Swinging moorings....overnight stays.

johnlilley

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Anyone considering staying aboard overnight on swinging moorings be aware that in Poole the Harbour Master is reported to monitor the swinging moorings in the HM launch and send potential over nighters home. Guess it is an anomaly of the umbrella rules that marinas and other close quarters moorings have on the general no overnight stays anywhere.
 
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dom

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Sending people home - as reported by the OP - exceeds his authority.


Indeed it does. Packing people off to row into possible danger, then drive home with the potential of meeting god knows how many people, then replaying the whole thing in reverse driving down the next day, is the polar opposite of what the new Government advice is intended to achieve.

It is also an indication of why ambitious petty-bureaucrats should never be handed the merest hint of power. As you correctly point out, such powers are currently vested in the police and long may it stay that way.
 

SimonFa

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Anyone considering staying aboard overnight on swinging moorings be aware that in Poole the Harbour Master is reported to monitor the swinging moorings in the HM launch and send potential over nighters home. Guess it is an anomaly of the umbrella rules that marinas and other close quarters moorings have on the general no overnight stays anywhere.
To which the polite response should be:

I've just been for a long sail and am tired and do not consider that I am safe to drive so I decided to rest and I will leave as soon as I consider I am safe to drive.

Alternatively:

I'm heading off for Solent/Portland and I'm waiting for the tide to turn.

That second one takes a bit of quick thinking and knowledge of the state of tide.
 

bedouin

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It is also an indication of why ambitious petty-bureaucrats should never be handed the merest hint of power. As you correctly point out, such powers are currently vested in the police and long may it stay that way.
A bit of thread drift but one of the worst parts of the Covid regulations was that in England (not elsewhere) a lot of powers were given to people other than the police to enforce the regulations. A very. very bad idea. There are any number of petty-bureaucrats who do have the right to tell you what to do under the regulations.
 

dom

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A bit of thread drift but one of the worst parts of the Covid regulations was that in England (not elsewhere) a lot of powers were given to people other than the police to enforce the regulations. A very. very bad idea. There are any number of petty-bureaucrats who do have the right to tell you what to do under the regulations.


Fair point, although in many cases the absence of case law leaves open the question as to how many of these 'powers' are simply advisory. Compounded by the fact that many of the warnings aren't intended to maximise the common good, but simply to head-off subsequent lawsuits. And boy will they come post PPI.

The ultimate danger here of course is that by empowering these wannabe Gestapos -- 17% of the British public have apparently challenged others over their lockdown practices and 1 in 10 have reported someone to the authorities! -- the vast majority of good citizens will start to switch off and ignore them. The risk being that the baby goes out with the bathwater.
 

bedouin

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Fair point, although in many cases the absence of case law leaves open the question as to how many of these 'powers' are simply advisory. Compounded by the fact that many of the warnings aren't intended to maximise the common good, but simply to head-off subsequent lawsuits. And boy will they come post PPI.

The ultimate danger here of course is that by empowering these wannabe Gestapos -- 17% of the British public have apparently challenged others over their lockdown practices and 1 in 10 have reported someone to the authorities! -- the vast majority of good citizens will start to switch off and ignore them. The risk being that the baby goes out with the bathwater.
The problem is that in UK the law - or at least the authorities - are against the individual in these cases. We have already seen many cases of people (such as the police) exceeding their authority with, as far as I can see, no come back on them. They can throw their weight around and they usually get away it. If challenged then the victim usually gets off but people say "he was lucky" or the like. I don't want to cross threads but I am sure we can all think of a recent incident where someone was vilified in the press and by "most people" for doing something that was subsequently determined to be legal.

Were the police (ok the CPS) to prosecute without the correct authority (as has happened) the poor victim carries all the risk - the best they can hope for is to go through a very unpleasant experience and get off. The imbalance of power is a massive issue

Unfortunately there seems to be a growing section of the UK population that loves to tell others what to do - and this pandemic is just playing into their hands.

I just can't understand the mentality of those who are so keen to condemn others and "shop" them for apparent breaches of the rules (that often aren't breaches after all).
 

DJE

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A bit of thread drift but one of the worst parts of the Covid regulations was that in England (not elsewhere) a lot of powers were given to people other than the police to enforce the regulations. A very. very bad idea. There are any number of petty-bureaucrats who do have the right to tell you what to do under the regulations.
Local authority officers have powers to ensure closure of businesses and to disperse gatherings but only the police or PCSOs can enforce the movement restrictions
 
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ryanroberts

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Oh great, this was my destination. Was planning on anchoring out quite a lot rather than stress the marina out / have to tell them the boat is primary residence but if the harbour master is poncing around like nelson that could be an issue.
 

DJE

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Oh great, this was my destination. Was planning on anchoring out quite a lot rather than stress the marina out / have to tell them the boat is primary residence but if the harbour master is poncing around like nelson that could be an issue.
I really don't think you have to tell him anything. "No comment" should suffice.

Edit; if at anchor just tell him you are on passage and waiting for weather, tide, daylight, etc. And won't South Deep be peaceful without the tripper boats!
 
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bedouin

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Oh great, this was my destination. Was planning on anchoring out quite a lot rather than stress the marina out / have to tell them the boat is primary residence but if the harbour master is poncing around like nelson that could be an issue.
Just tell him you are self isolating because you have tested positive, and the suppress a couple of coughs.
 

bedouin

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That may not end well. I saw an article on the BBC news about a guy who did that and he's being prosecuted. Can't find it now and the only similar story is from the Wail, so I won't bother.
I suspect those were cases where they deliberately coughed over someone - a disgusting thing to do - which is now an offence. My recommendation was to stiffle a cough which is not illegal.
 

johnlilley

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Anyone considering staying aboard overnight on swinging moorings be aware that in Poole the Harbour Master is reported to monitor the swinging moorings in the HM launch and send potential over nighters home. Guess it is an anomaly of the umbrella rules that marinas and other close quarters moorings have on the general no overnight stays anywhere.
Having spoken to harbour authorities directly today about these reports which are quite widespread in the area, they have said that the rules of no overnight stays away from your own home do apply to all everywhere, but the rumours of HM policing the moorings are incorrect and, so far as they know, no swinging mooring occupants have been"sent" home and they seem to be applying common sense attitude as against a rules are rules attitude .
 

graham

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Instead of just banning sleeping aboard they should explain the science.
Sleeping with others in confined spaces with limited ventilation hugely increases the risk of transmission.
 
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