Borrowing Stuff Without Permission

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I can’t imagine a place where all of the dinghys weren’t locked.

That's funny I've never seen a dinghy in La Paz Mexico locked to the Dock. But after all Mexico is a lot safer than the USA anyway....😎

[Northbound44]

One day, Someone untied my dinghy for an unknown reason and forgot to secure it after. Fortunately, there was no wind. Today, I lock my dinghy every time even for a short period of time. I also use an anchor to prevent it to rub against the dock. Better safe than sorry.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Jd1

What comes to mind is a situation where I have gone to shore and not tied off my tender well enough. I come back from my shore trip and find my tender rapidly drifting out towards open ocean. What do I do (besides panicking)?

So the whereabouts of the dingy is not in question - you can observe the whereabouts and need the use of a second dingy to retrieve it. Motive for the use of the second dingy is clearly defined as for a specific, short period being only that required to reacquire the first dingy. You have no intention to deprive the second dingy's owner of their property rights in relation to the second dingy.

I believe that most people (and please correct me if I am wrong, I would really like feedback)

Well, there's been no shortage of feedback, your problem now is to sort out who's dingy you are going to borrow - those of us who are going to accept the innocent use of our dingy for the retrieval and use the circumstances to playfully indulge in a spot of repartee or those about to take to you with an AK47.

would think that circumstances are such that it would be acceptable to jump into another dinghy that happens to be tied up at the same spot and give chase to retrieve the wayward dinghy.

It's OK by the reasonable amongst us but there's obviously an element out there who would react violently or be deeply affronted. The dingy retrieval problem has a long history. One should be mindful of the experiences of Captain Cook who, in responding injudiciously to a dingy theft ended up being eaten.

I myself do not feel that anything short of a life or death situation would give me the right to take somebody elses' dinghy (without permission) even though I know that the vast majority of people would have no issues with such an emergency borrowing of property without asking.

Well, you are going to have to change your ways mate. Not only are you going to lose your dingy by way of excessive scrupulousness you are going to allow a hazard to navigation to occur and if the dingy gets washed up somewhere and results in an unnecessary and expensive search for survivors. You have a public duty to use any available resources to remove the hazard, and whilst you are doing so you are preventing a waste and yourself unnecessary expense.

So what would you do in such a situation ?

The moral thing to do here is retrieve the dingy using the available resources.

As for swimming for the retrieval. Go ahead mate, in the parts of the world I frequent there's a fair chance you departure won't be missed by the gene pool.

[clownfishsydney]

This is, I think, a strange topic for us Australians, as we I think would be more likely to have no problem with someone borrowing our dinghy. In addition, I could count on one hand the times we have tied up to a "dinghy dock". For most of the places we have cruised over the more than 12 months we have spent sailing the Australian coast we have only had beaches to leave the dinghy on. Only anchors or rope to use here.

In these cases (and even at a dock), I would have no problem with anyone using our dinghy to go and get theirs if it drifted away, although of course, if we are nearby (having sundowners for example), I would prefer they came to get us to help them. IN the same vein, I would have no problem using someone else's dinghy to get ours if it drifted off. As others have said, to swim after it in most cases could be suicidal.

Yes, we have a lock for our dinghy, but I think we have only used once when we were going to leave it for about 12 hours on a very public wharf.

[P3sailor]

Whatever the situation, I would never consider "borrowing" someone else's property without permission. If I weren't responsible enough to take care of my own property that's my issue, not someone else's! I'd be pissed if someone took it upon themselves to board and take my dinghy without permission!

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

...and if the dingy gets washed up somewhere and results in an unnecessary and expensive search for survivors...

This is a good point. If the USCG gets a report of a "vessel adrift" with no-one aboard, it sets in motion a very intense and expensive process.

Originally Posted by P3sailor

Whatever the situation, I would never consider "borrowing" someone else's property without permission. If I weren't responsible enough to take care of my own property that's my issue, not someone else's! I'd be pissed if someone took it upon themselves to board and take my dinghy without permission!

