What would you do if.......

[MeMe]

..whilst walking the dog early one morning you happened upon a nice little 2.80 Avon r.i.b washed ashore following the previous nights storm ? Anyway, I pulled it home with my jeep and here it sits ! The "D" Ring on the hull has parted showing obvious signs that it had come adrift from a mooring, however, although it may have been a local one it could also have been from Ireland ! Should I keep this handy little run about or, visit the local Yacht Club (if I were even aloud to enter the premises) and post a note on the bullitin board advising the same, or......"what would you do"?

.... Answers please.

[Andy Stevens]

I would have thought you own it due to the fact you salvaged it!

If it belongs to a club, maybe give it back, if not, keep it, the owner should have tied it better!

If someone can claim salvage by throwing you a rope to tow you, then hauling a 2.8 rib up the beack into your car must be as good!

[Tim M]

Keep it; finders keepers!

[Graham H]

Did you use your winch

[Keith Hart]

Keep it; finders keepers

I should imagine that if you lost something you cared about then you may feel differently about that!

This is the position in law as far as I understand it:

Report your find to the local police. You can do this by telephone. Tell them that you are holding onto the dingy and that it will be available for the looser. The police will record your find. If the loss is not reported then you continue to keep the dingy. If someone reports the loss then the police can inform them where it is. If they then ask for it back you must let them have it.

By loosing something the 'title' to it does not pass to the person who finds it.

Do the above and you have both complied with the law AND your moral responsibilities.

Keith (do the right thing) Hart

[Richard B]

...they found your RIB washed ashore after a storm?

Originally Posted by Andy Stevens

I would have thought you own it due to the fact you salvaged it!

Originally Posted by timofengland

finders keepers!

Not true - you don't have legal title - AFAIK you must present the "wreck" to the Receiver of Wrecks to resolve any title claim.

Card in the yach club sounds like a good start

[EDDO]

MeMe
I would try my best to return it.
Ed

[Alan]

Uncharitable lot in the NW ain't you?! Reap what you so and all that.
I'd also contact coastguard about the dinghy in case anyone has reported missing. Make all efforts to find rightful owner and if you cant then feel justified in keeping it. We did the same thing on the first RIb.net gathering at Plymouth last year when we found a dinghy drifting around off the river Yealm. Believe it got returned to rightful owner who made donation to RNLI.

[The Jackeens]

Well said Alan


Us

[Andy Gee]

I owuld try to find the rightful owner and if neither I or the Police/CG could then obviously you can keep it, after all what goes around comes around .
Andy