[BillMoran]

I'm currently at the Dinner Key Mooring Field south of Miami, FL. At some point last night the high winds broke my dinghy lose and took it away. Since the winds are blowing onshore, I've got my fingers crossed that someone will find it washed up on shore. It's an 8' Newport vessels and the Torqeedo outboard was still mounted at the time it went missing.

 

[Minnewaska]

Damn. Sorry to hear that. Is there a harbor master to help out?

What failed?

 

[BillMoran]

Damn. Sorry to hear that. Is there a harbor master to help out?

What failed?

I'll contact the harbormaster at the marina ... however, I think the wind my blow it south of the marina.

The d-ring on the front of the dinghy actually tore off. Pulled the painter out of the water and it's still tied to the d-ring.

 

[bigdogandy]

Sorry to hear that Bill - any way you can raise a neighboring boat on the VHF to assist in search with their dinghy?

 

[BillMoran]

Good news: a local salvage operation found it and they're only charging me $100.

So ... dodged a bullet there. Going to revisit how I tie it up in rough weather to try to avoid this happening again.

 

[Minnewaska]

Good deal. All’s well that ends well. I’ve heard of glued D rings letting go, while being towed too. No hard point on a hard bottom, or is a soft bottom?

 

[eherlihy]

Salvage claim on a dinghy?

 

[SanderO]

Lucky you! My Alum RIB and Honda 4 stroke 8 took off and was never returned even though I had a plaque with contact info on the inside of the transom.

 

[Minnewaska]

Salvage claim on a dinghy?

It’s a vessel. I’m sure the law applies. The salvor will be generously compensated, or something like that.

Best $100 Bill ever spent. System seems to work. Of course, if a fellow cruiser found it, I’d like to think it would have been returned for nothing.

 

[RegisteredUser]

Saved a bundle $$s

 

[capta]

It’s a vessel. I’m sure the law applies. The salvor will be generously compensated, or something like that.

Best $100 Bill ever spent. System seems to work. Of course, if a fellow cruiser found it, I’d like to think it would have been returned for nothing.

Don't confuse deep sea salvage with a country's laws regarding a 'salvage' like this. I'm just glad that the 'salvor' wasn't greedy and all turned out OK in the end.
To the OP;
Perhaps this is a good time to come up with a system to haul your dink out of the water every night when on a mooring or at anchor. Saves a lot of bottom cleaning and prevents theft and the possibility of the dink being flipped by high winds. Yes, even if tied up alongside with the motor on it, this is not an uncommon occurrence.
If they don't have davits many boats will bring their dink outboard up to deck level on a spinnaker or jib halyard.

 

[RegisteredUser]

He has an ample swim platform for such

 

[Minnewaska]

Don't confuse deep sea salvage with a country's laws regarding a 'salvage' like this..

What difference are you referring to, in this case?

 

[capta]

What difference are you referring to, in this case?

In most countries it is a very involved process to be assigned as the designated salvor of a vessel. It is not just finders/keepers to claim salvage rights and charge a fee to the owner.

 

[Minnewaska]

In most countries it is a very involved process to be assigned as the designated salvor of a vessel. It is not just finders/keepers to claim salvage rights and charge a fee to the owner.

Not hard in the US. I’ve known it to happen on a simple dragging, let alone set adrift.

 

[DuffyN]

Remember losing a couple of dinghys off the back of our 50’ sailboat long ago. We did get one back. Pretty easy to lose one when towing.

 

[DuffyN]

Glad you got yours back from the salvors zipping around after the storm.

 

[Minnewaska]

The OP, Bill, hasn't signed on the forum in a month. Suffered quite a few curve balls getting his boat in the water, then being threatened by a hurricane and losing the dinghy in this thread. With the virus taking the fun out of cruising, I wonder if he gave up?