Some people....

[dhays]

Sitting here in my saloon whipping some lines and drinking a beer and I hear a bunch of angry yelling. I finally look up and two guys are standing on the dock at the marina across the 45’ fairway right behind my boat. Another is acting as spectator not wanting to get involved. It gets increasingly heated until one guy knocks the other into the water. Yeah, stupid.

The guy in the water has an only inflatable on, and it partially inflates. The water is probably 50 degrees and the guy is old, fat, and flailing. No way he was going to climb up on the dock and they don’t have emergency ladders. I finally step out on my cockpit and yell at the guy on the dock that he needs to fish the other guy out of the water before I call the police. I think they finally realize they have a situation so the two guys struggle to get the wet one up on the dock. If they didn’t, I would have had to throw him a line and pull him onto my Marina’s dock.

Turns out the wet one is a boat bum living on a derelict anchored in the harbor. He has been coming into this marina to use the porta-potty and use it for shore access. He has been told he is not allowed on the dock previously but frankly is an *******. Still, ******* or not you don’t risk drowning them no matter how much you might like to.

Finally, the legit marina tenants got smart and called the police. Hopefully they will get it straightened out. I also hope the guy that did the pushing doesn’t face any repercussions. As long as the guy didn’t drown, I really could care less about his wet phone ect....

 

[Comodave]

He could probably be charged with assault.

 

[siestakey]

Crazy but about once a year the same happens here or similar not the knock them in the water but the verbally fighting and pushing when they start trashing our shower rooms

 

[dhays]

He could probably be charged with assault.

That is certainly what the wet one was shouting as he was dripping on the dock. He looked to me for support, I told him all I cared about was that he didn’t drown. Three officers showed up and are speaking with all involved.

The guy that did the shoving just called over and thanked me for speaking up. Seems to me I shouted at him to pull the guy out of the water or I was going to call the police so maybe he feel that knowing an outside party was watching helped diffuse it somewhat.

The police seem to have left with no arrests so hopefully it was worked out.

 

[MurrayM]

He could have died from electric shock drowning.

 

[dhays]

He could have died from electric shock drowning.

Not in salt water. Bigger concern would be cold water immersion heart attack.

 

[johnrupp]

I also find it disturbing that the inflatable only partially inflated.

 

[MurrayM]

Not in salt water. Bigger concern would be cold water immersion heart attack.

Good point, especially for an old dude.

Electricity is still a concern;

Be on the lookout in freshwater lakes and brackish marinas. In salt water, current is likely to go around a swimmer — unless he grabs onto an electrically charged swim ladder or other metal object attached to a boat with a leaking current.

https://www.yachtingmagazine.com/3-ways-save-your-life

 

[dhays]

I also find it disturbing that the inflatable only partially inflated.

Likely the guy had never checked it and I’m sure the canister is decades beyond its expiry date.

 

[GFC]

Geesh Dave, you guys over there on the west side of the state get all the fun.


Just kidding, of course. Good on ya for getting involved. You might have saved the old buzzard's life.

 

[markpierce]

No doubt the marina staff remain in the office, oblivious to the trespassers. Better to call the cops if the marina staff aren't responsive to one's complaint. Perhaps, photograph the transgressor and post his face as a wanted person. No hitting/pushing!

 

[dhays]

No doubt the marina staff remain in the office, oblivious to the trespassers. Better to call the cops if the marina staff aren't responsive to one's complaint. Perhaps, photograph the transgressor and post his face as a wanted person. No hitting/pushing!

Small PNW marina. No “office” or “staff”. I think in the future the marina tenants will call the police right away.

 

[Shrew]

The police seem to have left with no arrests so hopefully it was worked out.

I suspect the option became..."Charge me with assault and I'll charge you with trespassing and theft of services." Claws get pulled in and veryone then decides to go their own way.

 

[bayview]

The marina should lock the showers.

 

[Nightsky]

He could probably be charged with assault.

I think he SHOULD be charged with assault. Once that old, fat guy with the barely inflating life vest was in the 50' water, his life was in serious jeopardy. Losing your cool enough to do that is bad. Police should have been called before it got to that point. DHays, you probably saved that old guys life by prompting those other two to get him out of the water ASAP. Good on you for not being a bystander.

 

[BandB]

It was assault. Clearly. I'm very disturbed by those who think might makes right and that they can retaliate against a non-violent offense with violence. Probably the only reason he wasn't charged was the victim chose not to press charges. Rest assured had the victim died, the guy on the dock would have been charged with his death.

As to whether it was a crime of trespassing, depends on how marked and whether previously trespass warning issued and other factors. I hope a trespass warning was issued. I also have an issue with those who consider themselves to have some entitlement to the private property of others.

