mooring buoys Canada

[paralog]

Originally Posted by meandmyhunny

Comox Valley

Is yours a legal mooring buoy with legal status under a flnro issued licence if not then you have no legal address against the other party.
It seems first off, that you need to get up to the valley and get aboard it. Take photos, go through it and find any information you can about it and who owns it. Then follow up on that.
The other alternative is to take it to the government dock and walk away from it. Let them deal with it.

[mayday12]

Originally Posted by meandmyhunny

Update, no authority seems to want to take responsibility, however the coast guard has provided me the paper work to have the boat declared abandon and take over responsibility of the boat witch I unfortunately already have since I will be held responsible should it sink on my buoy or even come loose from it and become a problem. I of course just wanted the dam thing off my buoy and really would like the owner to take the responsibility. I have only just seen photos of it recently and do not even have enough good photos to know what to think as I don’t live where the buoy is at the moment. To answer one of the questions it doesn’t seem to have an anchor so moving it to its own anchor doesn’t seem to be an option either.

pm me the details of which bouy/boat and i can take some pics next time i'm out fishing

oh, and to some of the obviously US posters - Canada isn't the same - there isn't any local ""water cops" to hand any lines to. There isn't a CG dock in comox, and they wouldn't take possession even if there was. And a private bouy, if it meets some basic criteria, doesn't have to be registered.

[paralog]

Originally Posted by mayday12

pm me the details of which bouy/boat and i can take some pics next time i'm out fishing

oh, and to some of the obviously US posters - Canada isn't the same - there isn't any local ""water cops" to hand any lines to. There isn't a CG dock in comox, and they wouldn't take possession even if there was. And a private bouy, if it meets some basic criteria, doesn't have to be registered.

Unfortunately this is a good example whereby Government has created legislation with no way out for the small guy and the big guys just go bankrupt and leave it for the tax payer to deal with. Coast Guard only becomes involved if it is a hazard to navigation or is leaking fuel or oil. I know the big issue with the Provincial Government agencies is the cost of removal and eventual dumping at the landfill. Budgets are just too small and this is an easy issue to turn a blind eye to. We could just not do it, as there was no funding to remove or store derelict boats or floats.

It is only when it becomes a big issue - Tod Inlet is a recent one, when all the agencies get together to deal with the issue.

I hate to say it but you maybe really stuck with it. Have you spoken to the town of Comox?

[mayday12]

The town has no authority - federal waters.
Only a few specific municipalities - Vanc, Port Moody etc have managed to get some input - and even those are only able to write "tickets" that most of the squatters don't bother paying.

[paralog]

Originally Posted by mayday12

The town has no authority - federal waters.
Only a few specific municipalities - Vanc, Port Moody etc have managed to get some input - and even those are only able to write "tickets" that most of the squatters don't bother paying.

Hi

I know they have no authority (unless the boat is within their "Harbour Authority Area") if it is then they maybe able to deal with it.

The locals are professional protesters and complainers so there maybe other folks in town who have already brought the issue to the Town Council.

A letter to the Mayor, the local MP and MLA can do wonders.

Nanaimo has a harbour authority and they dealt with many of the boats around Newcastle Island.

[mayday12]

Unfortunately the OP has only a few options - with varying degrees of it becoming OPP - Other Peoples Problem.
1) try and get help from the new derelict boat program - although it seems to be geared towards municipalities, non-profits etc -not sure how an individual would be able to access, along with the "no proof of ownership" issue
2) tie a slip knot and let the next big SE take it over to the mudflats, to join the several other derelicts - until eventually (hopefully) dealt with by the above program
3) borrow a dingy and on a calm day wheel it over to the Harbour Authority docks and pay cash for a day - it then becomes the HA problem - but since that is essentially the local taxpayers, still OPP
4) walk away from the mooring and put in another one - eventually the pendant on the old one will chafe through, a winter SE will break it free and back to option 2
5) put an add in craigslist for a "project boat" - ask $100 and some dreamer will offer to let you give it to them. After several years will be abandoned again, cycle to be repeated

[David Mathis]

Have you considered that trespassers often use cheap lines to attach to a buoy? We all know that those cheap lines sometimes separate, especially at night when subjected to the corrosive effect of moonbeams.

[Shaneesprit]

If you don’t pay mooring costs in the UK the depts sit with the boat and not the owner, so you may have some right to claim the boat and sell it to recover your costs ( all of your costs ) and since you have no agreement I can only imagine that those costs are incredibly high - maybe including purchasing all the mooring gear. Sell it by auction and keep the change for the owner.
Failing that remove your mooring gear from the boat putting the boat somewhere relatively safe with what ever anchor you can find and post a note saying you rescued this unknown craft from the sea,
Or is it abandoned in which case it’s salvage and first man with a line on it gets to keep it - is it any good?
40 years ago we had a boat break free and someone rescued it and anchored it down with some old lorry wheels - never left a note, great though

[Svan]

A close reading of the Abandoned Vessels act is in order.

