Owner's phone number displayed on boat

[Portage_Bay]

Unless your boat sinks, then it takes someone with a wet suit to get your phone number.

The idea is someone will call me BEFORE it sinks.

 

[crazyguamboy]

I do that on my boat, as well as on my travel trailer on my property in the Puget Sound. One day, kids busted into my travel trailer storage compartment, and a neighboring landowner ran them out, and called the displayed number. So, it does work. But unfortunately, the last thing you want is a call from your neighbors.

 

[Rusty]

We hang a laminated 8.5x11" sign in the dockside window when we are not on the boat. "In case of EMERGENCY, call XXX Anytime ... Day or Night."

For a number of years we were some distance from the boat so I use a local google voice number. Didn't want to give anyone the idea that we are not near by.

 

[OldDan1943]

The displayed information displayed on the AIS can be whatever you want it to be.
Name owner name, no name, picture, no picture. It is all about the individual's security.

 

[Kit_L]

When I am tied up to the public wharf here (next to the Marine Rescue crew shed, and a popular blackfishing spot) I always leave a phone number (call/mobile) inside the window of the door facing the dock, big enough to read while standing on the dock. No one have ever called, but I figure it can't hurt.

 

[psneeld]

We hang a laminated 8.5x11" sign in the dockside window when we are not on the boat. "In case of EMERGENCY, call XXX Anytime ... Day or Night."

For a number of years we were some distance from the boat so I use a local google voice number. Didn't want to give anyone the idea that we are not near by.

Nowadays with everyone keeping their cel numbers ......I think it's less of an issue.

 

[Adopo]

I know that most marinas have people out and about, but are marina owners and employees diligent enough to alert you when something is wrong, or is there a need for a boat service that periodically goes on board to check your boat? Something like "storm check" in your 2nd home marketplace. Someone to go abroad, lift bilge plates, check the engine room, check panels, lines etc? I guess one part is how long is the boat left unattended.

 

[OldDan1943]

I know that most marinas have people out and about, but are marina owners and employees diligent enough to alert you when something is wrong, or is there a need for a boat service that periodically goes on board to check your boat? Something like "storm check" in your 2nd home marketplace. Someone to go abroad, lift bilge plates, check the engine room, check panels, lines etc? I guess one part is how long is the boat left unattended.

Not at this marina. The dock personnel are not permitted on boats.
Dont ask me why, I guess that is because 'things go missing'. The dock personnel are trustworthy and honest and knowledgeable, oh and underpaid too.
Over 12 months, I think I tip the 5 of them $100 (every 3 months) then an additional $100 for Thanksgiving and again on Christmas. They do watch my boat carefully.

 

[Northern Spy]

Just called my absentee owner dock neighbor on their posted number to tell them that their boat is doing just fine after our many cold, wind, snow, rain events.

I like the Vistaprint vinyl idea. Will look so much better than my crayon drawerings... Thanks!

 

[Gmarr]

I leave my business card near the pilot house window dockside so people can see. Very similarly, I have a note that says “if you are concerned about the dogs call me at xxxxxx” for when I run into the store on perfectly fine days...

 

[BruceK]

Not at this marina. The dock personnel are not permitted on boats.
Dont ask me why, I guess that is because 'things go missing'. The dock personnel are trustworthy and honest and knowledgeable, oh and underpaid too.
Over 12 months, I think I tip the 5 of them $100 (every 3 months) then an additional $100 for Thanksgiving and again on Christmas. They do watch my boat carefully.

$3000 a year in tips. Is that common practice at US marinas?

 

[GFC]

Not at my marina.

 

[markpierce]

My marina is operated by city government employees. I don't tip government employees.

 

[Bigsfish]

Mark when I go to Ft Pierce (a city marina) I always tip the dock hands. I don’t see why being employed by the city should make a difference.

Just my SSO

 

[menzies]

I leave my business card near the pilot house window dockside so people can see. Very similarly, I have a note that says “if you are concerned about the dogs call me at xxxxxx” for when I run into the store on perfectly fine days...

You take your boat to the store?

Awesome!

 

[Shrew]

We are very private people and protect our privacy so no name or phone mounted anywhere on the boat. That’s just us.

City: Miami River
Country: USA
Vessel Name: Gotcha
Vessel Model: Grand Banks. Heritage. 54

OK, if you say so

 

[firehoser75]

Personally we post our banking info, SIN number, etc. just in case someone may need it (of course for looking after our boat)
Now, seriously, we have posted our names, phone number, and email address on our boat for over 16 years now. I would like to be contacted should a marina employee, dock visitor, or dockmate notice something "unusual" with our boat, rather than come down to the marina one day to "find" an expensive problem myself, where earlier action could have saved me.



Maybe I am naive, but I don't see how someone having my name (not full legal name) and my phone number would be an "invasion of my privacy" or endanger us?
In the 16 years we have done this, we have never experienced a problem of any kind with this.

 

[rgano]

Not at this marina. The dock personnel are not permitted on boats.
Dont ask me why, I guess that is because 'things go missing'. The dock personnel are trustworthy and honest and knowledgeable, oh and underpaid too.
Over 12 months, I think I tip the 5 of them $100 (every 3 months) then an additional $100 for Thanksgiving and again on Christmas. They do watch my boat carefully.

