Just lost my dinghy! Suggestions??

[Bigfish]

When it rains it pours, and last night it poured. This morning I realized my 10' inflatable was gone. I check the line and it either parted or was cut right at the boat. I had it tied up pretty tight so the rain might have made it heavier and worked on the 1/2" nylon line. Unfortunately where I am is just outside the Boot Key Harbor Entrance in Marathon Florida and the wind is blowing towards the middle of the 7 mile bridge and a lot of open water.
I called the Sheriff's office only to get a message to call 911 or wait 'til they open tomorrow morning at 9am

Any suggestions??

Isn't life fun...!

 

[Steve]

Bad luck, sorry, does Boot Harbor/ Marathon have some sort of VHF "cruisers net" you can announce it on so anyone finding it can get in touch with you?

 

[bluebyu]

Motor the big boat around looking for it?

 

[chc]

Bummer. I think there is a daily cruiser's net @ Boot Key; might be able to get some help thru that; altho' it sounds like the dink might be outside the harbor area. Good luck

 

[healhustler]

I think the cruiser's net and call-in radio show might be your best asset. Everyone wants to be a radio hero….you never know. Keep an eye on new arrivals in the harbor.

 

[Xsbank]

Dinks are like cats, they always come home. Look for yours in Salem...

I'll bet yours was swiped.

 

[High Wire]

Wore thru 1/2 inch line overnight? Does the parted line match up with a really sharp edge somewhere?
Report it to the Sheriffs Dept.

 

[psneeld]

call the USCG for 2 reasons if you think it just got away...

one so they know it wasn't a survival craft...

two ...they have a better chance of finding it if it made it to deep water and they will contact everyone else plus make radio calls...

if stolen...they will still make the appropriate contacts.

 

[Northern Spy]

It does indeed sound like a Lorena Bobbitt scenario...

 

[Bluto]

It does indeed sound like a Lorena Bobbitt scenario...

After slicing off John's dinghy, Lorena left the area with the severed dinghy, drove a short while, then rolled down the car window and threw it into a field.

This should narrow the search to nearby meadows, if any.

 

[High Wire]

Was there an outboard on it too?

BTW, from Active Captain..."A great source of help/info in the Boot Key Harbor area is Cruisers Net Radio, mornings at 9am on VHF 68."

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Did it have registration numbers and/or a name on it?

 

[AusCan]

Report it missing.
Call your insurance company.
Get a new one.

 

[Ski in NC]

Half inch nylon holding a dink is not going to part on it's own. There's a thief somewhere with your dink.

 

[Peter B]

Why wouldn't a thief just untie it..? Maybe it untied itself with a lot of jerking around..?

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Why wouldn't a thief just untie it..? Maybe it untied itself with a lot of jerking around..?

I don't think it untied itself: "I check the line and it either parted or was cut right at the boat. "

If you a picture of it start putting up reward posters. And keep an eye on Craig's List.

 

[Marlinmike]

All good advice:
Call CG
Call Sheriff
Borrow a friends raft and perform a search down wind
Call Insurance Company
Watch Craigslist

 

[sunchaser]

This post reinforces in my mind the need to tie the dinghy to the mother ship with two lines when at anchor. I lost a dinghy once, retrieved it from shore eventually, but it was a lesson (hopefully) learned for me.

Insurance is great but when boating in remote places losing a dinghy can be a safety or stranded on the shore affair.

 

[Marlinmike]

in areas known for thefts it appears the only real successful way is to lift and remount on the boat. We have Weaver davits, we also tie a line and have a cable locked to the cleat, not that any of this couldn't be bypassed, figured I would give them a harder time.

 

[DCBD]

I lost my dinghy in a storm one night. I contacted the CG just advise them there were no missing people associated with the dinghy if someone found it. They took details and my phone#. Got a call back later that afternoon, someone had found it and reported it. Long story short, got my dinghy back.

 

[psneeld]

No matter how many time the USCG screws up...they sure seem to be involved with a lot of happy endings...

even if their total involvement is just darn paperwork, coordination and following up.

 

[Max Simmons]

Happened to me on early morning 4th of July. Woke up to find dinghy gone. Called CG and then Sherriff. Took off downwind and searched for a couple hours, no luck. Got a call after maybe 3 hours, dinghy found, riding an outgoing tide into the Straits, opposite of where I was looking. Very grateful to Jefferson County Sherriff and the two Coasties that were joyriding in it when we rendezvoused to pick up

 

[CoolBeans]

Awesome!!! So glad your dinghy was found and returned!