laws for international water salvage rights & you should be good. Having to pay a mainland gov fee on a clearly abandon piece of property the original owner & the gov does not care about, of course until you want it, is ridiculousness.

This is not how salvage works, unfortunately. First off, the boat needs to be in actual peril, as in headed for rocks (a sandy beach is not peril for a boat). Secondly, you don't get the boat; after salvage, you're able to place a salvage lien on the boat, which means that the boat's owner owes you a certain amount of money for your salvaging service. If it worked the way you're thinking, anybody could steal a boat, tow it out to international waters, tow it back, and boom it's theirs.

 

[1CannaBliss3]

This is not how salvage works, unfortunately. First off, the boat needs to be in actual peril, as in headed for rocks (a sandy beach is not peril for a boat). Secondly, you don't get the boat; after salvage, you're able to place a salvage lien on the boat, which means that the boat's owner owes you a certain amount of money for your salvaging service. If it worked the way you're thinking, anybody could steal a boat, tow it out to international waters, tow it back, and boom it's theirs.

Well that's good to know. What if the owner does not exist nor one can be found? Which of course would be done before you claim rights on it.

 

[Dameon]

Well that's good to know. What if the owner does not exist nor one can be found? Which of course would be done before you claim rights on it.

The boat will have identifying information and can always be traced back to somebody that has legal claim on it, but honestly if it's such a crap boat that it's been abandoned that completely it's not even worth wanting to claim. There's an old saying in the boat community..."no such thing as a free boat." Free boats are a dime a dozen if you don't care how crap they are.

 

[1CannaBliss3]

The boat will have identifying information and can always be traced back to somebody that has legal claim on it, but honestly if it's such a crap boat that it's been abandoned that completely it's not even worth wanting to claim. There's an old saying in the boat community..."no such thing as a free boat." Free boats are a dime a dozen if you don't care how crap they are.

Thanks for your advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[Nickseck]

There's a shitload of boats washed up everywhere in Florida after the hurricane. Even when there isn't a hurricane there's abandoned boats all over. If you could paddle to them on a raft or kayak or something they would be a great place to squat. I'm living on a boat right now and there's a giant houseboat washed up right next to me it would be an awesome place I would think even though it is kind of slanted so you might have to level the floor. Many of these boats don't get removed for years.

Any specific areas to check out? I’ll be traveling to Florida soon and I love this idea