How to Legally Recover an Abandoned Boat
- BoatOn
- Jan 21, 2021
- 3 min read
We've all spotted an abandoned boat in a port or on a piece of land. Some seem to belong to nobody, but they often do have an owner. So how do you legally recover an abandoned boat while staying within the law? That's what we'll cover today.
Finding the Owner and Making Contact
When you spot a boat that appears abandoned, the first step is to try to find the owner and make contact with them.
1. Check with the Harbourmaster's Office
If the abandoned boat you've spotted is in a port, you can start by going to enquire at the harbourmaster's office. Ask whether they have recently seen the owners come to look after it, or whether they are aware of any sale plans.
You may be lucky enough to obtain some information entirely legally.
2. Trying to Contact the Boat Owner Directly
But how do you contact the owner when you don't know who they are and have no contact details? You can write a letter introducing yourself and explaining your interest in the boat and your plans. Make sure to include your contact details in your letter.
Place this letter visibly on the boat, well secured and protected from the weather. The next time the owner visits the boat, they will find your letter and can follow up if they wish.
3. Contacting the Maritime Authority
The third option available to you is to contact the maritime authority.
You would be making a mistake by directly asking them for the owner's contact details. The maritime authority does not have the right to disclose these. Doing so risks putting you in a poor position if you later wish to request an exception.
The exception in question works as follows. You send the maritime authority a letter along with the same letter intended to be placed on the boat (mentioned in the previous paragraph). Include in your mailing a stamped envelope, unsealed.
In the letter addressed to the maritime authority, ask whether they can forward the enclosed letter to the owner of the boat. They very likely have the owner's details and may, if you are lucky, agree to do this. Hide nothing from the maritime authority — explain your approach in complete transparency.
It is possible that this yields no result, but you will have tried nonetheless.
4. Word of Mouth
If you're on Facebook, don't miss the power of word of mouth. We have created a Facebook group with nearly 9,000 members. Join us on the group Bateaux naviguant très rarement à donner ou vendre (bateaux "ventouses")), post a photo of the boat you have spotted and perhaps someone will have information about its owner.
On this group you can also browse listings of boats to give away or for sale at very low prices — you might find your dream project there as a boat to restore.
Staying on the Right Side of the Law
Just because you are almost certain the boat is abandoned does not mean you can claim it as your own.
The law states that "theft is the fraudulent taking of another person's property".
That other person is the owner of the boat. Even if it appears abandoned, it is very likely to have an owner, whether they are on the other side of the world, alive or not. Taking possession of it would therefore constitute theft and you could be prosecuted under the law.
And what about recovering a boat without papers? For more details, we have written an article on the subject — feel free to take a look.
Good Insurance for Your Future Boat
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Feel free to share your suggestions and experiences to help improve this article in the comments section or by emailing us at paul@boaton.fr!
