Squatter On Your Mooring Ball ( Canada )

[Cavalier MK2]

Communists! Our modern science gears up to reanimate McCarthyism....We draw them lines to help oragnize the lynchmobs...Reminds me of the Grateful Dead tune. "We can share the women, we can share the wine, we can share what we got of yours cause we ain't sharing none of mine." Now how about sharin them maintenance costs....(dots can represent bullets from six shooters) But since we are modern how about a more PC term like sunrise instead of red, pink or..... Now if this is taken seriously go back to bed and leave my balls alone! signed Yanks with chains, for moorings that is.....

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I'm wrestling with this question b/c a mooring is not the same thing as an anchor. A private mooring theoretically blocks anyone else from using that space -- whether the owner is there or not. It is tantamount to permanently privatizing a public space. I think there are reasonable uses of moorings (such as in the OP's case), but as is becoming apparent, the proliferation of them is becoming a problem in some areas.

We've heard about some entirely reasonable approaches where moorings are understood to be available to all when not in use by the owner. An owner has an added privilege (not a right) to ask that someone move on should they need their mooring, but otherwise they are available to all. Unfortunately, North American society seems much more focused on notions of private property. The idea of sharing quickly gets branded as communist.

[bobconnie]

Used to be a marina could make a little profit then the Goverment got more involved and marinas had to make many very expensive changes and costs went up, then more costs to the marinas! all of a sudden folks found there berthing was starting to be VERY expensive!! when folks found out you could plant a mooring in public anchorages, the rush was on ! Canadian anchorages have become mooring fields, public anchoring has become a thing of the past. last time we there, only in remote places could we find a place to anchor ! our dockage in the US is also expensive, but the laws a little different, so we still have a few anchoring spots left !!I wish it was back to the old way in canada, where you had to have a foreshore lease to put in a mooring ball. but guess you folks are gonna have to live with it !! at least down here if the chart says anchorage you can drop the hook there if theres room LOL Bob and Connie

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

Only if its a Hunter!!!!!!

If it is was a Hunter on the mooring the problem would that everyone else in the field would be suffering from boat envy and boat lust

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by tgzzzz

Well, speaking of those law abiding Canadians: long ago and far away, a Canadian registered boat was left in a local mooring field one night. In a very desirable spot. Other spaces were available so no one was too concerned. The boat went round and round for ... wait for it ... FOUR years. One windy night it was gone. Tidal action and wind moved the boat over to the bridge where it was damaged and never seen again to my knowledge.

Chatter among the wharf rats was "good riddance". Soon a local wharfer had moved his boat to the spot, redone the mooring chain and pendant and occupied this desirable location. Two years later, said rat was heard to admit he'd liberated the foreign vessel on that breezy evening under a cloak of darkness.

I've been on the water my entire life, and for all the tough talk this is the only situation I actually know happened. As pointed out above, there may be legal ways to handle this if the municipality has title to the moorings, or a HM but in this spot there was no controlling authority. TowBoats don't work for nothing and the CG has important things to do.

I'm confused about this situation. As a boat lover, I hate that someone did this, yet ....

Editorially, I don't like moorings. It sounds ok til you factor in that the water belongs to all of us, and a mooring field severely restricts anchoring areas and inevitably leaves fouling possibilities on the bottom. In my experience, moorings lead to absentee owners. Here in Beaufort, NC, we have a great place to anchor but the area is choked by year-rounders, some of whom are of the derelict type, some not so but with owners who live in the big city some 3 hours away.

Overpopulation is ruining a nice planet.

Beaufort NC is one of my favourite places on this planet, cruiser friendly great people, the Backstreet pub, wish I could anchor there !

Try taking an empty mooring in front of town (you know one of those that clutters the whole anchorage) and within a very short time someone will be out looking for 40 bucks for use of their rusty chain and a V-8 block buried in the sand.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Has anyone suggested using Ninjas?

Just askin'

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Has anyone suggested using Ninjas?

Just askin'

Ninjas hell. Just send David in his clown suit!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Ninjas hell. Just send David in his clown suit!

My plan is to tie up to your mooring ball .

[Astrid]

maybe you could send a mime.. That could creep me out.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Astrid

maybe you could send a mime.. That could creep me out.

awwww, come on, some mime's are cute, aren't they?

[Fishman_Tx]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

I think you mean you've found a squatter taking over another squatters squat.

Every timeI make the run from Lake Ontario south I find that more and more anchorages are being taken up by people installing private mooring balls. By what right do people claim public property as their own, excluding others and paying no taxes on it.

Because they can. If one doesn't agree with the laws as currently written, then undertake the campaign to have them changed. Sitting in an arm chair beefing about it won't get them fixed. I think anchorage in public waters is one thing but private moorings is completely different and shouldn't be allowed. JMHO, as I see it. Public is public and if the state, province, county, whatever governing body wants to place public moorings; cool. An area for private moorings (pre-placed and leased from said govt entity) could be designated and set aside as a possibility, but I don't approve of private ownership in public areas as it causes the situations you have here.

JMHO

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

My plan is to tie up to your mooring ball .

Well then, you can have it if you are going to wear that clown suit!!!!

But if you do wear the suit you will find you fit in well at Salem MA. It will just be a battle with the various witches.

[cpt.Henry]

I love hearing these dilemas and then watching idle as nothing is really done. Local law enforcment doesnt want anything to do with it, marine patrol doesnt want it and no other entity wants anything to do with the situation because as land tax paying citizens, they usually feel that boaters on moorings are getting a free ride and should be subject to all of the woes they go through. Some people make things happen, some watch what happens and others will question what the heck happened. If you are a boater you have to mind your boat and mooring or others will mind it for you. Piracy is well and alive my friends. Tree huggers will remain tree huggers till a pirate cuts your tree and then theyll just be huggers.

[mlydon]

Three ideas - can you report a theft of your mooring and ball? Straight theft - this person stole your stuff and -STILL HAS IT! RED HANDED! -

Second Idea - drop his hook somewhere else, and pull your mooring until you need it.

Third - lay claim to the boat as salvage, then sell it for a dollar

Matt

[wolfenzee]

How about taking its somewhere nearby and anchoring it.Also if there are no numbers on it then it becomes coast guard matter. Of course an anonymous tip that you suspect it is being used as a drug drop and/or other such criminal activities might focus attention on it...

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

If it is was a Hunter on the mooring the problem would that everyone else in the field would be suffering from boat envy and boat lust

I'm turning green!!!!!!!!!!