How I got a free boat..

[ltgoshen]

Some have asked for how I did it. So Here it Is.
Kind of a long drawn out process, but here what I did. I started on one side of the state of South Carolina and went down the coast to the southern tip at Savannah Ga. I was in my little 16 foot scout. I looked at all the mooring fields first. I looked for boats with hull-growth and expired state registered decals. I had a voice recorder to take down the est. length the model and the hull number “HIN” and also the general condition. I looked at 3 or 4 of the obvious conditional problems that I could identify without opening the cabin. I did not board any vassals with out permission. I took a tone of pictures and I numbered the shots to match the voice recording as not to get them confused. I took 7 shots per voice recording. I made sure not to waste time on the boats I would not want because of size or model or condition. When I had 5 or 6, which is a good hard day’s work on the water “alone”. I would go to work at home following up on the leg work involved in tracking down the owner. I started with the Department of Natural resources then the South Carolina department of motor vehicles. If it is a Vassal with a name and a hailing port on the back, then it is a US coast guard documented vessel and the process is much easier. So here it is.
1) Get a list of candidate vassals. Don’t waste time with the ones to bad off or too big.
2) Track down the owners. Tell them that you would love to take the boat off their hands if they no longer want it. Tell them that you have a burning passion to bring their boat back to life. Poor mouth the whole way. “I have no money but I can do most of the work myself”
3) Contact the tax assessor’s office if it has a state sticker on the boat they will ask for that number and the hull number… be prepared to disclose the numbers. The will tell you the owed tax amount. They don’t care who you are it is public information. Some county office’s have web sites that you can look for yourself. “South Carolina”.
4) if it is a US Coast guard vessel there is a 800 number they will tell you the owners name and address. The will send you the latest documentation for a 4 dollar fee. That’s what I did.
5) Google the owner’s name, the boat name, whatever you have to do to get the owners name.
6) In SC there is legislation in the works to take all the abandoned boats and haul them out, cut them up and put them in the landfill, then Bill the owner the cost. Let the owner know this it might be what they need to make the decision to let you have it.
7) Make them a low-ball offer. Do not make an offer on emotions at all. Think of it like a business. Can you resale it? Can you make your money back? How much time will it take to even make it useable? “Low Ball it” In fact ask for it for free.
Commandeering the vessel
8) If the owner can’t be found “by you”. Let your state DNR do a search. Around $30.00 with an application and most DNR offices will track down the owner for you. They will give you the application back if they can’t find the owner. Check with your stat most all states have their own process for doing this.
9) The next step is to take that application “Affidavit in support for application for title for watercraft/outboard motor” to the court office and ask the judge to file the form. There is a process were they will look for a lien or criminal case against the vessel. 3 weeks to complete this.
10) You will be required to run a General notice in the local news paper for 3 weeks to advise the public that you intend to take passion of this vessel unless someone comes forth to clam it.
11) After the ad has ran in the newspaper, you will bring the proof back to the magistrates office and they will sign off on the paper work. You will then register the boat in your name and wall-la.
I was able to find the owner on my vessel and ask for the boat outright. They had so much gear with the boat I felt bad, so I got the boat for free and I paid for the equipment they had. It will take some work. I am up for the job. I got all my advice for this on this thread last summer.
Tom Thanks for your imput last summer. I think it was you. Any way thanks to all that helped out. Below are the links to some of the stuff you will need.

USCG National Vessel Documentation Center, Forms Page

SCDNR - Boating Registration
SCDNR News Release

[ltgoshen]

Originally Posted by tra

The marina where I keep my boat has several abandoned boats. They just take up space and bring no income. Some have been there for several years. Most are "sunk on land" They are full of rancid water from rain and snow. The interior wood is rotten or delaminated. Things like cushions are useless. Cost to save the the boat is more than the boat is worth. The marina has to pay big bucks to get rid of the boat. It's hazardus waste.

.

The challenge is to find one too far gone for the owner, But not for you.
In my case the owner had all the countenance of the boat garaged out of the weather. The floors were delaminated. No big deal removed them in 1 afternoon replace them with the new wood grain vinyl flooring. Wool-lite the covers to the cushions. Clean the whole cabin with bleach water. Clean the water tanks and the poop tanks. Wash the running rigging with wool-lite. Well you know hahaha. Any elbow grease it needs then yea. Now if I had to pay for all the work… I would give up a lot sooner.

[ltgoshen]

Originally Posted by tra

Sweet boat igoshen. My Contest 27's halliards looked like yours. I used messenger lines tied to the end and removed them, put them the washer in a MESH BAG bag with some Downey. soap and bleach and they look sorta brand new. Only took a couple minutes to remove and reinstall.

