Can you pick-up a private mooring buoy.

I used to work for a Harbour authority, we were told not to move any illegaly parked boats for fear of being sued.

cant belive the abuse we took off some boat owners when we pointed out that they were not allowed to moor where they liked.
 
I've come back to my mooring to find another boat on it. Once one was unattended. I just moored using the chain and rafted the boat alongside. The people came back and went ballistic. I just said that if they wanted to be like that they could cough up some cash for using it. £40 quid a mtr per day with a min charge of 60 quid should cover it. They buggered off pretty quick.
Will add that I treated their boat with respect and even used my fenders and lines.......
 
BarryH said:
I've come back to my mooring to find another boat on it. Once one was unattended. I just moored using the chain and rafted the boat alongside. The people came back and went ballistic. I just said that if they wanted to be like that they could cough up some cash for using it. £40 quid a mtr per day with a min charge of 60 quid should cover it. They buggered off pretty quick.
Will add that I treated their boat with respect and even used my fenders and lines.......
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See, this behaviour I don't understand. I don't have a mooring, but I have used other people's moorings for lunch stops. If the owner were to return, I would obviously clear off and thank them for the use of their mooring. If I did leave the boat (unlikely, but you never know), I would leave my number clearly visible and if I returned to find a boat rafted up like this I would certainly not go ballistic. Once again, I would be grateful and apologise for the inconvenience.

I really don't understand why people get so worked up by these things. It's similar to how some people's blood boils when it comes to rafting.
 
Well, Chinita, I look forward to you being as good as your word and casting some offending boat adrift.

I also look forward to seeing your attempts at a defence when you get sued.
 
chinita said:
This, of course, would not be necessary if you had left your boat unattended as you would no longer have a boat to which to return.
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Must have touched a raw nerve with you. You don't usually post nonsense like this.

I agree that finding an unattended boat on your mooring is extremely annoying but can't you imagine the havoc that the boat you cast adrift might cause before it came to rest somewhere? You could find yourself facing a criminal damage charge.
 
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A couple of years back, a boat picked up my fisherman friends mooring, and came ashore, I did advice him that it was a commercial fishermans mooring, and he'll be back shortly, we're only be ashore for a while, was the reply, time pasted, my friend returned, we unloaded the catch onto the jetty, he asked who was that on his mooring? visitor says I, did he say what he's doing? gone ashore for a short time, ok, we took the catch round to the fridge, sorted and weighed, boxed and iced, returned to the jetty started boat, put boat on to his mooring rafting the visitor to his boat, (as contrary to posts above, you cannot just cast a boat adrift), got in his dinghy and rowed ashore, no sign of the visitor.

The next morning we arrive to find visitor gone, but a note on the wheelhouse door, saying his solicitor will be in touch for the damage caused by rafting his boat along side a steel fishing boat, apparently the trawl doors had eaten his teak toe rail and took chucks out of the topsides gelcoat. Needless to say my friend never heard from said solicitor. lesson to take from this is, never take someone's mooring and piss off ashore, without prior agreement.
 
chinita said:
If I returned to my mooring to find you on it we would have a very simple, brief, but meaningful discussion about byelaws.

This, of course, would not be necessary if you had left your boat unattended as you would no longer have a boat to which to return.
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A big plus one!
Stu
 
Stemar said:
A big minus one from me.
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And me. Happily, the convention on the east coast tends to be a more relaxed and friendly one. I occasionally pick up a private mooring, although I am always ready to move if necessary. I am also quite happy for others to use mine. As long as it is not abused, it does no harm and contributes to the general atmosphere of friendly cooperation which I so value in my life on the water.

I have never had any problem with damage to the mooring or of getting people to move from mine if necessary. If I come back late and someone is already ensconced on my mooring, I will generally find another or anchor rather than turning them off. After all, I know where to go for a comfortable overnight stop and, they may not. Other people have also done that for me in my local area.

And if I pass by but am not going to use the mooring, as sometimes happens, it gives me a good deal of pleasure to approach them and let them know that they are welcome to stay for the night and won't be disturbed. That surprises them!

The price of a negligible risk to the mooring and occasional minor inconvenience to me is a small one to pay in order to help maintain the friendly and positive atmosphere we generally enjoy out east.
 
