Unmanned kayaks costing billions?

The article recently posted on this website has the Coast Guard stating they spend billions searching for the (former) occupants of unmanned kayaks. Since their entire Search & Rescue budget (2018) is only $804 million, will someone explain how they’re spending billions just on the abandoned kayaks brought to their attention?

Local and State SAR teams also help… Where the billions of dollars came from seems bad math. That said unmanned washed up or loose kayaks are a huge problem here in Maine and cannot simply be ignored . Often the cause is careless paddlers from away who are totally oblivious as to where the high tide line is nor the tidal range… 10-25 feet. But you can never assume they just forgot to tie up.

@Wavespinner said:
The article recently posted on this website

Where?

@qajaqman said:

@Wavespinner said:
The article recently posted on this website

Where?

https://paddling.com/learn/unmanned-kayaks-costing-billions/

Simple solution: write your name and phone # in your cockpit with a permanent marker or get one of the free “if found” labels. I have them in all my boats.

Thanks for the link

Simple solution #2:

All found, lost, stolen, trashed, discarded kayaks/canoes, etc. retrieved by the coast guard (for whatever reason/no excuses/no cop outs) shall be kept for a period of 30 days.
The rightful owner must verify the kayak/canoe is their property, if the the Coast Guard is contacted during the 30 days period. When ownership of kayak/ canoe is verified; the owner shall be charged a $35.00 fee for boat retrieval, and storage fees.

If the boat is not retrieved, ownership verified and the fee paid by the end of 30 days; the boat will be included in the next Coast Guard “boat auction”, which will occur once each month. Proceeds from monthly auction will be applied to cost of boat retrieval, and storage.

If there is a second incident by the same person; the fee shall be doubled to $70.00.
Third incident; fee tripled to $105.00

In simple terms: Be responsible for your property, or suffer the natural consequences.
No pats on the head, and no soothing, “remember to put your toys away honey”, that you used to get from Mommy, when you were in kindergarten!!!

BOB

Hhhmmm the kayaks I have found, I just gave them to my grandsons. It never occurred to me that the owners might also have been missing. Anyway, the kayaks were just pool toys and not in very good shape.

It’s not unusual to find power boats–some of them in not too bad shape. Those I usually notify the Sheriff Dept., but they seldom do anything about it. I found one last summer that had a good Honda outboard nearby that it looked like someone tried to take, but didn’t get away with it. I never did find out what became of that. I was in my kayak, so there was no way I was able to haul it away.

The last time we paddled to Mattice on the Missinaibi we must have come across the remains of at least 6 canoes.

I’ve often wondered about what happened on those trips.

I do have the CG tag in all of my canoes & kayaks.

I do too. I found half a Grumman on the Lookout River in Wabakimi.
Later we did find the occupant. A European wet wearing a white wet Speedo…
Not bad.

On the Suwannee River in Florida when it floods there can be a lot of sunk, lost, empty kayaks and canoes. All those boats turned over an left on docks , shore, etc get washed away.

Be nice if there was a plan to remove people’s ditched watercraft from the backcountry. How long does Royalex take to degrade?

@Loon_Watcher said:
Be nice if there was a plan to remove people’s ditched watercraft from the backcountry. How long does Royalex take to degrade?

Probably a thousand years.

@Loon_Watcher said:
Be nice if there was a plan to remove people’s ditched watercraft from the backcountry.

How might you do that? Helicopters?

…a really hot campfire

Serious air pollution.

That’s why it needs to be really hot - for complete combustion. The proper conditions likely can’t be achieved in an open camp fire though. I wasn’t quite serious with the suggestion.

@Sparky961 said:
That’s why it needs to be really hot - for complete combustion. The proper conditions likely can’t be achieved in an open camp fire though. I wasn’t quite serious with the suggestion.

I know.

I suggest that you buy some metal dogtags on Ebay and attach them to the front and back to your kayak with the appropriate amount of information. I put my cell phone number and marine VHF MMSI number on mine. The problem with the permanent marker is that sunlight, and especially any sand/dirt or weak bleach solution (to kill zebra mussels/milfoil) in the boat will wear the ink off quickly…just my experience with a sticker.

I use CG stickers as marker fades I write over it again they do make permanent markers which are better than regular sharpies.

Didn’t look that expensive https://youtu.be/WQJS9Da0ddc