Hi,

Warning to all the West Coasters going out these days (Chuck, are you
listening?): There is a LOT of flotsam in the water these days! The last
week or so of floods have brought branches, logs, trees, etc. down to the
sea, and they're floating around out there - be careful!

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36

Steve ) wrote:

: I have considered rounding up a couple nice logs with my dingy and haul them
: out at the launch ramp. Cut them up for fire wood.. Some have warned me that
: I shouldn't do it..

Naw, go ahead. The salt won't screw up your stove to much :-)

--
Jim Hollenback

my opinion.

Ya know! I was watching the log jam clearing on the news a couple days ago
and then a USCG (contract) snag picker on last nights news.

From what I understand, they make no effort to gather or remove any of these
logs, unless they are a present hazard to navigation.

Seems floating logs are a natural occurance and therefore left to drift,
until they end up on the beach someplace.. Wonder how many vessels will hit
them before the wash ashore.

Don't mess with Mother Nature!

I went to check on my boat at the Hood Canal Marina this morning and there
were several 4" dia. logs jammed between my boat and the dock.. This marina
is really on the fringe of the Skokomish river delta and there are 1000s of
logs floating out into the Canal everyday.

I have considered rounding up a couple nice logs with my dingy and haul them
out at the launch ramp. Cut them up for fire wood.. Some have warned me that
I shouldn't do it..

Seems a log is kinda like a maverick calf on the open range. It belongs to
someone..

Steve

If the log belongs to someone, can you sue them for damages if you hit one? Or can they sue you?

--
-jeff

"Steve" wrote in message ...
Ya know! I was watching the log jam clearing on the news a couple days ago
and then a USCG (contract) snag picker on last nights news.

From what I understand, they make no effort to gather or remove any of these
logs, unless they are a present hazard to navigation.

Seems floating logs are a natural occurance and therefore left to drift,
until they end up on the beach someplace.. Wonder how many vessels will hit
them before the wash ashore.

Don't mess with Mother Nature!

I went to check on my boat at the Hood Canal Marina this morning and there
were several 4" dia. logs jammed between my boat and the dock.. This marina
is really on the fringe of the Skokomish river delta and there are 1000s of
logs floating out into the Canal everyday.

I have considered rounding up a couple nice logs with my dingy and haul them
out at the launch ramp. Cut them up for fire wood.. Some have warned me that
I shouldn't do it..

Seems a log is kinda like a maverick calf on the open range. It belongs to
someone..

Steve

Yah! I know it sounds screwy.. There are enough log floating within a mile
of the marina to build a nice house plus plenty left over to heat it for
many years..

These are logs (don't meet a quality requirement or too difficult to get out
to the trucks) are left on the clear cuts of the Olympic range.. I have
gone out with a fire wood permit and salvaged nice logs that I later sawed
into lumber.. Problem is getting to the nice ones and then getting them off
the moutain. When we have heavy rains, they come down with the mud slides
and into the Skokomish river..

I would say that if you could prove a log came from a particular clear cut,
a guy could try to sue that operator for damage done in a log collision.

But, if I round up and haul a log out of the water at the launch ramp, I
might have to prove that I owned the log. All the locals just say, "all logs
belong to someone". Kinda hard to prove it belongs to me if I don't own any
timberland ( I do own a little. I logged a couple trees for wood in my
boat).


--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

I'm left wondering why maritime salvage laws wouldn't apply. Or do they, but
not the same as with vessels found adrift?

--
Karin Conover-Lewis
Fair and Balanced since 1959
klc dot lewis at gte dot net (old -- don't use)
klc dot lewis at centurytel dot net (new)



"Steve" wrote in message
...
Yah! I know it sounds screwy.. There are enough log floating within a mile
of the marina to build a nice house plus plenty left over to heat it for
many years..

These are logs (don't meet a quality requirement or too difficult to get
out
to the trucks) are left on the clear cuts of the Olympic range.. I have
gone out with a fire wood permit and salvaged nice logs that I later sawed
into lumber.. Problem is getting to the nice ones and then getting them
off
the moutain. When we have heavy rains, they come down with the mud slides
and into the Skokomish river..

I would say that if you could prove a log came from a particular clear
cut,
a guy could try to sue that operator for damage done in a log collision.

But, if I round up and haul a log out of the water at the launch ramp, I
might have to prove that I owned the log. All the locals just say, "all
logs
belong to someone". Kinda hard to prove it belongs to me if I don't own
any
timberland ( I do own a little. I logged a couple trees for wood in my
boat).


