Some excellent advice, a very good question, and Karen from Karen and Jim's Excellent Adventure says exactly what's on her mind...
Speaking of abandoning your boat, I tend to agree with Karen that you have a responsibility to other sailors and just leaving your boat floating as an unmarked hazard to navigation is really not an option.
Of course, no one likes the idea of scuttling a boat but, then again, you'd also think that no one really likes the idea of abandoning one either.
So what are you going to do?
The only alternative I see is some form of light system that is self-maintaining which with the modern state of electronics would be both easy and cheap to make. If I were making one, I'd base it around some LED strobes, a 5-watt solar panel, and a small sealed battery... A stand alone system makes sense because if you're abandoning your boat it stands to reason that most or all of your normal systems are compromised. That said, I'd not install such a system on a mast (masts do fall down) but instead put it into a radar arch or pole. Done right such a system could keep your boat visible for years...
Looking for bits I came across this which seems to be a ready made version and not nearly as kludgy as the system in my head...
So it would appear that the choice between scuttling or lighting your boat is up to you...
Listening to Laura Cortese
So it goes...
