Did the Kaufmann's have insurance on their boat? If so, does hull insurance cover a boat scuttled at sea when it's crew is forced by circumstances to abandon? Also (while it does not seem to be the case here), when an insurance company pays off, it has the right to bring a suit against any responsible parties for the loss -- it is not out of the question that the Kaufmann's have to sue as a condition of their insurance -- thiugh if that were the case, I think the suit would be brought in the name of the insurance company as subrogee rather than the Kaufmann's..