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

[ssobol]

Are you really going to move a 125' boat by pulling on the lines yourself? Yes, it can be done. But doing it by yourself is just asking for trouble.

 

[wkearney99]

Are you really going to move a 125' boat by pulling on the lines yourself? Yes, it can be done. But doing it by yourself is just asking for trouble.

I read this as the boat taking up a 125' stretch of dock; with 50' left over on each side. So a 25'-ish sailboat.

I'd be fine removing a line to get my line out from under it, provided the conditions weren't putting any pressure on the line.

But moving a boat to a whole different set of cleats? And not at my home marina? I'd probably pass on that. Totally because of wanting to avoid liability or conflict over it. I get that it's easily done, but I've seen some pretty sketchy line setups in my time (old lines, knots that would make Alexander give pause, and cleats in terrible condition).

I don't want to get anywhere near taking the blame for anything going wrong with someone else's boat. I'd run the generator and let someone else get annoyed with the noise and have THEM do the moving, just so I'd turn off my genset.

 

[BruceK]

My previous marina moved my boat without asking or telling me. I had to hunt the marina to find it. When I did, separating it from the immediate neighbour was a well compressed fender. Shortly after I moved it. To another marina.

 

[psneeld]

The typical free dock and the boats that tiie up there are not 125' or even 60'.

It's just not that complex of an issue 90% of the time.

 

[OldDan1943]

IMO, dont touch the boat without contacting dock personnel and have them call the owner, seeking his permission to move the boat. The owner may want to come an move the boat himself.
Of course, if his boat is sinking call the USCG and if on fire, contact the Fire Department and move your own boat further away, if you think it is necessary.

 

[syjos]

In over 50 years of boating, I've moved a lot of boats but never one that is 125'.

Most boats that are moved are less than 60 feet in length.

The majority of boats that get moved are unattended. If the owner is aboard, he moves his boat with our assistance.

Have never had a boat owner get upset because his boat was moved while he was not there. Most are appreciative and either thank us or apologized for taking up too much space.

We usually get comments that we secured the boat better than the owner did. Most boat owners do not know how to tie a boat properly to a dock.

 

[johnma]

not sure what I would do in your situation. At our home marina our slip is perpendicular to the end of the gas dock and the gas dock is often used for overflow transients. One weekend we drove to the boat and a 70' boat was tied up to the end of the gas dock with his bow extending 15' past the end of the gas dock and blocking us in our slip. I did move his boat and left a note that said "block me in again and i will forget to re-tie you after i move you". He had at least 100' behind him.
John

 

[Bigsfish]

I won’t move a boat that I don’t know the owner. Liability. Yeah your telling me that scratch thru the gelcoat wasn’t there before? And you want me to pay $1500.00 to repair it?

 

[syjos]

You guys with your liability fears.

I've never seen a boat damaged while being moved. And if the boat owner wasn't around during the move, who is he going to blame?

If boaters learned how to move and secure boats properly, boats can be moved without issues.

If boaters learned some basic boating skills and etiquette, boats would be moored properly so others can fit making moving unnecessary.

If boaters learned how to repair gel coat, they would not be whining about minor scratches and scuffs.

 

[menzies]

I believe the concern is based on moving the boat properly - all lines done well etc. And then there is an event (a blow, another boat coming alongside in the now smaller space) where there is damage. Then the finger is pointed to the fact it was moved without approval and therefore potential liability for the damage.

 

[OldDan1943]

You move his boat, he can claim you caused damage to his boat even though the damage was preexisting.
Dont touch his boat. Enjoy the comforting sound of your very own diesel generator.

 

[koliver]

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 previous post was with the assumption that "a sailboat is taking up about 125 feet of space with 50 on each side of them" meant a 125 ft sailboat. On re-reading, I now see that it must be a small sailboat in a 125' space.
My actions in this situation would likely be quite different. This boat likely squeezed between 2 others, who have since departed. The sailor would not expect to remain in control of 125' of space. He would more likely expect to be moved once new arrivals that needed more than the 50' one side of him (I assume, again, not SHE). Moving a small boat in such circumstances is really not a big deal. Yes, if there is damage it is a big deal, but how likely is that?

 

[syjos]

You move his boat, he can claim you caused damage to his boat even though the damage was preexisting.
Dont touch his boat. Enjoy the comforting sound of your very own diesel generator.

A person with an attitude like that will claim damage whether you moved his boat or not and pretty much whine about everything else: slip too small, slip to far from shore, shore power pedestal too far away, boats moored too close, dock on wrong side etc.

And, he will be the first person to complain about the noisy generator.

 

[menzies]

And, he will be the first person to complain about the noisy generator.

Not really, he wasn't there!

 

[markpierce]

Move a 125-foot boat?? No way. Contact the person responsible for policing the dock. But first check with the boat. A boat that size would likely have professional crew. Hail them.

 

[ctjstr]

I've moved boats more than once and would not hesitate again. Just not that big of a deal as far as I'm concerned.

 

[menzies]

Move a 125-foot boat?? No way. Contact the person responsible for policing the dock. But first check with the boat. A boat that size would likely have professional crew. Hail them.

Read it again It is the dock that is 125' - and a single boat is in the middle so others can't get on the dock or near the pedestal.

 

[FF]

"The typical free dock and the boats that tiie up there are not 125' or even 60'.

It's just not that complex of an issue 90% of the time."


My big gripe is the clowns that go to a free dink dock, and lock their boat alongside .

Even tho I have no problem climbing into and over their boat it sucks.

A dink with a painter 20-25 ft long can be pushed aside enough so 25 boats can be tied at a 10 ft float.

Moving a boat at a face dock ,(covered outside with wood) where the fenders will work all the time is no danger , but the folks that drop a fender (no fender boards) and hope it might stay in place are a problem.

 

[slowgoesit]

Move the boat! Although I really like the idea of positioning your boat generator exhaust closest to the sail boat for the night!

 

[FlyWright]

Move the boat! Although I really like the idea of positioning your boat generator exhaust closest to the sail boat for the night!

You might not feel that way in the morning if the folks are inside sleeping and get exposed to CO.

Another good reason to put contact info on your boat for others to see when you're not there. If someone called me asking if they could move my boat 20-50 ft to make room for another vessel, I'd probably say sure, go ahead if you have 2 people. If not, I'll come back to help.

Also to protect yourself against false claims if you move the boat, try to get someone to video the move so that at a later date, you can show no damage occurred.

 

[tpbrady]

If anyone has been to Auke Bay in Juneau in the summer, none of logic discussed in other posts applies in many cases. Auke Bay is as close to anarchy as any marina I have been too with the harbor office open. Moving boats is almost always required in the summer if you want to moor where you can get power. Sometimes you have to tie up on the outer breakwater send some over to move one or more boats and stay there to protect the open space you created from other boaters looking for space. All this happens with harbor personnel in the office or occasionally walking the docks. This is our least favorite marina to visit in SE Alaska. The only reason to stop is to make a Costco run.

Tom

 

[Arc]

Here is the solution. Don’t move it just a few feet. Move it as far as possible but only move yours a few feet. Then they will think someone else pulled in between and left. Say nothing and enjoy the quietness.

 

[High Wire]

Saw similar a couple times on the Erie Canal this summer. One was not a sailboat but a nice Eastbay. Tied up right smack in the middle of a hundred foot floating dock, climbed off and walked into town for dinner. I just have to let that kind of stuff go.