Chinita

another analogy for you:-

You have a driveway that slopes down to the main road. You find someone has parked in your driveway and locked their car, but clearly they dont have a working handbrake as there is a brick under the back wheel preventing the car rolling off down the slope.

In order to access your driveway do you remove the brick and let the car roll off down the slope into the main road?

No, of course you don't - to do so would be criminally neglgent and irresponsible.

You might choose to park across your driveway so preventing the miscreant from leaving without speaking to you first though :)
 
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Litotes said:
And me. Happily, the convention on the east coast tends to be a more relaxed and friendly one. I occasionally pick up a private mooring, although I am always ready to move if necessary. I am also quite happy for others to use mine. As long as it is not abused, it does no harm and contributes to the general atmosphere of friendly cooperation which I so value in my life on the water.

I have never had any problem with damage to the mooring or of getting people to move from mine if necessary. If I come back late and someone is already ensconced on my mooring, I will generally find another or anchor rather than turning them off. After all, I know where to go for a comfortable overnight stop and, they may not. Other people have also done that for me in my local area.

And if I pass by but am not going to use the mooring, as sometimes happens, it gives me a good deal of pleasure to approach them and let them know that they are welcome to stay for the night and won't be disturbed. That surprises them!

The price of a negligible risk to the mooring and occasional minor inconvenience to me is a small one to pay in order to help maintain the friendly and positive atmosphere we generally enjoy out east.
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Fully agree
 
An analogy with someone using your private driveway is misleading in resipect of someone else's entitlement to use a vacant mooring. Almost all 'private' moorings are in public navigations. Part of the bargain, in practice and tradition, is that in return for one's mooring and boat blocking part of the public right of navigation (for passage and anchoring) is that others may (in both senses) use it when it is available.

For those who are advocating casting adrift an unattended boat on their mooring (not that I would condone anyone so leaving their boat), the converse would be if someone anchors (as they have a right to do in a public navigation unless specific local bye-laws restrict it) in the vicinity of your mooring and their anchor picks up part of your mooring chain they cut it, casting your boat adrift, because it inconvenienced them.

The enclosure acts parcelled up most of the comon land into private ownership. The same didn't happen (by and large) to our seas and estuaries. Let's enjoy sharing them, and be considerate of each others' needs and equipment.:)
 
Uricanejack said:
I suspect Scottish Law may be different from English Law. There is no such thing as trespass in Scotland or at least there did not used to be. .
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"The most commonly perpetuated myth claims that there are no trespass laws in Scotland. Even before the recent Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994,[1] trespass had long been a delict (a civil wrong) remediable by the remedies of interdict and damages. However, The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 [2] amends the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 [3] and establishes a statutory right of access.

Certain types of trespass have been criminal since the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 was passed, a legal instrument which few will be aware of. Section 3 of the Act makes it an offence for any person to lodge in any premises, or occupy or encamp on any land, being private property, without the consent of the owner or legal occupier. While the the use of the words lodge, occupy and encamp could be taken to imply a degree of permanency on the part of the trespasser, their scope could possibly be construed to apply to loitering by a determined lawyer if one did anything other than access, or cross over such property for example" courtesy of http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/TrespassScottish "
 
There are no rules, only common sense and consideration for others. Common sense says never pick up a fishing boat mooring - grp and nasty rusty old iron dont mix. Consideration says dont pick up a private mooring and go ashore.

Chinita has been given a bit of an ear bending but his is not a lone voice . I've heard similar unpleasant sentiments from sailing pals, people who are normally very nice chaps. The slightest hint of inconvenience or cost turns some people into miserable unfriendly scrotes.
 
its mine

Why should I be happy to let anyone use my mooring. I have to pay for it. Get your own or learn how to use your anchor.
 
sailorman said:
I borrow yours
you borrow mine
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That is fair but can I ask that people do not take my mooring then p..s of down the pub. Last year someone sailed on to my mooring & refused to move because his engine was not working. - he managed to sail on to it though- i had just launched my squib & was towing it in awkward circumstances to the mooring when i realised what had happened. I was forced to wait for 2 hours
Finally you can use my mooring but do not lassoo it please. If you want to play Roy Rogers then go somewhere else
 
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