Marina responsibilty

[asteven221]

I spoke to our marina manager a couple of weeks ago and arranged for my boat to get lifted out last Monday. Unfortunately they had to cancel. Fair enough, no problem. They said they would call me when a cradle etc... was available and we would rearrange the lift. I got a call today to say that the boat was lifted. That hacked me off a bit as I always want to be there as basically I like to oversee my pride and joy being lifted and I also like to do the driving. Realistically they know what they are doing, but I just like to keep an eye on things. I am sure you all feel pretty much the same. So, to my point. What is the legal position if something goes horribly wrong? What they did today was go on my boat without permission using the emergency patio door keys that the marina keep, rummage around in drawers for the engine start keys, start it up, sailed it away and craned it out. What if unknown to them I had drained the oil yesterday and was going to fill it up this weekend? Seized engines! £25k each! I am sure there are plenty of other scenarios that could be a huge problem if someone casually goes on board, starts the engines and sails off. There is also the small matter that I was going out on the boat this wekend, which is obviously knackered now! Also what happens if I find my VHF missing or even more important - that unopened litre of Gin! Lot's of potential for long and messy arguments with this practice, me thinks.

 

[Frontier]

It's a difficult one, I think I would weigh up the benefits over the negatives. Yes lots of things could have gone wrong, but they didn't, and you did indicate that you have confidence in them. So what you are left with is this,

Is it a benefit that my boat is out earlier that I thought? IMO

 

[adrianm]

Surprised that they acutally went into the boat and started the engines. My marina always move boats by tying a little one on.

I queried this with the manager once and he said they would never move a boat under power unless the owner was at the helm.

 

[hlb]

Well I'm glad my marina will move the boat, as I am 310 miles away. Mostly they tug it to the hoist, occasionally they ring me and ask if they can drive it. Funny thing is, the only time I remember them driving it. The stearing gear fell to pieces and I always wondered why they'd touched the wheel at all for shunting round the marina. So they did not shift it till steering was mended. Made me worry a bit. One need steering two, cant stear without it. (Is a stear a cow or a pig!!) /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

So. Humm. Cant expect them to be expert at all 500 boats in the marina. But glad they will shift it for 35 quid. My alternative is a 720 mile drive!!

 

[Dave99]

yeah most marinas will only tow the boat and wont start the engine unless someone is there.

 

[cliff]

[ QUOTE ]
Surprised that they acutally went into the boat and started the engines. My marina always move boats by tying a little one on.

I queried this with the manager once and he said they would never move a boat under power unless the owner was at the helm.

[/ QUOTE ]Snap - same where I am based - they use a well fendered dory as a pusher/tug.
--------------------

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"

 

[marcusgillies]

Check your marina contract ours gives conccent for the marina to move boats for what is deemed neccesary and or reasonable.

 

[fireball]

Same in Chi marina - we were moved before christmas, they just bring their workboat alongside and tow it round to the new berth...

 

[byron]

I thought it was standard practice to use a tug, something to do with insurance.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

In our marina they also use a tug.
I am never there when the boat is hauled out for the winter storage.
If it falls from the crane my presence won't prevent that form happening.
In fact, I think too much people around a craning job increse the risk of something going wrong or people getting hurt. Just my 2 € cents...

 

[MYStargazer]

Firstly, look to your marina contract.

If they didn't have permssion in the contract to do this, they would have wrongfully interfered with your property, and you might have a claim. Problem is, if no gin went missing, what actual loss have you suffered? None? No claim, then.

They may also say that you implicitly gave them permssion to lift at any reasonable time when you orginaly asked them to do this. Why would they need your 'expert' supervision when they lift boats in and out of the water for a living? Are you a qualifed surveyor?

 

[Dyflin]

If they moved the boat without your explicit permission and/or supervision, then any loss or damage would come under their insurance I would have thought?