I would believe marina personnel are restricted from boarding boats out of simple fear of litigation over some perceived liability issue, especially if fire and flooding are involved. Besides, marina dockhands are highly unlikely to be knowledgeable in large boat systems and could easily just make things worse for the boat and themselves. Most cannot even secure a mooring line properly. I am fairly knowledgeable, but I would never board an unoccupied boat without the owner on the phone telling me where switches and valves are for an exigent situation. Please leave you contact number highly visible.

 

[FlyWright]

Personally we post our banking info, SIN number, etc. just in case someone may need it (of course for looking after our boat)
Now, seriously, we have posted our names, phone number, and email address on our boat for over 16 years now. I would like to be contacted should a marina employee, dock visitor, or dockmate notice something "unusual" with our boat, rather than come down to the marina one day to "find" an expensive problem myself, where earlier action could have saved me.



Maybe I am naive, but I don't see how someone having my name (not full legal name) and my phone number would be an "invasion of my privacy" or endanger us?
In the 16 years we have done this, we have never experienced a problem of any kind with this.

Same experience here. No negative issues in 12 years. That's why I bought and installed the window decals.

 

[BruceK]

Same experience here. No negative issues in 12 years. That's why I bought and installed the window decals.

Ever had a call?
Two butt tightening calls. One when my marina called me(they are very "hands off" so it was a worry initially),turned out they called the wrong boat. And the time I called a boat neighbour, I sensed his anxiety so quickly reassured him all was well.

 

[FlyWright]

I had a smoke alarm go bad once and another time, I forgot to turn off an old GPS. After a while, it lost signal in my covered slip and started beeping. Both were resolved with dock neighbors accessing a hidden key I described to them to enter the boat.

 

[OldDan1943]

My marina office has my phone number and the phone numbers of people to contact.
I have confidence in them and their ability to move the boat, if necessary.

 

[Beaverlake]

I recently forgot to turn off our reverse cycle AC so the pump kept running and to some it could resemble a bilge pump running continuously. We have small printed and laminated placards in both pilothouse side windows with contact info. I got a call and an email alerting me to the “problem” within 12 hours of my leaving the boat. That’s the only contact resulting from our “posting” contact info on the boat. We are in an older private marina with a few liveaboards so that probably reduces the potential for abuse, but I will always have emergency contact info posted for reasons like the aforementioned example.

 

[ssobol]

I would have thought that the marina would have all your contact information already and it wouldn't need to be posted on your boat.

If somebody tells the office that "The boat in slip 57 seems to be having a problem.", I'd expect they'd be able to contact the owner or an alternate.

For a one night stay in a transient slip I have to give them all that information, surely permanent residents would too.

 

[Happy Frog]

Great idea! Feel stupid not to have done it earlier. Thanks for bringing up this idea !

 

[Beaverlake]

Not every marina has 24 hour staff or even full time dock staff during the day. At least not in the PAC NW. For instance, our marina is about 300 condominium slips. There is a dock master - but that’s it. There are a number of similar marinas up here as well. Although Everett has one of the largest marinas on the west coast we also have many smaller “Port of City Name” marinas similarly staffed. We also have a smattering of liveaboards or part time (unofficial) liveaboards and a reasonable amount of dock foot traffic even in the off season. But little to no full time staff and certainly limited off hours staff.

The answer is to provide good samaritans with a means to reach out. If they have contact info for marina staff/management that’s great but how frustrating if you see a problem at, say, 7pm on a week night in early October and you have no idea who to call or you have a marina contact number but get an off hours answering machine. We were fortunate that the “problem” was actually a reflection of a normal process (reverse cycle AC pumping water) and not a constant bilge pump flow. But I was really glad that somebody cared enough to call.

Sorry for what became a semi-rant - I don’t mean it that way. It’s just that not every marina is staffed 7x24x365 and I DO know who to call to initiate potential emergency action (we live about 90 minutes away from the boat).

 

[markpierce]

My marina is operated by city government employees. I don't tip government employees.

Mark when I go to Ft Pierce (a city marina) I always tip the dock hands. I don’t see why being employed by the city should make a difference.

Just my SSO

That's called a bribe. I'm a former government employee and never accepted a bribe.

 

[OldDan1943]

That's called a bribe. I'm a former government employee and never accepted a bribe.

I too am a former govt employee and hated when someone would offer me 'something of value' if I wrote a report in their favor. I chewed their butt off and reminded them if I accepted and my employer found out, I would be fired and then I would have to move in with them. LOL

 

[fractalphreak]

...last night we had a huge windstorm in our area. We already had the boat tied up good, extra lines out, etc. But went to check on it. It was fine. But we found a piece of somebody's brand new canvas floating in the water and fished it out. It matched the color and edge trim of the boat I found it next to, so I dropped it in his lazarrette and sent the owner a text with the picture of the canvas and what I did with it. He replied it was his and thanked me, and was going to head to his boat to check on everything else.

I got his number from the card in his boat window.

I could have lashed it to a rail (don't know where it went) and left, and he would have found it. But that let him know it was off and what was up.

 

[Art]

My insurance premium is always paid up... need I say more??!!