72' Hatteras "Time Out" beached off Palm Beach

The owner is not on board. It is an abandoned vessel.
It's a salvage.
First to take her off, it's theirs.
The tab does not stop with old salvage/value laws, the state (and more) is tapped onto also.

Not a salvage if he's still involved and working toward removal. Not been abandoned there. Claim is that it's not been removed due to conditions and salvor is working on a plan. Now, the listed salvor refuses to comment.

In Florida you can't just take it. If you are filing a salvage claim it must go through an investigation. Only if the owner doesn't claim it during the course of that investigation can law enforcement then give a bill of sale to the salvor. The process normally takes 45-120 days. Florida has no vessel salvage rights, only abandoned property.

This late in time, Nobody wants her. The emergency attitude is lost.
Probably all court actions are lost by any salvor.
The state will probably eat the tab now at a much higher price.

You see any activity? It's abondoned.
If you wanted an old Hatteras full of sand, You could take it now.

You cannot do that in Florida. Step one is you report it to law enforcement. Step two is they do an investigation. Step three is if the owner doesn't turn up, they may sign it to you.

Now, there is $200,000 available under the Rapid Removal program just passed. No one sure how that program will work though.

You cannot do that in Florida
News to me. But I've been out of it for a long while.

Rapid Removal program???
#63 The emergency attitude is lost.
Somebody(s) blew that.

I did a stint working for Sea-Tow @ Key Biscayne many (many) years ago. Our forte was removing anything quickly (with no further damage to the grass) from the grass beds & feather grass beds south of Miami. It was salvage PLUS money from the State and Park Service.
With that same attitude, we floated many hulls from the outer beaches and inlets before they became hazards (pollution, debris, reef damaging or hazards) and the state assisted our expenses when needed after the fact.
I can only remember one recovery of many that it took till the next morning. It's Florida, Weather is always on us.

On this thread, I'm reading 8 DAYS + later, this hulk is still on the beach. It's now on her side and it's getting worse.

Did I mention (#56), all involved has dropped the ball and should be embarrassed.
This is comical now. SFBs.

It's not comical. It's disgusting, but then everything ever seen involving him has been. I think we're still in for more craziness on this one. I wonder if the photo in #59 is really it. That just adds to the picture.

Total disregard for property and lives and for anyone else.

When they figure out the law, and who pays they will most likely pull it from the beach. This whole story is for sure disgusting. What an idiot this guy is, and I am being nice.

The pics from #59 show a FL number.
I can not say for sure, but the wreck on the beach has something on it's hull in about the same place.

I looked at several of the photos and zoomed in and no numbers on the boat, at least not that I could see.

If? they haul her out from the beach they need to get it to N. Ocean BLVD and then to the Flagler Memorial Bridge they can not haul her out thru a beach front property yard. I suppose another option would take her out to sea and sink it. To do any type of heavy lift they are talking some big $$$ bucks. This guy most likely did not have the addendum on his insurance policy for this? That's if he had insurance?

From what we've read about Tom Baker, if there is insurance on that Hatt, it would be the biggest surprise yet. Or, if there IS insurance I would instantly think he did it on purpose !

The picture I took from about 200 yards away of the vessel on the beach shows registration numbers in about the same place as the pictures with the fixed bow. I was too far away with a camera phone to make out the numbers but they appear to start with FL in the picture I took.

On the Bahamas boat but no numbers on the beached boat.

Maybe there are numbers. I sure couldn't see them on the beached boat. You need to go get a better photo....lol

And while many of you are doubting he had insurance, I'm still waiting to hear the real ownership of the boat.

unfortunately, I looks like this Hatt has a good chance of leaving the beach in dumpsters after an excavator has its way with it.

bad ending for a good boat with a bad owner/operator.

So Sad

It may be to the point by now, that dumpsters is the best option. No telling what other problems it has. Recall he said he returned with one engine.

Another new boat name to consider. "Dumpster Out". A large excavator would crush that old girl up in about 20-30 minutes if that. It would take more time to load the remains into the dump truck. They may have to put on a barge first and crush it somewhere else.