Is there clear signage on the docks and on the porta-potti? I'd never heard of a marina with a porta-potti.

 

[dhays]

It was assault. Clearly. I'm very disturbed by those who think might makes right and that they can retaliate against a non-violent offense with violence. Probably the only reason he wasn't charged was the victim chose not to press charges. Rest assured had the victim died, the guy on the dock would have been charged with his death.

As to whether it was a crime of trespassing, depends on how marked and whether previously trespass warning issued and other factors. I hope a trespass warning was issued. I also have an issue with those who consider themselves to have some entitlement to the private property of others.

Is there clear signage on the docks and on the porta-potti? I'd never heard of a marina with a porta-potti.

Apparently the trespasser had been given multiple warnings and notices not to trespass. As to porta-potties, recall your PNW/BC cruising experience. Some marinas are really nice (like Arabella's in Gig Harbor) and others are marginal at best. My marina is pretty nice, but West Shore Marina right behind my boat is pretty basic. They have power, water, and parking (with a couple porta-potties). That is about it. Their advantage is that they are less expensive.


I think the trespasser would have been fished out of the water eventually without my intervention, but bad things can happen fast in cold water. Hence my concern.

 

[BandB]

Likely the guy had never checked it and I’m sure the canister is decades beyond its expiry date.

There are many thousands of expired inflatables out there, just like expired fire extinguishers and flares. They do put people at risk.

 

[RT Firefly]

Porta Potty

Porta potty

NOT a Porta Potty...

 

[BandB]

But doesn't porta potty #2, just have porta potty #1 inside it? I'm trying to remember if we saw any but I doubt it at the marinas we stopped. We never use the marina restrooms so might not have noticed.

 

[Fletcher500]

Re swimming in salt water on and around an AC engergzed boat, I do it about 3 times per day during the summer with the shore power cords on or the Gen running. Not to mention the 100 divers in the area doing the same thing all day long throughout the year. Risks doing anything when off the couch, but electrocution is a highly unlikely and rare event. Driving in a car to the marina..different story.

 

[JustBob]

Jeez, isn't there a STARBUCKS nearby? :lol:

 

[Simi 60]

What, no guns?

 

[78puget-trawler]

Not everything involves a shooting, despite what the Lamestream media would have us believe. More people die by other means of crime than shootings.

 

[dhays]

Jeez, isn't there a STARBUCKS nearby? :lol:

I know! Lots of great small restaurants, some good coffee shops, a great tavern, a brewery, even a small West Marine, but no Starbucks!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. JB...

 

[MurrayM]

Re swimming in salt water on and around an AC engergzed boat, I do it about 3 times per day during the summer with the shore power cords on or the Gen running. Not to mention the 100 divers in the area doing the same thing all day long throughout the year. Risks doing anything when off the couch, but electrocution is a highly unlikely and rare event. Driving in a car to the marina..different story.

Our area is slightly different.

It rains so much and there are so many creeks and rivers around here that seagulls take fresh water baths mid channel when it's bucketing. We sea kayaked for three days on one trip before salt started to dry on our decks. There are no swimming signs at the marina for a reason, me-thinks.

 

[tiltrider1]

This discussion revolves around salt water so I won’t make a big deal about “fresh water electrocution”. It’s been very miss understood for decades. It’s a real problem. It is estimated that a huge percentage of fresh water drowning may have actually been “fresh water electrocution” deaths that were mis diagnosed due to the lack of understanding. Think twice before swimming near a fresh water marina.

 

[Comodave]

This discussion revolves around salt water so I won’t make a big deal about “fresh water electrocution”. It’s been very miss understood for decades. It’s a real problem. It is estimated that a huge percentage of fresh water drowning may have actually been “fresh water electrocution” deaths that were mis diagnosed due to the lack of understanding. Think twice before swimming near a fresh water marina.

+1. Tha is why the 2011 NEC changed to ground fault breakers on the docks.

 

[Art]

Unfortunately for a person who gets pissed off by another person: Times have changed and hitting [even touching] "first" is illegal and culpable.

Fortunately for a person who pisses off another person: Times have changed and getting hit [even touched] "first" is highly illegal and chargeable.

Point in fact: Friend of my son had his father in law come onto front door brick stoop intoxicated. Daddy in law had been such a bother for years. Son in law popped him in the chest with closed fist. The guy fell backward and hit head on brick path. He died. Son's friend spend some three to four years in jail. Shhit happens. Best to walk away from a disturber rather than hit [or even touch] that person. Now...if the other person [the disturber] hits first... than offence may be or is the best defense. Though, only to a measured extent; in order to keep things legal so that no charges can be brought against you too!