Wow. And I thought all cruisers had a "neighbors helping neighbors" sort of mindset. I'm glad (although saddened) that I now know there are some very different attitudes out there.

I'll still choose to live my life with respect and consideration for others. I can assure you, if your dinghy gets loose when I'm around, I'll do what I can to retrieve it. Normally, that would be to raise the alarm and get help. But if there were no help available, I'll take the next-best option. Sometimes you put yourself at some risk to help others.

[a64pilot]

This is sort of like the banging halyards in a marina thing.
Your away from your boat but don’t secure your halyards, I’m coming aboard and securing or tightening them so they don’t bang.
I’m not listening to that crap day after day for some silly respect for your castle nonsense.
Just like if I see your unattended boat low on her water line and bilge pump running, I’m calling the Marina of course, but I’m coming aboard to see if I can possibly help.
I won’t bash in your boards though to gain access.

I’d hope, and expect that you would do the same for me, sinking boat, and banging Halyard. I only ask that you don’t secure it by running it to the top of the mast please.

[seadago]

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. No "best practice" in this, and customs and expectations vary from region to region.

Personally, I stick to the rule "don't do unto others"....

Conversely, I also stick to the rule: "Do for others what you would want others to do for you". I.e. if a see someone's dinghy drifting, or boat sinking, or dragging anchor, or being boarded by unfamilliar people, I know what I have to do. Nothing different from your std Neighbourhood Watch routine.

So far, neither approach has ever failed me. The time may come when it does.

Cheers!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

OK, I'm guilty of not identifying a joke with some silly symbol... mea culpa and all that. I thought the humor was obvious, but apparently either it wasn't or some folks just have an urge to bitch about others posts.

And fwiw, Mr Cadence, I've been voting for a long time, and because we've been cruising in foreign waters for a long time, I imagine that I've gone to a hell of a lot more effort to do so than you have... ex-pat voting is a PITA for us, but we do it.

And why did I think the bullet hole thing was appropriate? Well, we've had more than a few posts on CF where folks advocated use of firearms to protect property. I've disagreed, as have others, but the gun wavers have been pretty sure that shooting, or threatening to shoot an intruder or someone making off with their dink was quite all right.

For the record: I do not think any violent act to prevent someone from using your dinghy without permission is OK at all.

Jim

Jim, sorry I didn't catch as humor my bad. I guess it is because of the bashing of US gun laws so frequently. Granted their not perfect. I got a pistol permit 53 years ago and haven't shot a soul yet, maybe I'm just slow at proving the bashers correct.

[Shrew]

I was at a dingy dock that had cleats (as opposed to a bull rail). I tied to a cleat. Someone came along and removed my painter from the cleat to untie theirs and then took my painter and just wrapped it around the cleat 4-5 times and left. When I returned I was astonished, and regrettably turned to my wife and gave her a "WTF!!!?" I was more surprised that she would do such a thing and was quickly scolded for making assumptions.

I don't think taking someone's dinghy is right. I would try and hitch a ride or swim for it (weather dependent).

[Hobie_ind]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I can’t imagine a place where all of the dinghys weren’t locked.

I can imagine it....... lots of places in the Pacific NW, South Pacific and NZ that we've visited often had many dinghys tied up without locks........

There's a reason they are all much higher on my list of cruising destinations to return to than the Caribbean or Central America.

As for the original question though, in those locations if you borrowed my dinghy to retrieve yours (that was floating away within sight of the dock), we'd be fine. I might be looking forward to the beer you're going to offer as a thanks though... :-)

[zeehag]

btdt...see dink sailing away, jump in and swim after it like all the others before you. oopsy did i say that out loud..is truth.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by zeehag

btdt...see dink sailing away, jump in and swim after it like all the others before you. oopsy did i say that out loud..is truth.

No, never . Not me.



Interestingly, this thread isn't about boating, it's about people.

[seadago]

Originally Posted by thinwater

No, never . Not me.



Interestingly, this thread isn't about boating, it's about people.

Is there any thread on any boating forum that ultimately isn't??

[Outlaw7]

Stu Jackson, was it a family of 4 man wife and two boys that gave you the ride?