The thing about towing, and especially about towing heavy displacement motor boats with high freeboards, is if a gust catches the tow beam on or anywhere at an awkward moment then the tug may not have enough power to get both boats out of trouble. I always thought that if there is no problem with the boat to be moved then it's safer to do so under her own power. The "tug" is usually just a launch with extra fendering, which doesn't necessarily have a big engine or bow thruster or even a particularly suitable towing post.

 

[hlb]

I've never heard so much crap talked, by a load of mamby pambies. Marinas shift hundreds of boats on a daily basis. They cant shift them when the weather to bad, so sceduals go to cock. Theres no way of knowing whether one boat will take an hour to shift, or two.

I can just see all the boat owners turning up to shift there boats, only to find there in a back log of fifty boats. All chomping on there bits and tearing there hair out.

Suppose you all want them to give you a call to move yer boat, when the next one is on fire!!

Mind. They damage my boat every time they take it out.. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[spannerman]

Well said HLB, having worked for various yards over the years, we mechanics have a lot more idea than most boatowners about manouvering ALL types of boats in confined areas, (generally accepted as the worst part of the boating experience, for me its the best part as any idiot can drive on the open sea) Often we have to move several boats to get to the one we want , so you can be on a shaft drive sail boat, then a 60 ft princess, then onto a 26 ft sterndrive, then a jetdrive Rib all of this in 30-40 mins. Often our customers wouldn't drive their boats in the marina with us onboard, they knew their limitations, and as regards starting engines without oil, every self respecting mechanic I know always checks the dials and seacocks when he starts a boat, as we are on the look out for abnormal readings as part of the job, so we can identify problems long before the owner does, which is why you come to us isn't it, to get the benefit of our years experience operating various boats.
What is more amazing is how many owners leave the keys on board, we know all the usual places, on top of the batteries, in the locker under the flybridge steps, in the bucket in the lazarette, in the welly in the seat locker and once in the cabin, yes ignition keys in the fridge, in the glasses in the drink cupboard, cutlery draw, or even sitting in the igniton! We often have owners ring and say can you go and collect the boat for servicing, you know where the keys are.
I think your insurance company would abandon you like the Titanic if they knew the keys were on board and so easily found.

 

[[2068]]

Maybe so, but my marina woudn't start the main engines and attempt to move it under power without permission, they'd use the their inflatable to nudge it around.

It's impressive to watch, as they're good at it, getting a 40ft flybridge round a tight corner in a breeze with a tiny tender with (i think) a 5hp or 6hp onboard, and I've never seen it go wrong yet...

dv.

 

[KevB]

Yep,

Agree with others, both Chi marina and Peters move the boat with their work boats.

 

[Will]

"they damage my boat every time they take it out"


Really? I'd be interested if you'd expand on that?

 

[BlueChip]

A similar thing happened to me a couple of years ago. I arranged for a lift out at Ken Brown Boats at Portsmouth for the winter and as it was midweek arranged for them to move her across from Haslar.
I spent the previous weekend winterising the engine and flushing with antifreeze.
4 months later at the end of the winter when we were waiting to be launched I was talking to one of the men in the yard about what launch they used to move the boats. Oh no he said we don't use a launch we just start the engine and motor them across.

I was gobsmacked, all winter we had been on the hard without antifreeze in the engine cooling system. We were so lucky that it was a mild winter and we had heaters on board.

 

[andy_wilson]

I always used to hang the alternator belt and impellor in front of the engine and remove the battery connection once laid up, to make sure she stayed that way.

 

[hlb]

Haya Will. Not sure I'm going into that one again.
And no not every time, cos I dont put a breast rope on the stern anymore. But not going into it, it was a long time ago, only happened twice and only a bit damaged. Hope that clears it up.

Anyway. I thought I was being on your side. You do an excelent job, as does your staff. Only putting the point that it would be silly for every one to trapes miles and miles, to sit about waiting for there turn. Then maybe doing damage themselves.

By the way it needs to come out in a couple of months or so. How you fixed? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif