Salvaging a boat?

[simplepeddler]

last year at the end of the season we had a small boat float up on our property, any of you guys know a LWF agent I can talk to about finding the owner?

I want to contact the guy and help him claim his boat or buy it from him..........

it's been sitting all year with the decoys still in it.............

[Raymond]

If it's still got numbers on the side you can call LaW&F.

[Lake Chuck Duck]

motor on it?

[simplepeddler]

no motor......no numbers
but I have the serial number.......it's just a little john boat........14X38 or so

[vincemacpaul]

I'd check the missing persons reports if a loaded boat showed up minus the owner, haha. If it's small enough and has no numbers or a tag on the transom with a serial #, it's yours after a year. You'll have a line of cars in your driveway if you advertize for the owner. It's yours, use it. If someone approaches you while on the water and claims it's theirs, then you can deal with it in a friendly manner. It's yours. Merry Christmas.

[vincemacpaul]

And simplepeddler.....I lost a 17' Gulfcraft with a new 90 during Katrina, floated away. It wasn't insured and I had more things to worry about at the time after 12 feet of water while on the roof for 4 days. If I were to see my boat again on the water, I'd make haste to shake hands with the new owner and thank him/her for getting great use out of it and it's all theirs. Life is good.

[keakar]

call the registration numbers in on the hull and wlf will know who its registered to.

the hull ID numbers are on the transom at the top on a plate or stamped into it and sometimes tucked in under a welded seam that's not easy to see. its usually found on the drivers side. on my alweld its tucked under a weld seam and the numbers are no bigger then the letters you see on your screen as you read this. even after the dealer showed me where they were I had trouble finding them again so rub mud on it a gently wipe it off to help you find them.

avoid advice of just keeping it and doing nothing, possession of stolen property is a crime and you will be in jail trying to explain why it was too much trouble to pick up the phone and call someone. all it takes is a visit from the game warden and your caught with a boat you better be able to explain so just because you leave it at camp doesn't mean your safe.

it very well may be a stolen boat they took the motor off of and dumped the boat. its easy to get away with a stolen trailer and motor by replacing the parts with stamped numbers but a boat is different and too easy to recognize and identify so to me it sounds like someone stole it and dumped it figuring it would sink in the marsh somewhere.

[keakar]

Originally Posted by keakar

the hull ID numbers are on the transom at the top on a plate or stamped into it

just to be more clear, its found on the outside of the transom on the right side near the top and sometimes the hull ID number is also found on the max load stickers on some boats

[Ray]

LDWF had a place on their website to report lost boat numbers after Katrina/Rita.
The owners could post their boat numbers also.
I lost one from Cameron, that was found under Dr. Smyth's house on Pelican Point.

Be sure the owner who claims it has some papers. Some people will claim it and sell for scrap if it is aluminum.