This localized global warming has given us some great weather in VA for working on boats. Of course Anchorage AK was 50 below this past weekend.

Happy hunting Argen

Thanks for the tip on the lines. I had no idea what to do. They cost a lot to replace. Some will no dought have to be replaced. Not sure even what to replace them with? I will shot craigs list and e-bay.
Thanks for the help.

[Minnewaska]

Wow. That's a lot of work. Most would not have the time or patience. Congrats to you.

[tra]

Itgoshen, you are the man with a plan...,. I'd check EBay for your line replacement. After forty years of crud build up I was able to paint the bilge today. It looks so good I'm not gonna put the floorboards down.lol. I used epoxy garage floor paint from Walmart, light gray, $28.00 a gallon. I also used it for inside of the cockpit hatches and the engine hatch I'm building to replace the rotten one that was on the boat. I'll be using brightside for the exterior of the cabin that looks like someone painted, "Brightside"with a barn brush.
My wife was telling someone at work about the affair I'm having with the boat. He suggested I call it Daddy's Hore.

[ltgoshen]

Too funny Don. Tra i was going to replace the bilge boards after I paint the bilge. But I am caught up if I should paint the sole or put the wood grain stick on Vinal flooring. I am paintint the engine room and the cockpit lockers. Glad for the tip on the wal-mart paint.

[tra]

Hello Itgoshen,
Speaking of Wal-Mart, I was passing the fabric section and saw 3'x 6' pieces of various colors of cotton material, 'kinda like bed sheets, for $6. My cabin's bulkheads are polished dark wood, so I think I'll cover my dark blue setee births with something bright. Your interior is much brighter.

Petit has a resonably priced spray for prop protection, about $25.00 for a spray bottle, plus primer for about $8.00. Should be enough for several years use. Barnicles are big problem up here in VA. MD. Prices are all over the scale for prop protection. A buddy had about two inches of baricles on his OI 41 after one season.

I was taking a break from my bilge painting project and had a brian storm, or maybe a brain fart. Our marina is kinda run down and there are scraps of this and that lying around. I needed hardwood supports for my hatch project. I asked the Manager if I could use some wood from discarded swim platforms, some are large assemblies of teak or mahogany. He said take anything you want that's on the ground. I do believe my boat will end up with a salty boom gallows made from scrap.

First I must reset my leaky windows' From what I've read butyl is now the way to go for windows and deck hardware. RV manufactures have used it for years, no leaks on my 5th wheel. I bought mine on Ebay

You might consider doubling up on your moorings lines. I had a Westery Cirrus on a mooring for about ten years, two lines chafed through, at different times. Cheap protection.

[ltgoshen]

Sounds like you are on the same path I'm on. Not cheep but the lest costly road to a full recovery. I'm new to moorings and was not sure if I could trust what I have here. I think it in my best intrust to get certified and learn to dive to the botom of the boat, so I can scrub the bottom once a month in the summer and check the chain and stuff on the bottom. Also, not sure but there is a lot of insterment that came with the boat. I am reading up on them to see what to keep and what I will need. I know the old Loran is no longer in use. I will leave you with a photo of the items. Hull speed, tru and aper wind speed, depth, multi, VMG, st 4000,
I think I should have the
1) True and Apr wind,
2) Hull speed,
3) depth,
4) Chart plotter.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...n/IMG_2637.jpg

[tra]

Itgoshen, I'm brain dead when it comes to electronics, I threw out the loran and have a Garmin color hand held and an el cheapo black and white mounted GPS. The speedo, wind speed and direction are steamboat anologue guages and they work!
As for the mooring I would not trust it. My Westery's chain wore through and I was in fresh water. I'd set an anchor at seven to one scope including deck height and float a buoy above it. Belt and suspenders approach.
It would be nice if someone in your area checks those things. This is not an area to skimp on. Where is your boat located?

[ltgoshen]

The dude who put it there said he checked it in October and it was fine. in fact the boat got lose a year or so back. He put it back on the mooring and he put a nother anchor on it. He is a well trusted bottom cleaner in the area. he said it was good up to 70 mph winds. just makes me nervious on one rope. It has a mooring ball. it dont flote real well? any way Iam out to the boat this weekend to finish up tighten up the stuffing box. I hope to cruse her up to Marsh Harbor marina for the haulout. bottom job and thru-hull fittings checked. checking all the transducers while its out. The boat is in Beaufort.
Talk to ya soon.