Keeping 'Dock Walkers' Off the Boat !

[Ocean Girl]

A plastic toy coral snake placed in the cockpit should keep out any visitors, hey a "caution pet viper" sign would work too!
I have been researching bowsprits and that requires a lot of dock walking.The only pictures I have taken is with permission by the owner, and I make sure the boat name and any unique markings are not in the shot.
Erika

[malovich]

Why not post a sign saying "Warning Tresspassers Not Permitted, Tripping Hazards Aboard" or some sort and strategically strung high test fishing line across boarding locations.

[cantxsailor]

I and my wife were sleeping aboard my old Starwind22 when I heard(from a deep sleep) "This ones nice, lets try this one". I quickly got up and slid the companionway slider back and poked my head out in time to see 2 very pretty college aged girls undoing the line I had tied across the end of our finger pier to keep fishermen off. They were oblivous to my presence and nearly leaped off the dock when I asked "What can I do for you ladies?". I still can't imagine the shock they would have receieved had they actually gotten aboard and this fat old naked guy had appeared from below. Of course had I been alone I might have felt different about having 2 very attractive if slightly intoxicated coeds on my boat............m

[Roaring Girl]

never had anyone uninvited touch our boat in seven years and five countries. But we have heard )in the UK) of someone who found his boat was being used by someone homeless - the police dealt with that. And someone else (in Span_ who had two guys try to still their wind generator while they were asleep below. But both of those could happen in a house too.

I would have thought the signs and involving the marina management were both good. The OP doesn't say why they can't move, but if those two steps don't work, I'd reconsider the reasons for staying put. Even in Texas, isn't that preferable to gunfire - on a boat, with a baby around?

As to the photos - in many marina developments, the boat are part of the scenery, used int eh marketing to up the value of the surrounding residences. So pix are part of the deal - we don't expect privacy in our cockpit/decks when in a marina. It's one the reasons we like anchoring out!

[Fishman_Tx]

Yeah but this a party lake. Folks all over it like fire ants.

In Texas the signage is required or you may find the law(yer) not on your side in court. You MUST cya in Texas. If you have to get physical with someone, the cop will ask you "where's your 'posted' sign?". If the perp wants he can file a civil case against you and make life miserable and expensive for a while. Not to say he'll win either case tho. If your posted there are NO questions about it. Open and shut case.

[SkiprJohn]

I have an acquaintance who anchors his tri pretty close to shore. He caught 3 guys in his cockpit one day and told them to leave. One guy said he was a cop and that he wasn't going to leave. My friend asked him which car was his and the guy replied with obvious pride. My friend told him he hoped the cop didn't mind if he went to go sit on it and have a few beers while they took their time leaving his boat.
It got the jerks to leave the boat pretty quickly. I think way down in the deepest corners of some idiots minds they can grasp some things if you make it pretty clear to them.
regards,

[Minggat]

A friend of mine had this problem and more. The marina did didley.
She came back to her slip after many weeks on her mooring. More than once, she found another boat in the slip that she was paying for. That marina was afraid of a law suit if they moved the offending boat !!!!. She is not a live aboard and sometimes doesn't see her boat for weeks at a time. Someone else became a live aboard on here boat once.

That marina was promising security camera for years. I still don't think they have any in place.

We lived aboard in that same marina for 8 years. Never had a problem ourselves. Our slip was very visible "fish bowl". So anyone up to no good was easily seen. But there are a lot of movies shoots in that marina, which means that someone looking your boat over may have a check book in hand. I got a few bucks out of it.

There are all kinds of scenarios. Some "looky looo" situations are flattering, maybe profitable, and some are dangerous.

[SabreKai]

Now that I think about it, I have to correct my earlier post. I have had one pair of people actually board my boat while I was away. I came down the dock on the first day of my vacation from Mc Donnell Douglas to find two plain cloths cops futzing round on her. One was in the cockpit looking round and the other was actually coming out of the forward hatch as I walked up and hollered at them. Turns out a fellow worker, being a bit of an ass reported that I had stolen a tool from the company to stir up some trouble. Once the two cops showed me their credentials and said what they wanted, I gave them a complete tour of the boat, opened up ever locker and access point, then had them come out to my truck and emptied it out on the parking lot to show them I didn't have any such tool.

3 weeks later after my vacation was over, I went back to work. Met the sorry SOB and we had a private conversation in the parking lot. Very difficult to operate my machine that night and he didn't show up again for a couple of days.

And you know, now that I think about it, they never did have a warrant.


Sabre

[Stillraining]

Don't believe they need one for a Vehicle of any sort.

