Boarding a vacant boat without permission

[jimi]

I was talking to someone who said he’d never go on board a boat without the express permission of the owner even to sort an obvious problem as he’d be worried about getting sued for trespass. Personally, I would, if I could avert damage or stop a nuisance ( eg frapping). I’d feel grateful if anyone did likewise to my boat. What does the panel think?

 

[Poignard]

Same as you. I am not going to go through life avoiding doing anything helpful in case some fool might misinterpret my motives and take it into his head to sue me .

 

[Ribtecer]

I did exactly that on Thursday, boat next to the boat I was on had the sail cover coming undone and the sail was exposed. I climbed aboard and set it straight.

I didn't even think about it being wrong, I just did it as it was the right thing to do. Which it was.

 

[Rappey]

getting sued for trespass.

Seriously ? Trespass is usually civil. What exactly do you think you would be sued for ?
I have no reserves about stepping on another boat if I'm doing something towards the safety of the boat.

 

[Wansworth]

It’s normal behavior

 

[jimi]

Seriously ? Trespass is usually civil. What exactly do you think you would be sued for ?
I have no reserves about stepping on another boat if I'm doing something towards the safety of the boat.

I don’t think I could be sued for anything! The guy I was talking to did, though!

 

[Poignard]

I have twice boarded yachts to secure genoas that had come unfurled and were flogging themselves to bits.

Had their owners sued me I would have countered by invoicing them for the bits of rope I used to secure their sails.

 

[jimi]

I have twice boarded yachts to secure genoas that had come unfurled and were flogging themselves to bits.

Had their owners sued me I would have countered by invoicing them for the bits of rope I used to secure their sails.

And the cost of your time, of course!

 

[Wansworth]

I suppose if I didn’t take my stiletto high heels off and walked on the teak deck…..?

 

[Boathook]

I have twice boarded yachts to secure genoas that had come unfurled and were flogging themselves to bits.

Had their owners sued me I would have countered by invoicing them for the bits of rope I used to secure their sails.

Very expensive rope is required to secure sails ...........

 

[Wansworth]

Worked at a marina and was ordered to go round and stop halliards tapping on the masts,and bill the owners?

 

[jimi]

I suppose if I didn’t take my stiletto high heels off and walked on the teak deck…..?

Something you want to tell us, Julie?

 

[Clancy Moped]

As long as you're not putting in builders foam into a in mast mechanism that's had the sail out and not been tied back properly.

 

[jamie N]

Funnily enough, I'd this conversation with my immediate pontoon neighbour. In short, I'd made a hash of getting into my slot, and had my boat 'kiss' his, leaving a bit (small) mark, not penetrating the gelcoat, or anything like that, but a scuff.
I went on with a 'spontex' and tried to rub it out, but was unsuccessful as it's quite difficult for me to get to.
Anyway, a week or so later and he was on his boat, so I went and told him, pointed it out, and explained what had happened. He took it in exactly the way I'd thought that he would, and we agreed that it'd soon polish out.
He then told me that he'd been on my boat "a couple of times", pushing his boat off from mine as he'd got it wrong also!
I made a good show of understanding, then we both decided to put out a few extra fenders on our 'offsides' to avoid any further embarassment.
It's easy when immediate neighbours 'ken' each other, and even better where we've both worked offshore, so we speak the same language, but I can well imagine that it can be very different.
I'd guess that in a situation like that, in a marina, where it'd be best for 'one of the parties' to change pontoon?

 

[Praxinoscope]

It’s quite normal in our harbour for someone to try and sort out a small problem on another boat, if the owner isn’t around, (furling Genoa’s unwrapping in strong winds, mooring strops parting etc.) why not?

 

[KevinV]

No qualms, if I would like it done for me I do it for someone else.
You can't spend your life worrying about people being upset at you for doing the right thing.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Worked at a marina and was ordered to go round and stop halliards tapping on the masts,and bill the owners?

I'd love to know what marina that was. If a marina manager doesn't like the sound of slapping halyards he's in the wrong job.

Did anybody pay up??

 

[LittleSister]

Has anyone ever actually been sued for such a thing?

I can imagine there's a type of owner who would have a fit of the vapours to think that anyone might have touched or stood on their boat without their express permission and perhaps supervision, but I can't see even them getting as far a suing. For what?

I've been on, or 'interfered with', others boats many times to secure loose sails and canopies, adjust mooring lines to stop a boats bow grinding against the pontoon ahead, reduce halyard slapping on masts, bale out dinghies that were full of rainwater and in danger of puncturing the hull on their trolleys, affix my own mooring lines on their cleats when rafting alongside, etc., etc.

I've not been sued, nor even threatened with it. (Though to be fair, very few of the owners would have ever become aware that I had done those things.)

 

[Wansworth]

I'd love to know what marina that was. If a marina manager doesn't like the sound of slapping halyards he's in the wrong job.

Did anybody pay up??

Years ago now but the marina had been cautioned about the noise of the masts etc…….Ibilled the yachts but they were never sent?

 

[jlavery]

A classic case over thinking things

I was talking to someone who said he’d never go on board a boat without the express permission of the owner even to sort an obvious problem as he’d be worried about getting sued for trespass. Personally, I would, if I could avert damage or stop a nuisance ( eg frapping). I’d feel grateful if anyone did likewise to my boat. What does the panel think?

A crazily risk averse attitude.

So I should have just watched the french Feeling drift past us and onto rock in Great Porth, Bryher this summer?

No. I boarded it with my skipper, we started the engine, re-anchored it and put out a decent (this time) scope. The french skipper was very appreciative, and we got a bottle of wine for it.

Think of the flip side. "What, you watched my boat drift past onto the rocks....?" That might end up with a lawsuit!