... When it's claimed by the tow boat as salvage and the stranded boat is valued at $150,000. The owners were on the boat as it was towed to the nearest marina.
In another incident, two fishermen ran out of gas. They called a local tow service and were presented with a bill for $5,000. (The boat was valued at $15,000.) The tow took only 15 minutes because both boats were within a couple hundred yards of the launch.
Maritime law allows salvors to place liens on the vessels they rescue. In both of the above cases the owners did not ask if the tow boat planned to provide basic assistance, or if it was there to claim salvage rights.
In the former, the owner took the towing service to court and lost. In the latter, the owner wrote a check for $1,000 and it was accepted.
The fine line that allows salvors to claim salvage rights is whether or not there is an "imminent peril." This could mean something as simple as, in the first case above, the boat's engine failing in a river upstream from a bridge.
In another incident, two fishermen ran out of gas. They called a local tow service and were presented with a bill for $5,000. (The boat was valued at $15,000.) The tow took only 15 minutes because both boats were within a couple hundred yards of the launch.
Maritime law allows salvors to place liens on the vessels they rescue. In both of the above cases the owners did not ask if the tow boat planned to provide basic assistance, or if it was there to claim salvage rights.
In the former, the owner took the towing service to court and lost. In the latter, the owner wrote a check for $1,000 and it was accepted.
The fine line that allows salvors to claim salvage rights is whether or not there is an "imminent peril." This could mean something as simple as, in the first case above, the boat's engine failing in a river upstream from a bridge.