[barnakiel]

I found local people a nuisance just once - in the Cabo Verdes. Otherwise never had anybody board my boat - not even the kids in some very remote Pacific locations. Plenty of places visited. Next to zero problems.

On the other hand, seen cruisers seriously breaching local custom and barking at local visitors quietly and in VERY educated manner transitting the fore deck to access the neighboiuring boat (tied alongside)...

This world is full of people and we have to try and not make others' lives more difficult than necessary.

b.

[watchkeeper]

A method everyone in the Med uses to keep our yachts off limits is to stand off tied up stern to and use our brow (passarelle) to access the dock. When I go ashore the brow is raised by a small power winch opeated by garage door type remote at night I simply raise the brow from onboard.

If I tie up along side (and have the space) I use 2 seriously big fenders to stand off with a short teak brow to bridge over/pull in. Never yet had a perva or idiot game to step over the gap.

Nowadays when cruising I lift my RHIB out at nights, leave nothing of value loose on deck and keep weapons secured. Only ever had 2 intrusions, one night during a week on the pick in a small bay (Greek Is) drinks in the cockpit with several fellow cruising yachties a couple of girls (tourist) after an evening in the local taverna swam out to my yacht...the rest well what happens aboard stays aboard.
The other incident was a young man trying to steal my 4mt Joker, moron coundn't start the ob. With the help of a visiting deckie from a superyacht we held him while waiting for police. They beat the clangers out of the guy took his ID card, no card no work so he would have to return to his registered city address.

[Pelagic]

Having lived on board most of my life, this has been a common problem, especially if you happen to be in places where marinas and yachts are rare and usually they will have an attached Hotel.

The yachts and marina become a tourist attraction and busloads of Asian tourists want some holiday photos.

Three part solution with a sense of humor.

1 Keep blinds or curtains closed on the boarding side for the lower port holes

2 At Entry point large sign posted in English and Local language:
PRIVATE PROPERTY
TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED!

3 If ever I come home and find someone with cupped hands trying to peer thru one of the port holes, the conversation goes something like this:

• Hi, how are you…where are you from?
• We are from…?
• Oh, I know that country…which place?
• We live in…?
• Wow what a coincidence…what is your address?
• Huh…why do you want to know?
• So I can come to your home and peer inside your God Dammed house!
• I then laugh and climb on board.

I am very friendly with people who show respect, but the others, I have no time for...

The sign gives you the legal right to prosecuted and I have never had anyone pass that sign first but have watched tourists climb on board other yachts to get that "special" group photo.

[shadow]

I still can't get my head around the unbridled ignorance of some people to actually climb aboard and have drinks?!?!!? I would instantly we furious and would be too red to be polite.. My mind already has the thought of, well if they came aboard and started to celebrate, that just means that they just waived their rights of respectful banter. I would would most like shout, "WTF!!" and start man-handling people off on the water side. This way, perhaps the cold dunking may wake them the hell up!!

That's a theory as I've never had that happen. I did have a guy sit on the hood of my car once when coming back from the store and started to get in his face.. He just walked off as he was drunk and just stupid!!

[sww914]

Stupid people aren't confined to Texas, we have plenty here too. I suspect each of you has your share of morons in your neighborhood. Civilization lets them live, the sea will kill them, as will the mountains, the desert, and the jungle.
I would think that a simple but brightly colored detachable sign that says "liveaboards, privacy please" or something similar would suffice. Keep in mind we're dealing with morons, they're special needs adults who need some explaining.

[JiffyLube]

We haven't had any problems with people boarding our boat, but I'm not big on strangers walking the docks. We keep our boat at a nice marina, and pay good money to stay there. The entrance to our slips has a huge gate with an electronic keyed lock, but invariably there is someone standing around outside the gate waiting for someone with a key so they can follow them in.

If it's a person working on one of the boats, they're suppose to check in with the dock master and get a key...but many don't. Then there are people that aren't working on any boats there, but might be living on one or visiting someone. If they're living on a boat, then they should be carrying their own key...but they don't. If an owner is letting them stay on their boat on the sly or with the dock master's knowlege, then the owner should give their key to use. If the people are visiting, then the people they're visiting should be meeting them at the gate to show them in.

I pay good money to be in this marina with security, and when I see people breaching it all the time I feel like I'm getting ripped off. I've gotten into the habit lately when I see someone hanging around the gate to get in, to ask them if they have a boat here. If they say no, then I tell them I can't let them in. If they say they do have a boat here or are staying on one, then I ask them how come they don't have their key. If they don't have a good answer, I'm not letting them in. If they don't like it, then I suggest to them to go talk to the dock master.

My neighbor slip renters feel like I do, so it's forced on us to play security man everytime we pass through the gate...kinda sucks.