To Help or Not

[goboatingnow]

"No Frenchman would ever go help someone".

people always of course like to run down their own nationalities , I got lots of help from the french when I boated in France for a few years. easily the most pleasant people to share a crowded anchorage with , its was always the brits or the american boats shouting " youre too close " etc ( see more cultural stereotyping , great isnt it ). The french would smile , put down a fender, and if you did swing too close , proffer a glass of wine !!!

[Bobby Lex]

In the US typical "Good Samaritan" laws apply to medical situations, like doing Heimlich on someone who is choking. In that situation, someone rendering aid in good faith isn't responsible for unintentionally making things worse instead of better.

I'm not aware of Good Samaritan laws applying to situations where someone is trying to protect someone else's property.

Bob

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

or english , anyone really, dumbasses are international

GBN.. you used to have a sense of humour..
It was a tongue in cheek reference to the Italian captain who abandoned his cruise ship after trying to sink an island.
To those wondering about the head shake smiley.. that's how Greeks say Yes.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Bobby Lex

In the US typical "Good Samaritan" laws apply to medical situations, like doing Heimlich on someone who is choking. In that situation, someone rendering aid in good faith isn't responsible for unintentionally making things worse instead of better.

I'm not aware of Good Samaritan laws applying to situations where someone is trying to protect someone else's property.

Bob

true but here's relevant Irish law ( we introduced formal good samaritan laws only in 2011)

(2) A reference in this Part to the provision of assistance, advice or care to a person includes a reference to any of the following activities:

(a) the administration of first-aid to the person;

(b) the treatment of the person using an automated external defibrillator;

(c) the transportation of the person from the scene of an emergency to a hospital or other place for the purposes of ensuring the person receives medical care.

(3) Nothing in subsection (2) shall operate to limit the nature of activities that may constitute assistance, advice or care for the purposes of this Part.

Most such laws are clearly targeted at helping people cause the consequences can be extremely serious but the intent of the law is to cover a volunteer ( ie someone with no normal duty of care) acting to aid someone or thing

The real issue is more that a professional or an employee say of a marina acting needs to be sure they are covered as they will be judged to a higher standard

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by boatman61

GBN.. you used to have a sense of humour..
It was a tongue in cheek reference to the Italian captain who abandoned his cruise ship after trying to sink an island.
To those wondering about the head shake smiley.. that's how Greeks say Yes.

I was being funny, maybe a bad choice of emoji on my part

this one might be better

some of my best friends are French, italian, Brits etc , Im an equal opportunity pessimist

[boatman61]

Then there were the French who used to sail down to the Balearics from Marseille with a 'shopping list' of things they wanted to take home from OP's dinghies, breed pets, in fact anything with a decent resale value.

[Jubilee39]

Seeing how this is a cruisers forum it is difficult for me to even believe this question has to be asked. Many times in many different anchorages I have come across boats drifting and reset their anchors, Mine has tripped and has been reset by a fellow cruiser. One time in Trinidad I came back to the boat in a squall and found another cruiser in my cockpit with the engine running because the boat had started drifiting. Very much appreciated as when I anchored I was downwind of the mooring field but a 50 knot squall put me upwing.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I was being funny, maybe a bad choice of emoji on my part

this one might be better

some of my best friends are French, italian, Brits etc , Im an equal opportunity pessimist

Same here.. Con me once, shame on you.. Con me twice, shame on me..

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Jubilee39

Seeing how this is a cruisers forum it is difficult for me to even believe this question has to be asked. Many times in many different anchorages I have come across boats drifting and reset their anchors, Mine has tripped and has been reset by a fellow cruiser. One time in Trinidad I came back to the boat in a squall and found another cruiser in my cockpit with the engine running because the boat had started drifiting. Very much appreciated as when I anchored I was downwind of the mooring field but a 50 knot squall put me upwing.

I don't subscribe to the pessimism , in most cases if help is available it is rendered , thats my experience, sailors tend to have each others back. I always " pay forward " you never know

[boatman61]

Jubilee, my first response was because it was about in the US, I then followed up in another post with the fact I have done it in other places.
Having spent time in the US I am wary of the 'chance to make a quick buck' attitude of some I've met..
Mind I have been bitten once or twice elsewhere.. unexpectedly..

[flightlead404]

Would there be a difference in opinion if the boat was pretty clearly a derelict vs a boat that is being used/maintained?

I'm in a marina in Stock Island right now, there's a small anchorage outside the marina and as we all know, a lot of these anchorages are being clogged up with derelicts. The state won't even take donated $ and volunteers to get rid of these things.

There's a well-known derelict that constantly drags all over, recently almost drug right into the marina. Is constantly dragging across the channel. The commercial guys in the marina around the corner hate it.

It was recently relocated close to the mangroves and slightly aground at low tide by persons unknown. Then the wind shifted, its now hard up against another derelict, the mast of one of them is down, its a tangled mess, but it ain't moving (yet).

Would you move a likely abandoned or derelict boat that was dragging into other boats? Or let it take its chances?

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by flightlead404

Would there be a difference in opinion if the boat was pretty clearly a derelict vs a boat that is being used/maintained?

I'm in a marina in Stock Island right now, there's a small anchorage outside the marina and as we all know, a lot of these anchorages are being clogged up with derelicts. The state won't even take donated $ and volunteers to get rid of these things.

There's a well-known derelict that constantly drags all over, recently almost drug right into the marina. Is constantly dragging across the channel. The commercial guys in the marina around the corner hate it.

It was recently relocated close to the mangroves and slightly aground at low tide by persons unknown. Then the wind shifted, its now hard up against another derelict, the mast of one of them is down, its a tangled mess, but it ain't moving (yet).

Would you move a likely abandoned or derelict boat that was dragging into other boats? Or let it take its chances?

If it's a danger only to itself and a known derelict, I'd probably leave it. If it's an imminent danger to others I'd do something about it. If it's a danger to others but not imminently, I'd see if the local harbormaster or anyone else in a position of authority was willing / able to do something about it. And I'd monitor the situation in the meantime in case the risk to other boats comes imminent.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

or english , anyone really, dumbasses are international

He's referring to the Costa Concordia story.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I don't subscribe to the pessimism , in most cases if help is available it is rendered , thats my experience, sailors tend to have each others back. I always " pay forward " you never know

My experience also, and in a lot of different parts of the world. I've never witnessed any kind of sailors of any nationality just stand by and watch something bad happen to someone else's boat.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

My experience also, and in a lot of different parts of the world. I've never witnessed any kind of sailors of any nationality just stand by and watch something bad happen to someone else's boat.

Like I said before, there were 20 boats in the anchorage and all but one refused to help. Actually it was a lot more boats than that since boats were coming and going. The 2 strads of the 3 strand anchor line chafed thru were obviously dangling off the bow. That didn't just happen. No one did anything to help. Then it dragged thru the anchorage and hit me. The buck stopped there. Others said it had been dragging for weeks. You guys might be overestimating your fellow cruisers .