Marina etiquette with others peoples’ stuff

[reginaldobaker]

Been meaning to post this for a while: what’s the etiquette for dealing with others’ sloppy chit?

A lot of time there may be shore power lines mostly in the water, an upwind dock neighbor may have a boat that’s nearly derelict and their dock lines are almost chaffed through, or a roller furler is loose and the sail flapping.

ive been told in the past it’s a felony to board another boat without permission - not sure if it’s true but still don’t do it (only relevant for dealing with a loose furler).

Not trying to be a Good Samaritan necessarily but just want to avert potential danger and damage as much as possible.

any thoughts?

 

[Frank Langer]

I have seen boats with lines loose or completely undone, have seen a boat bouncing on waves in a storm with the bow anchor mere inches from hitting the dock shore power connection, have seen a finger come loose from the main dock with boat attached, have seen headsails unfurled and flapping, halyards clanking, and a boat half sunk and sinking quickly.
While I used to believe it was anathema to board another boat, I now board without hesitation if there is danger, risk of damage, or if the boat is interfering with my peace and quiet, unless the owner, or a friend who might be more appropriate to intervene, is nearby.
In my opinion, in all these situations the owner is at fault and not acting in a seamanlike manner, and I dare him or her to challenge my attempt to remedy the problem.
Otherwise I'm usually a fairly nice guy.
Frank

 

[bsangs]

One of my marina neighbors, who I've become good friends with the last couple years, is the "Good Samaritan" on our docks. He lives in the marina with his wife (I don't) and one of the first things he ever asked me was, "If I notice anything wrong, is it OK if I fix it?" I've seen him spring to action several times for other's boats. He'll even text me to let me know if it's OK for him to check things if the forecast calls for a big blow, or storm. One of our neighbor's jibs let loose during a storm this winter, as the owner was sound asleep on board and unaware, and he was out there at 2 am in a driving wind and rain getting it under control. Now, I should add, we have no derelict boats on our dock, these are all pretty well cared for, we've all gotten to know each other, and there's nobody I would consider sketchy. I'm not sure what the protocol would be if a stranger was involved, but I know we all appreciate his efforts when he lends a helping hand, and it's lead to a bunch of us trying to act in kind.

 

[Gaviate]

An interesting question to which I would favor Frank's response... I am inclined to be helpful and not be bothered with the consequence of such actions. Here is some good reading on the topic:
https://mblb.com/admiralty-maritime/the-good-samaritan-doctrine-in-maritime-law/

 

[Loren Beach]

Without the intention, Bluewing has penned a strong reason for joining an active DIY yacht club similar to the one we are members of.
We have a 150 boat moorage with two resident (floating) households on site. Problems with boats and lines are addressed regularly, and any boat with a frayed line will have the line replaced and will be billed "market rate" for the line. That's because our main worry is the liability for damage to other boats or docks.
Dirty boats get addressed twice a year when we have a formal "dock walk" by an officer and boats without registration stickers are also told to get them on, and really dirty boats get a formal request to clean up. Our Rules required removal of unregistered boats, after formal warning, matter of fact. How much "dirt" is too much dirt is always going to be subjective to a degree, so this is an ongoing discussion.

Coincidently the club has an upcoming annual informal "scrub your boat" day every April to help motivate lazy owners. Free lunch is provided!

We do have an occasional problem/worry/concern with members boarding a boat during a 30 kt wind or ice storm to secure a sail or add a line. Sometimes it is difficult to keep well intentioned people safe from their own good intentions .... !
Kind of a 'gray' area, it is.
FWIW, Frank would be a valuable member at RCYC !
Note that we have zero paid staff, FWIW.

Rose City Yacht Club – Portland, Oregon

rosecityyachtclub.org

 

[southofvictor]

An interesting question to which I would favor Frank's response... I am inclined to be helpful and not be bothered with the consequence of such actions. Here is some good reading on the topic:
https://mblb.com/admiralty-maritime/the-good-samaritan-doctrine-in-maritime-law/

Thanks for sharing that, it’s eye opening to know that you can still be found liable if you’re deemed to have made things worse. That said, I appreciate the help we get from our dock mates and would happily do the same for them.

