Month Long Chesapeake Bay Cruise on 480 DB/Four Suns

So. . .whatever happened to the transient boat plugged into power at your private dock?
 
The boat is still there. It's called "Dorthy May" and is from Palmetto, FL. I need to do something about it this weekend as the boat is actually starting to sink since it is no longer plugged into my shore power.
 
Four Suns said:
The boat is still there. It's called "Dorthy May" and is from Palmetto, FL. I need to do something about it this weekend as the boat is actually starting to sink since it is no longer plugged into my shore power.

WHAT??? Where did you dock all the time while this wreck was there??
 
Dorothy May is not documented so the CG isn't going to be much help. On Monday if you will call the county tax collector in the county Palmetto is located in and explain that the boat was abandoned on your property and that it is in danger of sinking, they may look up the FL number for you. I think all you need is the FL # and the hin# off the transom. If that won't work, you can find the owner information or even get a copy of the title here:

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/data/past.html

You can check to see if the boat is reported stolen here:
http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/fdle/boats_search.asp


Homeland security wants us to repost all suspicious activity......a boat left in my back yard would qualify as suspicious.

If all else fails you can report the vessel as a derelict and ask for your local water cops to handle it.
 
Well.. Mystery is solved. And it is so screwy I'm not sure I can write it up properly.

The boat belongs to a neighbor. Let's call them Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Mr. Jones bought this boat in Florida about a week before I got back and told Mrs. Jones that he was going to take it to Costa Rica (no lie) to put at a friends place. The boat was on a trailer and once the boat was put in the water, the trailer was sold. The boat was about 33K and is the biggest piece of crap you can imagine. I'll post pictures tomorrow. He was going to take this boat on the water to Costa Rica. Ha ha ha ha.

Mr. Jones then told Mrs. Jones that he needed to fly down to Costa Rica with his guy friend and check out the place and would be back in a week. Mrs. Jones then bumped into Mr. Jones friend at a local grocery store and realized that Mr. Jones went to Costa Rica without a guy friend but a GIRL friend. Mrs. Jones is now mad. Mr. Jones is not coming back. Mr. Jones boat is sinking at my dock and Mrs. Jones said to me today to "let it sink... I don't want it"...

great... I have a POS boat on my dock sinking in the midst of a Costa Rica love triangle...

Isn't Costa Rica a long boat ride from VA?
 
Let it go until the point where a reasonable man can say the vessel is in "imminent danger". Then claim salvage rights to it. You can charge a reasonable % of the value, although any % of a piece of crap isn't much.

If you don't do something, you will have to handle the clean up (enviornmental?) and raising of a boat sunk at your dock anyway. This way you can file a claim with the owners insurance company or sue him in small claims court for the salvage clain to off set your cost.

Here's another thought......climb on the boat with your hand held VHF and call Sea Tow or Boat/US, whichever one you have towing with. Tell them you need a tow to a publically owned marina with forklift or travel lift services. Have the boat hauled and give them the owners name and he or his soon-to-be ex can handle it.

Best idea yet, is to hook a line to it and haul it off shore. Mark the location on your plotter and shoot the hull with a 12ga. Give it till April and go back for the snapper or grouper.

I'm just full of ideas...huh? But, knowing you, you'll try to take the high road, but its hard to figure out what that might be in this case. Let us know what you decide to do.
 
Me and Mrs Jones .... ?

Gary, you seem to have been willed a boat, because sure as he** when Mrs Jones finds Mr. Jones, she's gonna kill him.

On the boat. It is a tresspass, and since Mrs Jones is also the owner she is equally responsible for it. She's mad now but she is going to be alot more mad if she has to do an EPA clean up. Plus the boat is on your docks and would foul your shoreline. Its advisable to keep the pumps running and report the abandonement to the local Sheriff's office marine patrol division that you neighbor has left a boat on your dock w/o permission. Ask to have the boat arrested and serve Mrs. Jones with storage and costs and expenses.

Mrs. Jones can not allow the boat to remain at your dock as you have noticed her that her property is illegally docked. Again, I'd get help from the local law enforcement to solve this problem but don't let it sink at your dock. if you do, your life will become even more difficult.

With some external pressure, if Mrs Jones really doesn't want the boat, perhaps she'll sign it over to you as satsifaction of debt from her storage debt and your sizable costs ... get the boat titled to you and then sell it, pocket the change, you might recover the cost of your months vacation. :thumbsup:

Even if it is really a POS it may still have value as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If he paid 33K, it might fetch 10K in a duress sale.
 
Gotta go with As. on this.

His advice is quite good I think.

Definately don't let the boat sink at your dock. If things go your way. . .you may be able to pay for your recent vacation as noted.
 
Well... I didn't get a picture of Mrs. Jones but here's the boat on my dock (boat is on the left). Mrs. Jones' brother came over this morning and pumped the water out but it is still listing to starboard somewhat. Time to drive it to Costa Rica.

DSC_0848.jpg


I'm not going to take a hard line on this as this is backwoods Virginia and life is a little laid back here and I don't want to fuel the Costa Rican love triangle war... I'll just watch for another week and see what happens.

Shooting it with the 12 guage sounds like a good idea though.
 
For the price of a place ticket from Tx I will be more than happy to make that thing no longer a problem for all parties involved :wink:

At least you know the wheres and whys to the story.....now just keep the juicy bits coming so us "arm chair boaters" can live vicariously through your current soap opera.

Graham
 
My office is in Palmetto FL.....but I promise its not my boat!!!!!

BTW- I read this entire post in the last couple of days and I have to say that it was great reading and the pics were even better. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us Gary.
 

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