What if someone has tied to your private mooring

[crabcake]

To the OP - my suggestion would be to pick up a surplus setup, as show in the below photo, on Fleabay. Don't have to call anyone and evidence disappears!

[Mistress Sirena]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

I would say that is a great idea, however down here the various maritime authorities would definitely get their tits in a twist at the very suggestion of doing this, after all they have the bureaucracy to manage.

I agree and yes ours have tits too.

[Mistress Sirena]

This all sounds like Florida's stand your ground laws lets not loose to much sleep here.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by spaman

All can say is "ditto" (strongly)!!

What if it's blowing and your mooring isn't rated for the windage produced by the intruding boat, i.e. a 60 foot boat on a 30 foot mooring.
When he sues you for an inadequate mooring when he drags with damage...what then?

IMHO , get off my mooring !

[tinkrman69]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

It would be tempting to cut him loose.
Really tempting..
I had a guy on my dock that was not supposed to be there.
If I cut his lines, I would be responsible for damages to other boats in the area hit by the bad boat.
If the onwner is an arseh@ole looking to take advantage of you, call the bad guys and have them tow his boat away. Not your problem, his boat got stolen.
Then stripped and chopped.
Would I do that?
Yes.

You would do that without even finding out if there was some kind of emergency?

And people wonder why the world is so screwed up?

[Rorzech]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

Best to check with the local harbormaster for the procedure to follow to get the trespasser off.

Years ago on my very first day of use of my mooring we came in as it was getting late in the day and after circling around could not find it. So not wanting to keep circling in the soon complete darkness we grabbed the first available one. Turned out we were not too far off our mark and the guy whose mooring we grabbed didn't launch until we left anyway. Fast forward years later and the boat using that same mooring we grabbed back then (different owners now) somehow ended up on our mooring for about a week. I have no idea why as I did not see them until one day about a week later they left my mooring. Meanwhile I ended up using theirs. And the mooring numbers were not even close to make a mistake as to which is which. Go figure.

Sonds like you's are playing "Musical Moorings" Have fun.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Back to the anchoring near a mooring question:

In many places large fields of moorings have been set, occupying most of the former anchorage area. If the moorings are in use, I only get mildly grumpy when forced to go elsewhere. But in some areas, most of the moorings are perpetually vacant. I don't want to pick up an unknown mooring (ever) and the spacing is such that my swinging circle, should I anchor, will come close to or over one of the vacant moorings. What are the ramifications of doing so?

For those familiar with Tasmania, one example of such a place is Little Oyster Cove, off the town of KEttering, a very popular area. We often want to visit friends there and do not want to go into the crowded marina or to rent a mooring. We usually go ahead and anchor near one or more vacant moorings and so far there have been no adverse results, other than worry on my part. I wonder about the legalities...

Jim

GAINORMOUS anchor, and short scope?

[IntoMyHealth]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I think the Op was only asking for preventative ideas.

I like the sys term in northern Europe when the slip owner puts up a green flag (meaning he is gone until the date shown) or Red Flag saying he is coming back that day.
this allows visitors a place to tie up before confirming with Harbour Master, if the can stay

That's pretty much the deal at North Cove in Old Saybrook. Never been, but word is out that it works well. Common sense, right?

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Picking up on what roland, Pollux and Jim mentioned, in general I dislike private moorings. It is legally acceptable in most places, but a private mooring is tantamount to blocking off a parking space on a public road. It takes what was once a public space and effectively turns it into a private space. This is fundamentally unfair.

There is a benefit to mooring fields in areas of high usage; more boats can be accommodated in the same area compared to anchoring. But a poorly placed mooring can effectively block a large area that could otherwise be used by many anchoring boats.

For this reason I tend to think that in places where private moorings have effectively commandeered what used to be anchoring space, that people should be able to use any mooring that is unoccupied and that has no indications of being shortly used by its owners. Hence the use of a dingy or sign seems like a good idea.

Of course, using someone else’s mooring presents the dangers you mention Pollux. Personally I would much rather use my own anchor and rode than swing from some unknown mooring.

Private moorings... even commercial ones placed in the harbor by marinas and yacht clubs and perhaps even towns are using the commons for private purposes. One might ask.... Who owns the land under the harbor and who has the right to use it commericially or otherwise... such as permanently moor a vessel?

And anchorage is not a mooring field and as it applies to most mooring fields.. anchoring is VERBOTEN within the mooring grid/field.... same prohibition as anchoring in a fairway / marked channel.

There are some harbors such as Huntington in Long Island sound where one cannot anchor... and so presumably to visit by boat you have to book and pay for a slip, or mooring or tie up at a restaurant and buy a meal. There are other popular harbors where you can anchor by the mooring field is so large that the anchorage is way out there and quite a row... etc.

There are sensible solutions such as some decent percentage of the mooring grid is provided free for transient use only on a first come first serve bases. Visitors don't have to anchor in Waytoofaroutistan... and locals get to use a town dinghy dock or a commercial water taxi launch. How can you have hundreds of moorings without providing a place for dinks?

How about John Q entrepreneur who sets up a mooring business in Harbor Mine... and everyone is forced to do business with John?

[buzzstar]

See post #61. I was unable to copy the photo.

Repaint torpedo a bright yellow, apply proper lettering & logos, and Viola !, a modern drone to send signals to anyone you select.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by Pelagic View Post
"I think the Op was only asking for preventative ideas."

"I like the sys term in northern Europe when the slip owner puts up a green flag (meaning he is gone until the date shown) or Red Flag saying he is coming back that day.
this allows visitors a place to tie up before confirming with Harbour Master, if the can stay."

Reply by IntoMyHealth
"That's pretty much the deal at North Cove in Old Saybrook. Never been, but word is out that it works well. Common sense, right?"
__________

Question: What does the absence of a flag mean in each location?

[expatri8]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

I have applied for a private mooring and wondered what I would do if I found another boat on it with no one on board. Or someone anchored next to it.

We have to mark the bouy "private" and the name of the boat registered to it on the bouy.

Add, Painted in big legible scrawl:

"Grass, Coke, Heroine, feemales, and much more for sale cheep !!!
and, ask us about our kiddie special - we'll be back real soon !"

No one will park on it.

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[ Tell the local authorities about it so they can have a laugh about it,
there will probably be a steady stream of people checking it out,
which by itself should discourage any nefarious or non-emergency use.
I actually did this once when I had to walk a very long distance from my broken-down vehicle left on a deserted highway.
The only people interested were police.
When I explained (later) they had a big laugh over it.
(after inspecting every rivet and looking through every orifice on the vehicle)]

[jkindredpdx]

Not quite answering the question, but when I was a green rookie sailing into Sucia (San Juans WA) my first evening out...

I executed a perfect turn, dropped sail, slid up nicely to the buoy, started hauling in the mooring line only to look up an see a sailor on deck another boat watching me through binoculars. I soon realized I was hauling in his crab pot. Oooops.

[buzzstar]

jkindredpdx- "Not quite answering the question..."

And a much better post it is.

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by crabcake

To the OP - my suggestion would be to pick up a surplus setup, as show in the below photo, on Fleabay. Don't have to call anyone and evidence disappears!

And an artificial reef, and get to fly a plane, and get to blow stuff up. Win, win, win..... I don't see a down side :-)