"Dock Lines will be Cut!"

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

Can you elaborate? Does the marina have no trespassing posted?
'restricted' and 'hindered', is that mean they had to go around? or blocked?
'potential grounding' what potential, 1% chance or 50% chance?

What difference does it make? The guy left his boat in a berth that he had no right to use, which is a dick move at the very least. He deserves whatever he gets.

[atoll]

if this happens on a regular basis i would reccomend putting up a sign saying private parking,offenders will be spray painted offending vessels will soon get the message!

[Roy M]

Ummmmm, is there a doctor (preferably, a psychiatrist) in the house?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Roy M

Ummmmm, is there a doctor (preferably, a psychiatrist) in the house?

i belive "astrid" is a great vet

[JPA Cate]

Hello guys,

Boy is this a feel bad thread!

I think what Richard 5 is getting at has nothing to do with what is within the letter of the law, but in how we all (people) deal with one another. If I were to try to make Richard's idea a little more specific, it would be more that the marina chap would put a note on the offending boat for the owner to come to the office, then explain the situation, including the inconvenience to his paying clients. If the guy ever did it again, then yes, go ahead and chain the boat to the dock, but first give everyone a chance to handle the situation in a friendly way. Why not?

Ann

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

If the guy ever did it again, then yes, go ahead and chain the boat to the dock, but first give everyone a chance to handle the situation in a friendly way.

I don't think anybody is seriously advocating that the harbormaster chain a boat that had been thoughtlessly parked for a couple hours in a spot where it shouldn't be. The point (my point, anyway) is that the harbormaster would be well within his rights to do it and if he did, the boat's owner would have had it coming. And I would not expect the harbormaster to keep track of which non-tenant owners had transgressed multiple times. If it was a chronic problem at all, he should be able to take measures to remedy the issue so that word gets out that if you park in a slip that you have not paid for, you're gonna get chained.

[Cheechako]

My guess is whomever sets a boat adrift is financially responsible for it. There are other means to remedy the situation, which usually involve towing and storage fees.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

Can you elaborate? Does the marina have no trespassing posted?
'restricted' and 'hindered', is that mean they had to go around? or blocked?
'potential grounding' what potential, 1% chance or 50% chance?

I can't believe what I've been reading on this forum in the last couple of days. If no one will give someone a ride -- with a big, heavy anchor -- when he wants it, then WM is a stinko store no one should go to.

Someone comes into a marina -- by definition they rent dock space -- ties up and expects to inconvenience and possibly create hazards for the people who are legitimately there, and we're debating how many sailors can dance on the head of a pin (what's the liklihood of grounding? Apparently it it's "only 1%" then it's OK to steal the marina's facilities ...)

And of course, risk of grounding varies on a bunch of things -- state of tide, depth of keel, experience of skipper.

I PAY to be in my slip. it's my home. I don't expect anyone to block my access (or worse, occupy it) any more than I would let someone just march into my home and sit down in my living room and turn on my TV because they wanted to see the Nightly News.

An emergency is a different situation. Every marina I know of has ways of accommodating boats in crisis. But that's not this situation.

Entitlement -- that word comes to mind again. People can do us favors if they choose to, but we're not entitled to them.

By the way, i'm one of those people who has secretly paid someone's meal ticket at a restaurant. I'm not a selfish person. But to assume that just because sometimes people are nice to people we are all entitled to inconvenience others on demand -- that's a huge leap.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

My guess is whomever sets a boat adrift is financially responsible for it. There are other means to remedy the situation, which usually involve towing and storage fees.

Well over here illegally parked cars are wheel clamped... a 4hour wait + $$$$'s kinda discourages folk from doing it again... and word do travel fast...

[vientoman]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

If someone parked their car in your driveway and then walked away without a word, would you feel it was "over the top" to have it towed?

I think the question then would be "if their car were in your driveway, do you have the right to pull the parking brake and watch it roll down the street?" I don't think that would be too cool.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by vientoman

I think the question then would be "if their car were in your driveway, do you have the right to pull the parking brake and watch it roll down the street?" I don't think that would be too cool.

I have not been discussing setting an illegally parked boat adrift. That clearly would be illegal and create a hazard to navigation. But there are other, less drastic measures that seemingly could be taken without damaging anybody's property or breaking the law. And without bending over and asking the owner to "Please don't steal from me" or parsing the issue to the Nth degrees.

[Unkle Toad]

the first line of your first post is

Originally Posted by Delancy

Is it within a marina owners rights to cut dock lines and set a trespassing vessels lines adrift

so thats what people are reacting to. its basic psycology you lock in on the first thing you read.

I understand you are not saying thats what should be done you are asking I think both realistically and leagaly to what limits should/can a harbormaster go to to remedy the problem.

[Richard5]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

If someone parked their car in your driveway and then walked away without a word, would you feel it was "over the top" to have it towed?

Actually this used to happen on a regular basis at my home, a single family residence. My drive or street access wasn't shared yet quite often I'd find unoccupied vehicles blocking my access. Because I understood this typically was ignorant tourists (moronic tourists = tourons because they leave their brains at home) I didn't get too upset. If it were hunters who would be trespassing on private lands then it's a different thing. I can tell the diff.

But in either case if I needed to get out or in because of emergency you can bet I would do whatever was needed, including shoving the car aside.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Unkle Toad

the first line of your first post is



so thats what people are reacting to. its basic psycology you lock in on the first thing you read.

I understand you are not saying thats what should be done you are asking I think both realistically and leagaly to what limits should/can a harbormaster go to to remedy the problem.

Of all the solutions suggested, cutting the dock lines is the worst.

First of all, the selfish SOB probably used your docklines.

But beyond that, the boat will drift out, or sideways, or skewed -- and hit other boats.

There are other options for the docklines, like stepping on his boat and retying them so it takes a thingy to undo it.

Or put all the feral cats in the marina into his cabin, and shut the cabin.

[Tellie]

And they say sailors are the nicest, most accommodating, willing to help out a fellow sailor, people on earth.