There are pirates, and there are pirates...

[Amgine]

Abandoned vessels adding up as the economy heads south.

More boats will likely be sunk due to greed and recklessness in the banking industries than have been sunk by pirates. And we're not just talking about yachts bought on loan.

Associated Press

[Vasco]

The usual AP sensationalized story with no real facts. Just a couple of anecdotes that passes for journalism nowadays. Quote: " high fuel prices and poor fishing have driven boat owners to abandon perhaps thousands of vessels on the waterfront,".Unquote. Perhaps millions of vessels! They go on to cite two cases (not verified). Abandoned commercial vessels have been around since commercial vessels have been around. You see them in creeks and backwaters everywhere. As for abandoned $200,000 boats, they won't stay abandoned very long. Tell me where they are.

[Pelagic]

Perhaps some of those distressed boaters should be asking for a Government bailout in order to help our failing economy!....

[Boomp]

If any 'news' nowadays has the little AP after the story, I don't believe it. In fact I am getting pretty good at seeing a story or 'headline', looking at the last word and if the AP is there. I'm done. Its about as reliable as PRAVDA...that has been of a Soviet Paper. Ap is not news as much as it is political agenda...sorry for ranting

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by AP

where they are beginning to break up and sink, leaking oil and other pollutants.

Are they talking about wooden boats. How many of them things are still around?

Now, marina and harbor officials are reporting a sudden increase in the past year in the number of deserted pleasure boats and working vessels.

I'd like to know who theses so called 'Marina/Harbor Officials" are. Obviously, they haven't been around very long. There are a lot less now then when I was growing up.

When the payments are 40 days delinquent, the marina chains the boat to the dock. Recently, a boat owner in one of Short's Southern California marinas disappeared, leaving behind a $200,000 boat and no contact information.

Show me and I'll take it off their hands. Somebody made out! Are they bragging or complaining?

[ksmith]

Yea the owner of my marina is real upset. Has a Carver 36, Viking 38 and a Rinker 34. Hard cost about 100.00 a piece. Paper cost WOW. I keep wishing the guy with the Bayfield 29 would miss a few months.

[sneuman]

I agree this is not a well-written article. First and foremost, it conflates commercial and recreational vessels throughout. It seems that all the anecodotes point to commercial vessels, but the thrust of the article is directed (largely unsubstantiated) at pleasure vessels.

It's possible there's something there, but the thin reporting leaves a big question mark.

Sadly, the AP has been going downhill in recent years with an influx of mostly eager, but inexperienced reporters who cost less. And there are few experienced hands left to show them the ropes. It's the same as in any other industry.

[Stillraining]

Well just remember...Abandoned dosent mean free...a bank is usually looking for payment for it as well.

[David M]

Has anyone ever seen a boat actually chained to the dock for purposes of preventing the operator from using it?

[Little Otter]

Nope, how would that stop someone from getting the boat back anyhow? I will explain with my "Ten Steps To Stealing Back Your Boat: the east coast MARINA confiscation. Edition I " copyright november 13 2008 all rights reserved.( that would make a good book title wouldn't it?) if your in Georgia, all you have to do is:
1. take a hand/hydraulic operated set of bolt cutters
2. cut the chains in the dead of night
3. have extra paint and stuff
4. take the boat to one of Georgia or Florida's thousands of hidden natural coves
5. pull boat to shore and camoflauge it (your choice of brand)
6. remove/and or change name and repaint
7. make minor adjustments to the HIN's and serial numbers
8. get a good tan
9. Dye hair
10. go by an assumed name or nickname

Wala you have your boat back and everything is peachy

[john540]

This thread if great! I want a free boat too! Reminds me of the time I bought an airplane and the previous owner owed back tiedown fees on it. The airport manager hadn't gotten a lien, so he just put a big chain on my plane. No problem, I just got a bigger pair of boltcutters and flew to a different airport. Had they gotten the lien, I would have found it on the title search, and had it taken care of during the purchase.

[S/V Elusive]

One of the marinas that I had been at (Channel Islands Harbor), use to chain boats. Most of them that owed money ... well, they actually would rather those people LEFT. There was one boat that KNEW they wanted him to leave, and were going to kick him out (the guy let the boat go ) - so he fell into arrears for two months worth ... but kept making just enough payments to stay even with that ... His boat was chained (it couldn't go too far anyway) they couldn't kick him out and lose two months rent.

[imagine2frolic]

I wonder if there are some free cats for ireany & therapy....lolololol

[svHyLyte]

When we moved from San Francisco to SoCal in 1985, there was an 18 to 24 month waiting list for slips at the Long Beach Muni Marina. We finally got a slip in 1987.

When we left SoCal for Florida in '92--after the S&L Melt-down (another financial crises courtesy of Congress)--there was no waiting list at all and I have a Dec '92 newspaper clipping that reports that LB Marina had over 40 boats that had been seized after their owners had stopped paying berthing fees and essentially abandoned the boats--both sail and power. We stopped by the police dock and, except for one or two boats, there wasn't a one I would have touched with a boat hook. Neither, evidently, would the few lenders that inspected their "collateral".

Eventually, these, and later many others, were hauled out (over the beach by a bulldozer), loaded on flat-beds and taken to the junk-yard.

I suspect this crises will lead to the same thing, or worse. Several yachts in our marina have lately been put up for sale by owners that are the last people I would ever have expected to give up their boats. When it comes to a choice between boats or homes, however, in most cases the boat looses out.

FWIW...

s/v HyLyte

[perchance]

The only pirates in our neck of the woods own all the marinas and chandelerys.