Sadly My 1971 Bristol 24 (unmasted)sailboat has sunken this past week in Miami. It was anchored not far offshore when real bad rains hit last week in miami. The rains persisted multiple days and haven’t been able to go out to see it until yesterday and when i came out it was Gone. Sun was low so couldn’t see exactly where it sunk but 99% sure it must’ve . Water is about 10 feet deep. wondering if it’s worth salvaging because i wasn’t ready to let it go, only bought it in February. Is it possible to Salvage a boat that size without professional equipment? is it worth it? I really don’t want to leave it. I liked the boat a Lot.
Salvaging Sunken Boat
- Thread starter Miles22
- Start date
You say it was "anchored not far offshore".
Aside from the possibility that it was stolen, be aware that the State of Florida demands that such vessels be removed with haz-mat mitigation included within 30 days. Otherwise, when they send divers down to get an ID, they will locate the owner through the registration and the fines are stiff. Was your boat uninsured?
Sorry for your loss.
Aside from the possibility that it was stolen, be aware that the State of Florida demands that such vessels be removed with haz-mat mitigation included within 30 days. Otherwise, when they send divers down to get an ID, they will locate the owner through the registration and the fines are stiff. Was your boat uninsured?
Sorry for your loss.
Sorry for your loss. FWC is taking a hard stand on sunken and derelict boats. @ggrizzard is right about the owner's responsibilities and fines.
Sunken boats are refloated by attaching large bags and inflating them. The bags are designed for this. Once the boat is at the surface large pumps are attached and water is pumped out.
Sunken boats are refloated by attaching large bags and inflating them. The bags are designed for this. Once the boat is at the surface large pumps are attached and water is pumped out.
Ah i see yeah with the money to have it done professionally i might as well buy a new one:/
Shame it went down with rain.
Yeah if i’m going to leave it i may just dive down and remove the numbers. To have peace of mind
That won't relieve you of your responsibility to remove your sunken boat. The FWC will track you down.
The HIN is located in 2 places, one visible and public, the other is somewhere in the boat and not easily visible. It is often embedded in the hull somewhere between hull and the hull liner.
More concerning is your apparent disregard for your responsibility to remove your sunken boat. You may think you are just screwing the State of Florida by abandoning your boat, however, it costs money to remove abandoned and derelict boats which is paid for by taxpayers. Further, many responsible boat owners and sailors find anchoring grounds in Florida severely restricted because of the large number of boats abandoned by irresponsible owners. In just the past few weeks this has been an issue in the Miami area where a large and popular staging ground for Bahama bound sailboats was closed to anchoring.
I get it, buying a cheap old boat and living on it is much more affordable than paying rent in S Florida. Nonetheless, the boat owner is responsible for the boat, abandoning it is simply irresponsible and places an unfair burden on everyone else. It is your boat, find the money to get it out of the water and to a dump.
That makes sense I guess gonna have to remove it then. Hopefully could do so soon.
If you don't know what a HIN is you're unlikely to evade the long arm of the law.
For private boat sellers this is your nightmare. If you don't have a bill of sale with registration numbers and hull numbers, when the next owner has a loss they don't want to pay for - it can come back to you.
For boats that have little value, you can lose more in salvage than you signed up for. To some extent that's why INSCO's charge more for older boats. Never mind environmental damage.
This is a troll, right?
The guy doesn't know where the boat is, but he is going to dive and remove the VIN, which he doesn't know where it is.
The guy doesn't know where the boat is, but he is going to dive and remove the VIN, which he doesn't know where it is.
I don't think so. It is just one of many sad stories about old boats and folks looking for a place to live.
Abandoned and derelict boats is a huge problem in Florida and elsewhere. In South FL and especially the Keys housing is simply unaffordable for many who have low wage jobs, which the tourist economy depends on. Developers make more money building condos for the tourist trade than they do for low income housing. As property becomes available, older homes are torn down and short term rental properties are built. The people caught in this trap are the wait staff, bar tenders, tour guides, housekeepers, and shop clerks. For a couple of thousand dollars they can buy an old boat anchor it somewhere live rent free.
Re : It is just one of many sad stories about old boats and folks looking for a place to live.
The original post was "The rains persisted multiple days and haven’t been able to go out to see it until yesterday and when i came out it was Gone. Sun was low so couldn’t see exactly where it sunk but 99% sure it must’ve ."
Doesn't sound like he was living aboard to me.
The original post was "The rains persisted multiple days and haven’t been able to go out to see it until yesterday and when i came out it was Gone. Sun was low so couldn’t see exactly where it sunk but 99% sure it must’ve ."
Doesn't sound like he was living aboard to me.
Whether the OP was living aboard, planning to live aboard or not, really isn't the question or open for debate.
The point has been made that it is the OP's responsibility to remove the boat. While it may not be immediately germain to the OPs position, abandoned boats in waterways is large problem in Florida that affects residents, local boaters, and cruisers. One contributing cause to the problem is the use of old boats as residences for low wage workers. That's a political and social issue that lies outside of a discussion about sailing.
The OP has been responsible enough to seek advice on how to refloat his boat, that is to his credit. However, he seems to be between a rock and hard spot with regards to paying for the salvage.
It has been suggested we close this thread, at the moment I'm not inclined to do so. Someone may have some ideas on how the OP can economically remove his boat before FWC does it for him and charges him a substantial fee. So long as the conversation stays in that realm, the thread will remain open for comments.
According to sailboatdata.com, the Bristol 24 has a displacement just shy of 6K lb.
On this forum I found a citation that claims a Zodiac dink has 12000 lb of buoyancy...
www.boatdesign.net
so you would need something about the size of the tubes on a zodiac to float your boat. Maybe an inflatable life raft? Maybe some CO2 inflatable air mattress?
On this forum I found a citation that claims a Zodiac dink has 12000 lb of buoyancy...
Displacement vs. positive ballast
I have a small keel boat, a Gloucester 16, that all up weighs 900 lbs. I think we all agree that little boats due to thinness of hull and low freeboard...
www.boatdesign.net
so you would need something about the size of the tubes on a zodiac to float your boat. Maybe an inflatable life raft? Maybe some CO2 inflatable air mattress?