--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

I think there is a general misconception with regard to marine salvage.

You can't just claim ownership or salvage of any vessel that is adrift or
abandon.

Different nations and different rules but in general, you have to attempt to
contact the owner and he has to agree that you can salvage his vessel. In
most cases an insurance company is involved and may grant you that right..

If you rescue or salvage a vessel without any attempt to contact the owner
for permission, you may only recover your cost of the salvage plus a little
for your time and effort.

Often when a vessel is on the high seas, the owner and the salvager will
agree to let a Admiralty Court decide how much the salvager would get.

I know a fellow who hangs out in the Caribbean Sea on a large old tug, with
the standard Admiralty Court release/agreement papers all ready.. "You need
help? Sign Here". He also carries 30,000 gal of diesel fuel, just in case
someone runs out of fuel on their run from Columbia to ?? (and you thought
you were paying too much at the marina pump??)

I don't claim to know all the salvage rules but the owner still has rights..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Even worse, I don't think there is a time limit. When the Central
America was found off the Carolina coast insurance companies came out of
the woodwork to make claims on the salvage. It looks less likely that
the same will happen with the SS Republic wreck because all the insurers
were Confederate States registered.

Steve wrote:

I think there is a general misconception with regard to marine salvage.

You can't just claim ownership or salvage of any vessel that is adrift or
abandon.

Different nations and different rules but in general, you have to attempt to
contact the owner and he has to agree that you can salvage his vessel. In
most cases an insurance company is involved and may grant you that right..

If you rescue or salvage a vessel without any attempt to contact the owner
for permission, you may only recover your cost of the salvage plus a little
for your time and effort.

Often when a vessel is on the high seas, the owner and the salvager will
agree to let a Admiralty Court decide how much the salvager would get.

I know a fellow who hangs out in the Caribbean Sea on a large old tug, with
the standard Admiralty Court release/agreement papers all ready.. "You need
help? Sign Here". He also carries 30,000 gal of diesel fuel, just in case
someone runs out of fuel on their run from Columbia to ?? (and you thought
you were paying too much at the marina pump??)

I don't claim to know all the salvage rules but the owner still has rights..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

But isn't there a special rule regarding vessels that wash ashore,
abandoned? I've read of boats being stripped down to the framing the minute
they land, and everyone seems to accept the practice as legal. Seems that
logs washed ashore would receive the same treatment as driftwood or tennis
shoes.

--
Karin Conover-Lewis
Fair and Balanced since 1959
klc dot lewis at gte dot net (old -- don't use)
klc dot lewis at centurytel dot net (new)



"Steve" wrote in message
...
I think there is a general misconception with regard to marine salvage.

You can't just claim ownership or salvage of any vessel that is adrift or
abandon.

Different nations and different rules but in general, you have to attempt
to
contact the owner and he has to agree that you can salvage his vessel. In
most cases an insurance company is involved and may grant you that right..

If you rescue or salvage a vessel without any attempt to contact the owner
for permission, you may only recover your cost of the salvage plus a
little
for your time and effort.

Often when a vessel is on the high seas, the owner and the salvager will
agree to let a Admiralty Court decide how much the salvager would get.

I know a fellow who hangs out in the Caribbean Sea on a large old tug,
with
the standard Admiralty Court release/agreement papers all ready.. "You
need
help? Sign Here". He also carries 30,000 gal of diesel fuel, just in case
someone runs out of fuel on their run from Columbia to ?? (and you thought
you were paying too much at the marina pump??)

I don't claim to know all the salvage rules but the owner still has
rights..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

That might be the case if a boat were broken up and unidentifiable..

Now-adays I would be cautious about trouching a ship wreck on the beach. You
could end up liable for any contamination or even the complete and total
removal of the vessel.

I've helped salvage a couple grounded or sunken vessels in So. Calif. and in
each instance we didn't start until the owner and insurance had given us a
right to salvage which assign the responsibility exclusively to us, to the
exclusion of others. We also assumed the all liability and the port
authority wouldn't allow us to proceed without a salvage plan and bond or
insurance.

18 months ago I came upon a nice wooden sail boat adrift off Port Townsend,
WA. I took it in tow the anchorage I was headed for, contacted all the local
authorities and finally was informed that I should tie it to a dock a Port
Hadlock.. No! I shouldn't set it adrift again. Once I took it in tow, I
became responsible for it. Turned out that it belonged to the Wooden Boat
Society. I got a big thank you and free tee shirt for my efforts.

--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions