Lining someone’s boat about 15 ft on a visitor dock

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Arthurc

Arthurc

Guru
Joined
Sep 24, 2016
Messages
752
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Sea Bear
Vessel Make
Kadey-Krogen 54
Quick question, is it acceptable/common to move someone’s boat on a city marine visitor dock to make room. Situation is that a sailboat is taking up about 125 feet of space with 50 on each side of them, they aren’t connected to power. I need 60 but nobody is onboard and the port is closed.
Not sure what best practice is, guessing just leave it. Trade off is I run my gen all night in a marina...
 
My guess is that this is really a local issue, meaning, in some places I'm sure it's acceptable and even expected, others not.
 
I’ve decided it’s time to open wine so I’m gunna just run the gen (really need to get that diesel heat installed). Still curious what others say, especially NW boaters, in Bellingham marina.
 
I think I would move the other boat the distance required to allow you to moor and NOT have to run the genny all night long.
Leave a note on the other boat explaining what you had to do.
I think the other boaters will appreciate the quiet night.
 
If I had my old gen I would for sure, stern is facing away, and it’s a new NL with silencer.

Billr2019 said:
I think I would move the other boat the distance required to allow you to moor and NOT have to run the genny all night long.
Leave a note on the other boat explaining what you had to do.
I think the other boaters will appreciate the quiet night.
Click to expand...
 
That is a tough question. Part of me says you shouldn't have to tolerate inconsiderate people and their bad docking practices. The other side of me is loathe to touch another person's dock lines other than to prevent damage.

As mentioned the acceptance of moving another person's boat is very much a local policy one way or the other. When tying to bulkheads on a canal wall, I've seen people or a harbor master move boats a short distance to squeeze another boat in. Have also seen where it was absolutely forbidden.

I probably wouldn't in this situation without being able to talk to a dock representative or the boat owner. I would position my generator exhaust as close to their boat as I could.

Ted
 
Move the boat, leave a note and invite them over for a glass of wine.

If the situation was reversed what would your reaction be if someone moved your boat a few feet. I think most folks would be cool with this.
 
I wouldn’t care, but I’m a glass in now so no tight docking for me :)
 
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I would not be happy with the situation, but I would never touch someone else's boat without their knowledge.
That's just me. But I would most likely be okay if they moved mine in this situation.
 
I feel that if somebody touches a line on another boat they own anything that happens afterwards. Sometimes a dock master will move a boat if asked, but with none around I personally wouldn’t do it.

Ken
 
kchace said:
I feel that if somebody touches a line on another boat they own anything that happens afterwards. Sometimes a dock master will move a boat if asked, but with none around I personally wouldn’t do it.

Ken
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:thumb:
especially a big boat. You don't know what special ttaention that size boat requires when you tie it to the dock. Chances are good that you can anticipate all the likely quirks, but there is always the off chance that you miss something that later turns out to be important. Then you wear the consequences.
Far better to have your glass or two and not have to face any consequences.
 
koliver said:
:thumb:
especially a big boat. You don't know what special ttaention that size boat requires when you tie it to the dock. Chances are good that you can anticipate all the likely quirks, but there is always the off chance that you miss something that later turns out to be important. Then you wear the consequences.
Far better to have your glass or two and not have to face any consequences.
Click to expand...

I think that even if one does everything perfectly, if anything happens at all, the last person to touch it will be the first to be blamed. I’m loathe to put myself into that situation. In addition to the fact that I feel one just doesn’t touch another’s boat unless something obviously bad is happening.

Ken
 
You're liable if you don't properly tie and fender it.
 
I have been in similar situations when owner not around and wanted to move it a modest amount to make room for another.
Bottom line I have never done it alone where owner or a boater friend of the owner wasn't present.
I have retied many boats in our home marina that were in precarious positrons, banging dock, etc when owners not around but never in a strange / public location.
 
kchace said:
I feel that if somebody touches a line on another boat they own anything that happens afterwards. Sometimes a dock master will move a boat if asked, but with none around I personally wouldn’t do it. Ken
Click to expand...
:thumb:
 
Was the marina expecting you, as in reservation.
If yes, then ask for forgiveness, if not then forget about it.
No one that I know ties up in the middle of large open space, so someone else left.
 
Soo-Valley said:
No one that I know ties up in the middle of large open space, so someone else left.
Click to expand...

You boat in a very different area than I.

I've seen selfish boaters take their half out of the middle many times. I always try to leave as much room for the next boat as possible.

Even so, I've been moved a number of times. It's just not possible to always know what size boats may be showing up next, and sometimes there's no other choice to get everyone in. I don't hold a grudge against anyone who's had to do that to me. I just wish they'd learn to properly cleat a line, and adjust fenders when needed.

I don't recall ever moving someone else's boat when either the owner or an authorized person isn't around, but I could see it happening some day. I'd feel really weird doing it though.
 
No res but marina doesn’t accept them, to be clear no bad feelings against the owner, just trying to understand what’s ok, my guess is other boats left.
 
I wouldn't touch it. I would sorely be tempted but I would not in the end.

Last year in Charleston we were ready to leave early one morning and found a mega-yacht had tied it's stern dock line over the top of our forward line.

I could have un-cleated theirs and re-cleated it, and they would have probably never known. But I knocked loudly on their hull and eventually a sleepy crew member appeared and I told him what we were going to do. He watched me do the lines and I asked him if he was OK. He said yes, and off we went.

Just not worth the liability especially with dock cameras.
 
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Well...first thing is is there any contact info on the boat? That’s pretty common up here, even if just a phone number. Second, how well secured is it? If they put a lot of care into securing it I’d be more reluctant to adjust. Finally, do you know what you’re doing? Can you tie a cleat hitch? If you’re not competent then there’s that.
 
It's always been customary to move boats to make room for others in the PNW, especially at a public dock. It's good boating etiquett. Wouldn't you, coming into a full dock, be appreciative of fellow boaters who move boats so you can come in?

Of course, you must have proper seamanship knowledge to retie, adjust fenders and secure shore power.

At most yacht club reciprical docks, it's mandatory. Along with rafting.

Private for profit marinas will have staff to do the boat moving. And, they are pretty good at squeezing everyone in.
 
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Etiquette years ago vs now has changed. Lots of new boaters who never moved up from smaller boats. Now you see people freaked out about a boat rafting to them, even where it’s mandatory, but they didn’t bother to read the posted rules. Common to see boats tie in the middle of any linear moorage, often strategically to get more of the dock to themselves.

I don’t like touching another persons lines, but I’d have no problem nicely asking them if they were on board or nicely letting them know when they return what the expected etiquette is and what had happened to another boater as a result, especially if I had witnessed them taking more room than needed when they came in. Lots of boaters now get afraid of getting away from the dock or not know what spring lines are and even when they don’t take the middle, intentionally grab an extra 20 feet on either end instead of snugging up.

People won’t hear your message if you are not nice, but quite a few need some lessons.
 
O C Diver said:
That is a tough question. Part of me says you shouldn't have to tolerate inconsiderate people and their bad docking practices.
Click to expand...


I could imagine a scenario where there might have been other boats on either side of the sailor when he docked...

FWIW -- although this won't help much at this point -- we have 65' of shorepower cord on our Cablemaster, and we also carry another 50' cord... and while we're traveling long distance for several months, we also brought the other 50' cord that we usually leave secured at our home dock. Haven't ever had to use more than one of the spare cords, though...

-Chris
 
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I would absolutely move it if a visiting floating dock and no harbormaster to contact. Fixed dock I would have to see as fendering gets tricky.

Yep move it, especially only 15 feet. But move it enough to maximize free space for newcomers too.

Just make dang sure you know what you are doing.

One has no idea whether the boat docked there on purpose or it was the only spot available at the time.

My experience is that it is acceptable to move boats on free docks as it's a free for all anyway and many don't abide by rules or courtesies. And other than you causing damage (take a couple pictures), what the average boater going to do?

You could possibly hang off the end of the dock too in some cases.....I d it sometimes if I am first just to make more room.
 
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ghost said:
Etiquette years ago vs now has changed. Lots of new boaters who never moved up from smaller boats. Now you see people freaked out about a boat rafting to them, even where it’s mandatory, but they didn’t bother to read the posted rules. Common to see boats tie in the middle of any linear moorage, often strategically to get more of the dock to themselves.

I don’t like touching another persons lines, but I’d have no problem nicely asking them if they were on board or nicely letting them know when they return what the expected etiquette is and what had happened to another boater as a result, especially if I had witnessed them taking more room than needed when they came in. Lots of boaters now get afraid of getting away from the dock or not know what spring lines are and even when they don’t take the middle, intentionally grab an extra 20 feet on either end instead of snugging up.

People won’t hear your message if you are not nice, but quite a few need some lessons.
Click to expand...


I agree 100%
 
ghost said:
Etiquette years ago vs now has changed. Lots of new boaters who never moved up from smaller boats. Now you see people freaked out about a boat rafting to them, even where it’s mandatory, but they didn’t bother to read the posted rules.
Click to expand...

I admit to being in the category of not letting people raft to me, I will raft to them. 80% of recreational boat owners have $hit for boat handling / docking skills. Of the minority that operate their boat more than 20 days per year, maybe 50% can dock their boat without annually needing gelcoat repairs. Then there's the 75% of boat owners who think docking dings are no different than getting or giving door dings at the Walmart parking lot (just the way it is). :angry: Can't imagine staying on a dock that required rafting without both boat owners being present for the raft up.

Ted
 
If its just a matter of line handling, I'd move it and leave a note as Bill suggested. (prior to the bottle of wine). If it required firing up their engine or if weather conditions could cause trouble with line handling, I'd leave it unless it was an emergency.

It seems the world is terrified of being liable for anything. To me it's just simple common sense.
 
I don't know, 50 years ago there were way fewer "activity types" like now that have many different activities, plus the money to do them but not learn about them.

Old timers tended to be "fussy" about their boats, newcomers seem to treat them as just another object....thus much less inclined to care if you move their boat.

If at a marina where someone is in charge, I don't expect to be moved by anyone except them. But at a free dock I DO have that expectation due to the constant shifting of boats.

In my experience, it is common enough that everyone should have that expectation. As a pro, we moved boats around all the time including marinas (Even after hours) if the priority was high enough.
 
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Many of the locks in our area are in small towns and on the weekends all the cottagers come to town for ice cream etc. Inevitably they tie their 18 ft runabouts on the wall with 20 ft between them. As inconsiderate as it is I would not think of moving one of their boats on my own. I would certainly ask them if they are there. I think the unwritten rule is "DON'T TOUCH MY BOAT". Too many wackos out there to take a chance.
 
The good news is ......if you are looking for space, it is usually someone else that does much of the boat moving for you unless you manage to get on the dock somehow. :)
 
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