Sounds like an abandoned vessel to me. It is common in Florida for people with decrepit boats in the water to simply anchor them and row away to avoid paying salvage costs. Of course, they scrape off all identifying numbers.
Is there an anchorage nearby? Any tackle onboard? I’ve heard of people moving abandoned boats after being frustrated by the unwillingness of the authorities to deal with the problem. Maybe you use an old Danforth from your garage with some rusty chain and 100 feet of scrap rode. Jack Brennan Former C&C 25 Shanachie, 1974 Bristol 30 Tierra Verde, Fl. From: Rick Brass via CnC-List Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2017 10:42 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: Rick Brass Subject: Re: Stus-List Mooring Rights -- Any "Sea Lawyers" on the List? Edd, I hate to say it but you’re involved in a bucket of s … well, let’s say a can of worms. Some states have abandoned and derelict boat laws, most don’t seem to. And local laws are sometimes conflicting and hard to find. (For example, the local regulations in New Bern, NC are part of the local zoning code and Oriental, NC – where there are more sailboats than people – has no regulation at all.) I wouldn’t expect too much from the USCG because they seem to be pretty disinterested unless the offending boat is a hazard to navigation. I’m rapidly gaining expertise on this because of growing problems we’re having in the harbor an Washington, NC, where I manage the municipal marina. In North Carolina you can send a registered letter to the last owner of record for the offending boat. If he doesn’t claim the letter in 30 days, or if he gets the letter but does nothing, you can go to the State and apply for title to the vessel, which takes another couple of weeks. Then you can move, sell, dispose of, or scrap the boat because it is yours. I’d start by contacting the state agency that handles registration of boats in the state where the boat is currently. They can tell you what your options are. Rick Brass Washington, NC --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus
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