 

[G Kiba]

"No good deed goes unpunished" But I will always help out if it is safe to do so and I know that it will help someone.

 

[Christian Williams]

I complain to the dockmaster or equivalent.

If a halyard is rattling, I'll go aboard and tie it off. If a boat sinking, etc., take some action. But I'm wary, and try to get some authority to intervene rather than me.

Prior to a recent windstorm, I prepared my boat with extra spring line and genoa furled tight. The club staff went around and helpfully wound up five turns around the furler, tightened docklines and generally "improved" everybody's line settings. I was not too pleased, and let them know it. I know more about my boat than they do, hands off unless there's an actual problem.

 

[Frank Langer]

An interesting question to which I would favor Frank's response... I am inclined to be helpful and not be bothered with the consequence of such actions. Here is some good reading on the topic:
https://mblb.com/admiralty-maritime/the-good-samaritan-doctrine-in-maritime-law/

Gaviate,
Thanks for sharing this article which is a good reminder to us all.. Just as I am occasionally critical of a boat owner's poor seamanship, I would also be critical of a "good Samaritan" demonstrating poor seamanship by making a bad situation worse (though I'd be inclined to cut him some slack for trying to help). Furthermore, because most of us wouldn't want others boarding our boat without permission, if I do so I am always very, very careful as I don't know the boat, possible risks, etc. If possible I enlist the help of a nearby person, who can then also act as witness if necessary. Living in Canada where law suits are generally quite rare, I'm not really concerned about that risk.
I am at our marina most days, often sleep on the boat, so I see more than most people who only use their boat occasionally. I'm always amazed when some owners return to their dock in good weather, quickly tie their boat loosely and leave, not even thinking about an impending storm on our coast--these tend to be the worst culprits.
In any case, I hate to see a beautiful boat damaged, and even worse, a nearby innocent boat affected negatively by a nearby negligent owner, so I'll continue to intervene where it's clearly called for.
Frank

 

[bgary]

I now board without hesitation if there is danger, risk of damage, or if the boat is interfering with my peace and quiet, unless the owner, or a friend who might be more appropriate to intervene, is nearby.

Ditto. I know my immediate neighbors at the marina, and we have each others' phone numbers and keep an eye on each others' boats. But there are ~50 other boats within a 50-yard radius of mine, and if I see a problem (unfurled headsail, broken dockline, noisy halyard), I'll jump aboard, fix it and (generally) leave a note.

The place where I draw my mental line is, I have no problem fixing something external that I can easily reach and resolve but I won't go *in* another boat. Bigger problems (fuel leaks, safety issues, constantly-running bilge outflow, appearance of sinking, etc) the marina office has a 24-hour line for security and maintenance crews. And they generally respond (and notify the owner) pretty promptly.

 

[Gaviate]

I guess the moral of the story on having good morals; is to be aware of the pitfalls, which abound in today's society, that a good samaritan might need to navigate. For me, I think it highly unlikely that I would make something worse. I know the limits of my knowledge and experience and by habit, would not exceed them in any action I may take. Being helpful without reward is just good for the soul, which is a reward itself. As noted above, where situations warrant, the Dockmaster's phone is designed to ring.

 

[Greg J]

Hello All,

I'm one of the Dockmasters at my marina, and I figured I would hop in and give my two cents. I'd say Christian and bgary are on the right track. If there is a safety issue or imminent danger, it's best to act to prevent catastrophe. Otherwise, if it's something that is just annoying, such as a loose halyard whittling away at your sanity, it's best to get your dockmaster involved to correct the situation. Most people in our marina don't take kindly to people they aren't familiar with going onto their boats. And I would tend to agree.

A person may not like the appearance or state of someone elses boat, but unless it poses a risk, there isn't much that can be done by the individual. That being said, we try very hard at my marina to ensure that every vessel is adequately maintained and secured. We also require substantial insurance, which keeps away most of the riff raff. And from time to time we have to inform owners they need to address issues on their boats or kindly move along.

All of that is to say, let your dockmaster be the jerk if someone has a dumpster of a boat. That way, you can maintain a civil relationship with your neighbors!