OB-kite on rocks, no kiter

martyrosse · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 118

orange, silver and black kite just south of cliff house. i'm investigating. gnarly conditions and cross swell.

martyrosse · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 118

no sign of kiter. am checking parking lot. please call me at 415-706-8008 if you hear that this person is safe.

martyrosse · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 118

i called this in to the coast guard.

kvm · Joined: 07 May 1998 Posts: 2

Thanks guys - that kite belongs to Alex Black. He is fine and the Coast Guard knows not to look for anyone in the water. His mobile is 510-502-7885. He's driving back that way now (4:20pm) Saturday 1/7.

If someone ends up with the kite or has more information about it's location, please call Alex at the number above.

Many thanks!

martyrosse · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 118

Just talked to Alex and gave him exact location of the kite. Glad he's ok! Thanks for posting

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

That's great that someone is paying attention to errant kites (and maybe boards). Both are so common around here that the primary concern is to whom we might return them if ever found. I saw one kite just up and fly away out of the hands of a guy standing near shore, coming down on a hill miles away (60 highway miles). The owner's response? "Crap! There goes another one."

Lost boards seem like a daily occurrence. They must be cheap.

sailtildark · Joined: 22 Mar 2012 Posts: 52

They are a lot cheaper (like 1/3 to 1/4) than sailboards and a hell of a lot easier to fix too!

andydavis · Joined: 11 Apr 1999 Posts: 319 Location: Point Isabel

As a kiter (former windsurfer), I have not yet had to eject my kite; however, if I had to, it would be with no expectation that it would be returned. Under Maritime Law,flotsam is defined as debris in the water that was not deliberately thrown overboard, often as a result from a shipwreck or accident. Jetsam is deliberately thrown overboard from a vessel in distress.

Flotsam may be claimed by the owner; whereas jetsam may be claimed as property of whoever discovers it. So maybe if he was doing some unhooked maneuver and it got away from him, then he would have a claim on it, but if he ejected it in distress, then he doesn't.

One way or the other, the reward to whoever salvages the kite should be pretty generous...minimum a case of beer or a couple of bottles of pretty decent wine.

fxop · Joined: 13 Jun 1998 Posts: 202

How would maritime law apply to a situation I saw in Maui at Sprecks recently?

One kite had gotten loose and had swept up another kite, which was providing drag as the two sailed merrily along. They disappeared over the dunes heading for the radar station.

In that case does top kite or bottom kite have the salvage rights?

fxop

andydavis · Joined: 11 Apr 1999 Posts: 319 Location: Point Isabel