Emergency Contact Info on Boat

Do you leave an emergency contact phone number on your boat in the event of an emergency?* I know many marina offices have owner contact info, but many things happen when the office is closed and I want to know right away if something is not right with my boat.

I don't want a problem on my boat to persist without my knowledge and I don't want my boat to cause a problem for others, such as fire, sinking, fuel leak or stray electrical current.

I have a sign that I place in the window of the lower helm stbd door when I leave the boat.*

My sign says the following:

===================

In the event of any problems

or concerns, please call

Al or Meg (916) XXX-XXXX

or (916) XXX-XXXX

Many thanks from FlyWright!

===================

Years ago, I got a call from a slip neighbor when he heard an alarm sounding at the lower helm.* Together, we figured out that I had left a GPS receiver on and it was alarming at the loss of signal in the metal-covered shed.* I told him where I hide the entry key and he went aboard and turned off the chartplotter.*

Problem solved and a new friend made.

We have always had contact information in the forward most side windows of the house. They are there 24/7. Both of our names and cell numbers are present. I figure that someone might inform us of a problem, and most importantly, I want to make it easy for someone to make us that impossible to refuse offer to buy.

Yes,*I've pasted my name and number in a pilothouse window recently.* Believe Ray did the same.* He beat me to it.

This issue was raised a few months ago when the Coot had a definite starboard list as I hadn't balanced the fuel among the tanks yet after fueling.* (The fuel polishig/transfer system developed a clogged filter.)* Someone called the marina office which called me, and someone also posted a message on this forum.* I didn't have my number posted then.* *Bless you.


-- Edited by markpierce on Wednesday 14th of March 2012 11:02:56 PM

Have just been thinking about doing it, for exactly the reasons articulated by Flywright.

I've been resisting putting the info up though because I live far away so the posted number could alert any opportunists to the fact they could have their way with the boat and it might not be discovered for quite some time.

We just had a nasty storm blow through Campbell River and the marina staff did a great job of looking after my boat (and everyone else's) but the thought of posting the info is top of mind right now.

I'll be following this thread with interest.

Not to go in a different direction but how about the camara system that you can see on your phone. Name and number are good but they have a security system that has an IP address that you can view on your smart phone. One day I will put that on the list.

The reason I don't is the marina has a security guard, The gate is locked, there*are other liveaboards on our dock,* first boat on the dock, moored in front of the marina, and the Eagle and I are well know in the marina.*

However we do share/have phone numbers with the other boats on our dock.**Usually when you go to a temporary/transient moorage, *they give*you*something to hang in your window.* I guess I never felt the need being a live aboard.*****

*

Where the boat is now, everybody and their brother knows us and has our phone numbers.* When our boat was hit by another boat*4 or 5 people called or texted to tell us about it.* However we are going to be in a different marina starting in a few weeks and we won't really know anyone there (other than one friend of Al's on a different dock) so this is probably a good idea!* The harbormaster is great about keeping an eye on things and calling but she is only there during the day.*

Last year when we were at this other marina,*a friend's boat was*there as well.* They let some other mutual friends stay on the boat one weekend and the harbormaster called the owners of the boat within about ten minutes of the other people getting there to tell the owners there were people on their boat.* I don't know how she even knew as the boat was pretty far from the office.* Very impressive.

FlyWright wrote:
Do you leave an emergency contact phone number on your boat in the event of an emergency?

Click to expand...

*Yes.* We have a laminated sign we put in a main cabin window with the name of the boat (the nameboards have canvas covers on them when we're not at the boat), the make, model, hull number, and year of manufacture, our names, and contact numbers for us and the Port of Bellingham.

We so far have not had a situation on our boat that has required anyone to call us or the port but I think it's a smart thing to have the information easily visible.

The only drawback we've found to this is that from a distance, the black and white sign looks to a lot of people like a for-sale sign with boat information on it, so we get people coming up to the boat when we're there and starting to ask us about price and so on.

Marin wrote:
The only drawback we've found to this is that from a distance, the black and white sign looks to a lot of people like a for-sale sign with boat information on it, so we get people coming up to the boat when we're there and starting to ask us about price and so on.

Click to expand...

*Perhaps one day you'll receive an offer you can't refuse.

markpierce wrote:Marin wrote:
....so we get people coming up to the boat when we're there and starting to ask us about price and so on.

Click to expand...

*Perhaps one day you'll receive an offer you can't refuse.

We've received a couple unsolicited offers from the walk-ups that were considerably higher than what we paid for the boat back in 1998. But we're not interested in selling and won't be for the foreseeable future until or unless we come to some decision about putting a bunch of money into bringing the GB up to as-built condition or buying a different boat.

You're right, though, everything is for sale at the right price.* But in our case the right price would have to be enough to let us buy a Fleming plus pay for its upkeep because if we ever change to a different boat I have no interest or intention of doing a lick of maintenance, service, or repair work on it.* We will be boat users only.* All other aspects of boat ownership will be hired out.

Needless to say, I don't see a sale of our old GB coming within even a glimmer of making that happen

Marin wrote:
I have no interest or intention of doing a lick of maintenance, service, or repair work on it.* We will be boat users only.* All other aspects of boat ownership will be hired out.

Click to expand...

*

*Finally got enough coin in your pocket did you there Mr. Marin.

Ah yes.**Gentelman boating. The good life.

SD

*

skipperdude wrote:Marin wrote:
I have no interest or intention of doing a lick of maintenance, service, or repair work on it.* We will be boat users only.* All other aspects of boat ownership will be hired out.

Click to expand...

*

*Finally got enough coin in your pocket did you there Mr. Marin.

Ah yes.**Gentelman boating. The good life.

SD

*

SD I think he said that will be his attitude when he has the coin to get*the Fleming and kick back, not now.*

*

Click to expand...

*Finally got enough coin in your pocket did you there Mr. Marin.

Ah yes.**Gentelman boating. The good life.

SD

*

SD I think he said that will be his attitude when he has the coin to get*the Fleming and kick back, not now.*

*Darn! I was hoping someone on the forum had finally reached critical mass.

SD

*

skipperdude wrote:Marin wrote:
I have no interest or intention of doing a lick of maintenance, service, or repair work on it.* We will be boat users only.* All other aspects of boat ownership will be hired out.

Click to expand...

*

*Finally got enough coin in your pocket did you there Mr. Marin.

Ah yes.**Gentelman boating. The good life.

*

The money isn't the issue so much as the "how do we want to spend it" is.* And unfortunately the things we are inclined to spend it on--- airplanes and/or boats--- don't stop costing money once you buy them as most people on this forum well know.* So it's the continuing ownership costs that we are most concerned with.* And if we don't do any of the work on the boat ourselves-- as opposed to doing almost all of it for the 13 years we've had the GB--- the ownership costs go way, way up.* So.... lots of things to think about.

But new boat or old, we'll still keep emergency contact information in the window


-- Edited by Marin on Friday 16th of March 2012 01:21:44 AM

Sorry Marin Just razzing you a little.

I keep the same info on my boat. As a matter of fact before I bought the boat. The PO had a for sale sign in the window so long that it sort of glazed into the window. So when ever there is a bit of fog on the window you can still see the for sale sign in the fog.

Kind of perpetualy for sale.

SD