When a 13-foot King Tide swelled Dec. 27 and rain poured down, it led to coastal flooding around Bainbridge Island and set small watercraft adrift.

For days, islanders have been cleaning up and reaching out on social media to reclaim lost items including; a blue and orange Body Glove paddle board that floated away from Hidden Cove, small overturned boats and a five-person inflatable raft found at Battle Point.

In light of all the small vessels that floated away, Rob Avery, owner of Alchemy Works LLC and a Bainbridge Prepares Flotilla volunteer, reminded residents to put their contact information on their watercrafts.

“Any small boat owner of a kayak, dinghy or paddleboard that does not have a WA Boat Registration on their boat should mark their contact details on it. Use a sharpie with ‘if found contact ….’ This way, if a boat is found floating you can be contacted. Likewise, if the Coast Guard finds an unmanned craft they can first try and contact the owner before initiating a search for a possible man overboard,” Avery said.

“If found” stickers can be found in the kiosk at Waterfront Park, from an Auxiliary Coast Guard member or by request at iffoundsticker@d13cgaux.net.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes a King Tide as “a non-scientific term people often use to describe exceptionally high tides. Tides are long-period waves that roll around the planet as the ocean is ‘pulled’ back and forth by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun as these bodies interact with the earth in their monthly and yearly orbits.”