There are times, unfortunately, when a canoe or kayak gets lost or stolen.  We have had members have their boats stolen off the tops of the their cars while parked overnight.  I once had some mean-spirited teenagers, when I was out of sight for a few minutes over the top of the bank, push my boat into the water and let it drift downstream on its own. Sometimes they're just not secured well enough on the riverbank on an overnight campout, and they float away in rising water in the middle of the night. Waterfront property owners might have their boats blow into the water during windstorms.

However it happens, lost boats are no fun.  Recovery is difficult with poor odds.  And they're expensive to replace.

It's even worse if you're the Coast Guard or local law enforcement.  They have to treat an empty floating boat as a missing person case, or a potential drowning. Lots of man-hours and resources then get deployed to find out what's going on.

So, what can you do to help alleviate all of these problems?  Spend $2.  That's right, all it takes is a measly two dollars!

For $2, you can purchase a reflective orange "If Found" sticker, write your name and contact info on it, and stick it to your boat.  That way, if it ever becomes a run-away, authorities can quickly figure out if someone is in danger, or if it's just an innocent escapee.  It costs thousands of dollars per hour to operate a Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter.  It only costs you $2 to prevent the launch of that helicopter as unnecessary.  If the boat is lost innocently and found by an honest person, they'll know how to reunite you with your prized watercraft.  Likewise, if it's recovered by police.  Sure, if a real thief steals your boat, he's going to scrape off that sticker, and it won't have you done you any good. But since you spend a thousand dollars or more to purchase the boat, it seems like a good risk/reward ratio to spend just $2 to help ensure you have a better chance of getting it back if it's lost. 

Get your $2 sticker now.  Do it now, before you forget!  These are being sold by enterprising people on ebay.  Give them your $2, and the sticker will arrive by mail in an envelope within a few days.  Fill it out with a magic marker.  Test your marker on the edge first to ensure it will dry and not smear or rub off.  Then choose an obvious visible flat surface on your boat, clean that spot, then peel the sticker off the backing paper and apply it.  Done!  It takes $2 and 2 minutes, and can keep you from spending $2,000 to buy a new boat, or getting a $20,000 bill from the Coast Guard for their services. Hopefully, you'll never actually need to have the sticker used.  But you'll rest easier knowing that if you do, you've improved your chances.

	(Click photos to enlarge)

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The author, John Rich