Nicole Paulson displays her boat, Nicole’s Kitty, that was returned to her after it was found on Necker Island.

One week after returning from his vacation, he received a call from Sir Richard Branson’s assistant – Mr. Paulson’s daughter’s boat, Nicole’s Ktty, had been found.

“I was a little stunned at the phone call. It was early. About 8 a.m.,” Mr. Paulson said. “She was very polite. I was a bit in disbelief at first and then became very excited, as excited as you can get before any coffee.”

He said the assistant told him, “’Sir Richard had been playing with the boat and wondered what he should do with it.’”

Mr. Paulson told her to have him sign it and release it on the far side of the island.

“It must have tacked, because it ended back on Necker,” Mr. Paulson said.

About six months later, a FedEx package arrived at Mr. Paulson’s home in California. It was Nicole’s Kitty.

This time the boat had been found by Manuel Parod of Venice, California who was on Necker Island working with a production crew during the wedding of Google co-founder Larry Page.

Mr. Parod, who lives about 50 miles away, called the number on the model sailboat from Necker Island. He asked if he should bring the boat back with him when he returned home.

“Parod called me from Necker and asked if he should bring the boat home,” Mr. Paulson said. “After his report that it was not in good shape I told him, yes, if he had room.”

When Mr. Parod returned home he posted the damaged boat in the mail.

It was obvious the boat had been washed up on shore for some time because of its condition, said Mr. Paulson.

Most of the paint from the little vessel had been stripped away and the wooden hull had been worn down along its edges. The mast and sail were also missing. And if Sir Richard had signed it, it was no longer visible.

“Nicole’s Kitty was a bit worse for wear after more than six months. Her rig is gone and she appears to have been thrashing around on rocks and sand for some time,” Mr. Paulson had posted on an online travel forum.

To date there are still five boats missing — Eore’s Playhouse, Gymnastics Girl, Kalypso II, Rex III, The Black Pearl, and Pequeno.