Years ago we came across a sailboat in a similar situation.
We eventually dropped the sails and were motoring closer and making as much noise as possible. I was feeling worse and worse as the time went buy. So next thing was too launch the tender and go and have a look.
Then an old boy popped up out of the companion way and told us to f off he was having a nap! We were in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
In this situation once he new the boat was up for salvage he couldn't have been that far away. They must have a dinghy onboard. Go back and have a look at least.
Did they say 8 people were lifted off the boat! In bad weather! Lots of sail up?
You never know the real story.
How can you just abandon a boat and say its not my responsibility any more?

I or one of my crew would have gone over to the other vessel to check if anyone was below.
If it was truly an abandoned vessel I would then do an assessment on my capability of motoring or towing it to port. They were only 20 miles out. If I was capable and it was safe I would confirm with Coast Guard that the vessel was declared available for salvage. If so I would log with them that I was taking posession of the vessel for salvage purposes and taking it into Jacksonville Port/Harbour.
From there numerous possibilities exist.
As far as the bridge goes I think they got it right.

Disagree!

He made the right call, established it was abandon and then sailed away.

There was only him and his wife/girlfriend and that spelled trouble if they tried to claim it.

Now if they had two more crew, well game on!

We are all responsible to do anything without endagering the vessel or crew to help another vessel at sea.
So that varies on you,crew,weather etc.
I think they could have done a bit more. Difficult to tell how long they spent in the vid.
As Cisco said everything goes in the log book. From when you decide to change course to go and have a look to the end of the incident.

I think they could have done a bit more. Difficult to tell how long they spent in the vid.

I agree, Someone could have been below with a broken leg.

gary

His words reveal his true attitude:
1.40 circled it, blew horn, saw it was under a/p etc and came to conclusion no-one aboard. (not sick or with broken bones/head trauma?)
1.50 might have gone overboard - ( but no real assessment)
and then too inconvenient to have one of them sail it a few hours into port
then the clincher:
3.25-3.3.0 "had I know this (it was legally abandoned) when we came upon her, we would have attempted to get aboard... and tow her to Jacksonville".

Checking if someone was injured inside was not worth checking, but he would have boarded it, if he wanted to claim the vessel.

Others will disagree.

You cant get an idea of time from the vid it has been edited.
They notified the coastguard and weren't asked to standby. They thought it too risky to try and board, they called when in cell phone range,so legally they have done what is right.
Always difficult to tell sea state in vids. I think there is a reasonable swell.
Don't know the experience of the couple. Big risk getting of a boat and going onto another one in the ocean. So much to consider.

A couple of days ago there was a report of a yacht on the rocks with a dead 90 year old on board. It was somewhere in NSW but I've heard nothing since. Now this boat wasn't 'abandoned' but under the circumstances could you have towed it it off the rocks with the body in it and claimed salvage ?.

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samsturdy said..
A couple of days ago there was a report of a yacht on the rocks with a dead 90 year old on board. It was somewhere in NSW but I've heard nothing since.

Yep- see Bundeenabouys post a few days ago:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Cruiser-on-Rocks-at-Bundeena?page=1#lastpost

Might find yourself with a little explaining and paperwork to do if you tow a boat back in with a dead person onboard!
Compared to a vessel that is declared abandoned.

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samsturdy said..
A couple of days ago there was a report of a yacht on the rocks with a dead 90 year old on board. It was somewhere in NSW but I've heard nothing since. Now this boat wasn't 'abandoned' but under the circumstances could you have towed it it off the rocks with the body in it and claimed salvage ?.

No. Claiming salvage is a bit more complicated than that.

If my partner was a competent sailor I'd have come alongside and checked the boat out to make sure there was no one disabled below. he didn't find out the crew had been lifted off until later after he had left the boat.

I've transferred my sister to Marine Rescue at sea when she had to be medevac'ed off her boat near Trial Bay. Good fendering and no need to do more than a quick touch to allow a person to step over.

Someone has to do it

Here's a thought.....assuming you're capable, take the boat in tow and return it to the owner with compliments.
If he offers a reward, say "that's ok mate, happy to help. I don't think I should capitalise on another persons misfortune"
Of course, if you incurred significant expenses by helping out, accepting repayment of those expenses would be acceptable.

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Datawiz said..
Here's a thought.....assuming you're capable, take the boat in tow and return it to the owner with compliments.
If he offers a reward, say "that's ok mate, happy to help. I don't think I should capitalise on another persons misfortune"
Of course, if you incurred significant expenses by helping out, accepting repayment of those expenses would be acceptable.

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Datawiz said..
Here's a thought.....assuming you're capable, take the boat in tow and return it to the owner with compliments.
If he offers a reward, say "that's ok mate, happy to help. I don't think I should capitalise on another persons misfortune"
Of course, if you incurred significant expenses by helping out, accepting repayment of those expenses would be acceptable.

Mate, I agree with you, the right thing to do if possible but you have to remember that it happened in Merica, where that attitude appears to be virtually unheard of.