It is hard to see so many boats, many salvageable, just sitting....so far. I am sure there is an active industry for this, after all this is America! Several tow boat outfits and surveyors here on the central coast of East Florida, have commented on some activities they have witnessed. One in particular is the rapid purchase of all the Hatteras vessels by a couple of outfits outside of Florida. One said they were being bought up hand over fist. One thing I have noticed. There are a large number of boats that were sunk, raised, and then sat. Anyone who buys salvaged parts certainly better know what they are doing. You would have to know how the boat was handled (engines pickled etc) before buying an item immersed in salt water for any length of time. I guess if you were buying from a reputable salvage outfit this would be a nonissue. In my case, I know many items that would be salvageable from my boat. It is now sitting on the hard.......a sad sight to see. It looks as if an industrial size router ripped the deck to hull joint like a giant can opener. I have a hard time even looking at the pictures. Among many projects I had done on the boat, I had just finished laying the new teak plank flooring in the cabin sole. Most of the salvageable items on my boat however are gas related and I am moving to diesel. But if you look at the value of the Crusader engines (both ran great) the trannies, the drive shafts, the nibral props, the Kohler 5K genset (ran great), the air cond unit, etc etc. I know their condition and there is a lot to salvage for someone who needs those kinds of parts. I think that is the major hurdle in buying salvage, that is, knowing the history of the salvaged item. Had the damage not been so severe I would have bought it back and fixed it as a resale. But the hull repair estimates alone come to over $85K. Molds have to be built etc. I had a Tiara 3100 and it performed extremely well for us, esp in rough seas. We had many memorable trips to the Bahamas, but it is time to move into the trawler world that we have been eyeing for around a year now. Close one door, open another. Thank God for insurance!! Dan Lanier Melbourne, FL danlanier@earthlink.net