Fishy anchoring situation

[mr-canada]

I wont bother quoting for the sake of brevity, but I will respond to the above.

10 year old with a sling shot. Yes. I'll take him he can stay on my boat whenever I anchor there, lol.

Conspiracy theories? This area is well known to be an excellent safe anchorage. The harbour guy even said there's no way I should drag there. A lifelong boater had people in bumboats circling his boat and he woke up to the sound of their motors. The winds were light and the only thing that would push the boat around is the current.

Physics. It is somewhat impossible for an anchor to drag close to a kilometre at 7:1 scope and be sitting entirely below the boat. Even dragging, completely unset, the weight of the thing even skipping across the bottom wouldn't put it directly below the boat. Normally a Fortress would reset in this kind of holding ground over that distance, but if it didn't, it wouldn't practically float to land under the boat with that much scope. It would be somewhere, but not directly under the boat.

Word of mouth. I have heard from quite a few boaters that the people who own the vacation properties in the area are pretty cliquey, and that there are in fact some grumpy old men who consider the area their private domain, including the park which is public.

Pattern. I have stated the pattern of ever faster anchor fouls and how the first set held fast and strong for a considerable amount of time; I won't rehash it all. Oddly enough, the anchor fouling would only occur during the weekdays, and only when I was gone. The final fouling happened literally the very next morning after I left the boat, and I received a call from the park operator that it was adrift. Now that park operator isn't exactly the most sharp on the ball, there were times I docked and had every intention to pay but he never showed up to even collect the money; he's no longer working there. So someone called to report it, once he even called me when he wasn't even at the park. Perhaps the anchor fouler? I leave a boat well set through three tides at 10pm and by 8 am the anchor is fouled so bad it's adrift?

FINALLY
I understand that sh*t happens sometimes, and anchoring doesn't always go as planned. Anchors foul, become unset, rode gets chafed. The above however tells me this wasn't just a blow going against the current or the swing unset the anchor that was firmly set or that this was a case of a bad anchorage or anchoring spot. Without rehashing - I sat on board through 3 tides to make sure the anchor was set well, and backed down on the thing at full throttle to make sure it wasn't loose or dragging.

I'll take the 10 year old with the slingshot, lol. The special kind of a**hole who would foul an anchor probably would be terrified and turn the boat around. If I could get such a thing on camera that would be even better, it would go viral.

[mr-canada]

Busted him. Called the police.

Guy came, was untying my knots from the dock that were suspending me, got busted by a friendly old salt in another slip at the dock, took pictures of my boat and left. Matches the description - old white caucasian guy in a small runabout with two old ladies - of the people circling another guy's vessel earlier before my misadventures.

He read my note obviously, I placed one on his front door and it was gone. Left an email address. No response. Police find it very suspicious as there has been a boat found beached and there was recently a dead body found in the water just a few weeks ago.

That all this happens within about 1 nm of this place and lightning doesn't strike in the same place 4 times, I have alleged piracy under maritime law.

You dont take a runabout for a little tour of a park area in sub zero weather and gale force winds, these were no tourists.

[mayday12]

just curious - are we still talking about Keats?
if so, the Parks dock, daily rate one (2 wks max) or a private dock?

[JimJohnston]

Originally Posted by mr-canada

Busted him. Called the police.

Guy came, was untying my knots from the dock that were suspending me, got busted by a friendly old salt in another slip at the dock, took pictures of my boat and left. Matches the description - old white caucasian guy in a small runabout with two old ladies - of the people circling another guy's vessel earlier before my misadventures.

He read my note obviously, I placed one on his front door and it was gone. Left an email address. No response. Police find it very suspicious as there has been a boat found beached and there was recently a dead body found in the water just a few weeks ago.

That all this happens within about 1 nm of this place and lightning doesn't strike in the same place 4 times, I have alleged piracy under maritime law.

You dont take a runabout for a little tour of a park area in sub zero weather and gale force winds, these were no tourists.

You must feel vindicated. Has there been any legal action by the police pursuant to the 'bust'?

[Bullshooter]

Get the name of the park operator. Move up the food chain in the park service and talk to someone high enough up to ask about their policy, especially with regard to this towing to Vancouver. Write emails if possible, then you have it in writing.

I am guessing this phone caller is an impostor, not a park operator, but you should be able to find out using the internet and phone calls whether or not he is properly following policy. Ask about him by the name he gave you.

Etc.

Find out if what this caller has told you is consistent with park policy.

Set a second anchor.

I'm just trying to think of helpful suggestions. Good luck.