Anthropology class

[Metabarca]

Here's a little anthropological enquiry for you (I am assuming most of us on this forum are British, plus a few north Europeans, aussies and kiwis). I happened on a US site yesterday in which a bloke brought his brand-new tub home to a new berth in his marina. He came back two hours later and saw his (unknown) berth neighbour wandering over it, peering inside. Said owner threw a complete wobbly, was abusive and aggressive. The neighbour shrugged and said 'he was only looking'. Later, the owner wanted to know from fellow forumees whether he had been right or should he try to make amends. It's the responses that I find gob-smacking. So, what would you do if you saw someone wandering around your new boat? What would you do having bawled at the guy?
I'm curious to see your responses. Then in a day or so, I'll post some of the replies I saw. I suspect (but I may be wrong) that there'll be quite a divide. A vous à jouer!

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[Roberto]

Naughty monster elder brother shouting to a fearful tiny young man:

"WHAT! You like my sister????"

err.. no, I do not like her

"WHAT! You do not like my sister????"


From Asterix en Corse

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[jamesjermain]

I would have been polite but firm in questioning his right to be on the boat.

Having established that he was not a burgler but an interested fellow yachtie I would have taken great pleasure in showing him over the boat, pointing out all its wonderful features and explaining how it could outsail a Sydney 40 and beat round Cape Horn better than a Swan 65 until he was so bored he'd plead for release and probably avoid me at the club bar for evermore

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[Tiger Rag]

People seem to forget the normal rules of polite society where yachts are concerned, I know of several stories, one where a young couple were accosted by the crew of a yacht in Puerto Banus because they wanted to have their picture taken to show friends back home (the lady in question was wearing stilletto heels and had caused significant damage to the teak deck!) and another couple were forcibly removed from the saloon of a yacht in Antibes, their excuse was that there was a "welcome" mat at the end of the passerelle. I would like to think that if I had been in the same situation and the neihbour had not damaged the boat, i.e. had soft shoes on etc., and had not been fiddling with gear on board that I would have been flattered and invited him on for a beer and a proper look around.

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[Evadne]

Maybe it's just that people with older boats (sail and motor) are used to strangers wanting to look at their boats, but I don't find such curiosity unusual. My usual first words are along the lines of "hello, can I help you?". There then follows a long conversation about the merits of the boat, the pains of varnishing and so on. Boating is an opportunity to make new friends, most of the time.

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[Twister_Ken]

Sounds like a good opportunity to make a new friend and to take a beer off him!

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[Metabarca]

Well, James Jermain and Twister Ken's replies pretty much sum up how I would feel about it too. Indeed, some of the replies to the original US post were in the same spirit, whilst others suggested the marina should be informed and perhaps the boat moved (?!). However, a 4 or 5 replies out of the dozen or so really make you think (or despair, or weep, or reach for the bottle). For your delectation, ladies and gentlemen, here is how true-grit pioneers reach when their wagons are attacked:

The original post:
Last Monday, I finally got my new Silverton 330 to my home marina, new dock and slip (my old slip was too small). After my arrival, I departed by car only to return a couple of hours later. My boat hasn't been in it's new slip for four hours and as I'm pulling into the marina, I spy a stranger on my boat, walking up the stairs to the flybridge and peeking into the windshield (I have no bridge enclosure, just a cover), walking down to the bow and coming back down the other side. I reached the end of my dock to catch this fellow just departing from my swim platform, and I lost it! I was screaming bloody murder! His only retort was "that he didn't hurt anything", with that I told him to just stay the f-away from me and my boat. (Dale Carnegie, I am not) As it turns out, he's a new neighbor on my new dock (oh boy!)
Granted I could have handled it better... But c'mon, I don't know this fellow from apple butter (nor he me) and he's sneaking all over my boat, walking it from stern to stem and back. Hell, I haven't even had an invited guest onboard yet! Only this trespassing goof and frankly, I feel violated. (I'd have gladly invited him on if he'd asked me)

Selected replies:
The other guy is a creep and could not be more fully in the wrong. No apology is warranted. In fact, every time I would see the guy, I would mock him and tell all the other dockmates what he did. I might change my mind if the other guy advanced not just a sincere apology but also found a way to go out of his way to demonstrate his remorse.
Otherwise, I'd just as soon use his boat as a big giant head.
Sorry, but I can't help but to be horrified at this event. If criminal charges are possible, I'd pursue that as well. It is just impossible that an individual educated well enough to afford a boat would not know that he was in the wrong. This is a person that simply does not care about other people or express the least bit of respect for them.
I'd be fully willing to forgive after his misdeeds were paid for in a real life keel hauling, followed by 19 lashes from the cat.
Arggghhhh! Luckily, I'm in a good mood today or my opinion might have been more extreme.


I would not appologize. No way, No how. He was flat wrong. What if you or your family had been on the boat napping and awoken to an intruder? In my opinion, he is lucky not to have been shot as an intruder. He should no more have come on your boat uninvited than he should your home, auto, camper, RV or whatever! I do not think that you over reacted at all and, from your description of his reaction, I would be very suspicious of his motives. I would not make nice nice with him at all. I would speak with the marina management and would tell everyone around me what he did. Not slander him in any way but let every one know. If he has been on your boat, you can bet he has been on others. I know that my opinion disagrees with the concilitory tone of most of the other responses here but I think the security of you, your family and your boat should be a higher priorty than weather some inconsiderate jerk has had his feelings hurt. Also, were I you, I would be checking into moving to another slip. Ask yourself if you will ever feel really secure with your boat in that slip and that jerk still around.
Dave


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[Tiger Rag]

"He is lucky not to have been shot as an intruder" Just about sums it up!

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[Sybarite]

I don't think I would want to know either. Seems a caricature of Americans who aren't known for their savoir faire or their diplomacy...

John

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[wpsalm]

gee you guys , its important to have good manners and all but catching a stranger on your boat is not a situation that calls for diplomacy ,unless of course he,s much bigger than you are..in which case you do your diplomacy with a winch handle or any other heavy object that comes to hand demand identification and escort him to the marina managers office...

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[Paulka]

A few years ago (or is it many years ago?), coming to my boat, I saw a "gentleman" fiddling with the anchor.
On my question if I could help him, he answered that he lost his anchor, and that this one (mine) was just what he was looking for.

This guy swam back to his boat, or to hell, or wherever, as did another two who happened to be cought on board without my permission, and unable to give me a good reason why they were on my boat.

This is - IMHO of course - the only way to deal with intruders.

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[Ohdrat]

Simple really bind his hands, blindfold and gag him then make him walk the plank...ensuring plenty of man eating sharks in the vicinity or some portuguese men of war at least/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[steffen]

The replies confirm my opinion of the average american (there are exceptions fortunately) in regard to interhuman behaviour: dumb, confronting and trigger happy).

Happy sailing, Steffen

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[steffen]

As i said: confronting and trigger happy.

Happy sailing, Steffen

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