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/...2.3/index.html

Note part 2 on dilapidated vessels left for more than 60 days.
30 (1) It is prohibited for an owner of a dilapidated vessel to leave it stranded, grounded, including on the shore, anchored or moored in the same location — or within a radius of three nautical miles of, or, if a radius is prescribed, within that prescribed radius of that location — for a period of 60 consecutive days or, if a number of consecutive days is prescribed, that number of consecutive days.

I would contact transport canada, by phone, and find out who their enforcement officer is for your area.

[nervuswrek]

Sorry to have to say this but I hate these so called Private Mooring Buoys. In many cases they make it near impossible for transient boaters to safely anchor (such as Maple Bay). To this point in time I have never used someones Buoy, and if I did, it would only be for a very short period of time and for my own safety and the safety of others around me. My interpretation (and that of a TC and CCG officer that I once spoke with) is unless the Buoy is properly Registered with the Department of whichever Jurisdiction it may fall under, then without a Vessel tied to it, it is classed as an abandoned anchorage. Should there be no Departmental Jurisdiction, then even you by definition, are a Squatter on Crown Land that we all have right to use in a responsible manner. The markings etc required to be shown on the Buoy are for Indentation and ultimate responsibility for the placement and maintenance, should there be an incident and or any Liability involved regardless of who or what may be tied to it.

That said, I feel your pain. I would personally use an abandoned anchorage if the need arouse for safety reasons, while also considering reasonable time and reasonable purpose. A year is not reasonable by any stretch.

[smbdyiam2]

Place a free sign it will set forever. Nobody wants derelict boat. Place a large for sale sign on buoy. reasonably high price. $5-10,000. You are selling buoy. Boat will be gone shortly. May have to replace parts of buoy that disappeared,

[MJH]

Originally Posted by meandmyhunny

Hi all not sure this is the right place for this question but giving it a try, I have a squatter's boat on my mooring buoy and can't find a legal way to get him off? help!

Your post has caught my interest as I have a mooring buoy used and maintained since 1995 but have never had this problem. As I have not gone the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) route to register it, I understand your predicament.

Has this forced you to move your boat to a marina or other location? That expense would have some value in making your case. If not stolen I would think the owner lives in your area.

In affect he is trespassing on your property, the rigged mooring buoy you paid for. As someone has mentioned, perhaps it is stolen. Can you call the police on his trespassing your property?

You've gotten his phone number, get his address and confront him.

We had a similar case where I live and I believe the affected party notified the DNR. The result was DNR coming out and tagging ALL the unregistered buoys that they considered were obstructing the waterway...a somewhat good thing I admit as it was getting crowded. Downside was it also affected a number of neighbors, an "unintended consequences" kind of thing.

Good Luck. Please keep us up to date on how it evolves.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[wilson eavis]

Originally Posted by Siberianhusky

I only cut boats loose in Nflnd. The Newfies know how to take a joke.

The Siberianhusky suggests: "I only cut boats loose in Nflnd. The Newfies know how to take a joke."
I'm a Newfie, but if someone messes with my boat, they'll soon get to know how a pissed off Newfie wil be your worst dream ever.
I (hope) know that Siberianhusky was joking, but never refer to a Newfie, and yes, we are the easiest going people in the entire world, as one who will tolerate such a thought.
No reply necessary.
On a positive note, summer is nearing.

[hornby sailor]

I have had a hard time finding suitable anchorage in comox. Too many private moorings taking up the commons. Regulation is required in these cases. I will tie to your mooring any time I need to. Politeness dictates a phone call to ask, but politeness would mean there would be free space to anchor, and you are not the polite one in this case.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by wilson eavis

The Siberianhusky suggests: "I only cut boats loose in Nflnd. The Newfies know how to take a joke."
I'm a Newfie, but if someone messes with my boat, they'll soon get to know how a pissed off Newfie wil be your worst dream ever.
I (hope) know that Siberianhusky was joking, but never refer to a Newfie, and yes, we are the easiest going people in the entire world, as one who will tolerate such a thought.
No reply necessary.

On a positive note, summer is nearing.

Hey Wilson, whereyaat? I'm based in Lewistporte. Always nice to chat with another Newfoundlander.

Originally Posted by hornby sailor

I have had a hard time finding suitable anchorage in comox. Too many private moorings taking up the commons. Regulation is required in these cases. I will tie to your mooring any time I need to. Politeness dictates a phone call to ask, but politeness would mean there would be free space to anchor, and you are not the polite one in this case.

I know this is not the intent of this thread, but yes! As I complained earlier, all too often these private moorings clog up all the good anchorage space. And too many sit empty a lot of the time. It's tantamount to using pylons to block out a personal parking space on a public road.

I understand the reason why someone might want a mooring. But all too often these damnable things are placed in such a way that blocks other people from anchoring. Put them very near shore, or way out at the edge. Don't just drop them in the middle of the anchorage!