Moonlight flits

I would prefer to pay, I have the goods, the mooring e.g. and I intend to pay the required dues. But sometimes this isn't possible. Fowey is a case in point; we didn't have the dinghy inflated as we had no intention of going ashore, and we wanted to catch the early morning tide. And they didn't call for money when we arrived, even though it wasn't late. I have no desire to cheat harbours from their dues. As has been mentioned above, the costs only get added to everyone elses. So in my mind, there are two sides to this thread- the responsibility of the Authority to collect, and the responsibility of the sailor to pay up. Sometimes it isn't possible for a Skipper to anticipate his/her movements the following day, but on the other hand we see enough comments about harbour authorities coming demanding money before people have finished mooring up or anchoring. Lets be honest, it isn't easy to take a position on this.

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Re: Mixed feelings

Can't disagree with you on the logic,regarding attempted payment, but on most of the channel ports & up into Holland, if you don't pay/ do a runner . The boat name ends up on the HM list and that can 'cos all sorts of problems if you have a similar name! Major reason for going Part 1 Registry, after a couple of discussions back in the 80's. Have to say that ther were several "Freya's" about at the time. Even to the point where Thames CG informed me that I was being towed into Dunkirk as we logged arrival @ Harwich!!. Regards Tony W.

<hr width=100% size=1>Tony W.
 
You can always sent it by post later. I skipped Brightlingsea early to catch depth over the entrance. A telephone call later to HM, with offer to pay by post was refused, "Pay next time you come" was the reply, but then he likes Hallberg Rassy boats.


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I personally don't like it. Where will it end ? The boat in question might have had a valid reason for not paying. He might have sent a cheque to the harbour authority later unbeknown to the sneak. Then he would have had to write to a national mag to justify himself even though he did nothing wrong. What that guy did was the equivalent of a lynching mob and PBO should not have had party to it. As far as I'm concerned the maximum he could/shouldhave done was if asked by the HM for the name of the boat, to give it and let the HM deal with it. Threatening to plaster a boat's name over the national press without being in full possession of the facts is NOT being clever. All it makes you is a nosy neighbour with twitching net curtains.

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Ask and ye shall recieve. If the harbour authorities or yards want the cash then let them come and get it but how many anchorages have been filled with "pay for" moorings owned by private boat yards? This is certainly the case in some places on the US. E coast. Provincetown MA. springs to mind.What was "public" anchorage has been handed over to private enterprise. The solution in some smaller harbours over here is an honesty system which consists of a screw top bottle attached to the mooring penant in which you may leave your payment.When they are in place I pay.

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Provincetown? Now there's a place which gives a whole new twist to the term "swinging mooring"! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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I do like the idea of the "honesty box" on a mooring.
It would be nice to think that the harbour master and his staff were busy improving harbour facilities/safety rather than just traffic wardens collecting cash. It is however difficult to remain altruistic if one feels that the charges are totally outrageous.
I would support a "name and shame" concept if the editor was to chase up the offending boat and spray the topsides with an iridescent purple spray which lasted exactly one season !
Could become more of a status symbol than a Blue ensign ? (hush ma mouth !)
Ken

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.canongrange.co.uk>Bed and Breakfast, cathedral Green Wells, Somerset Canon Grange</A>
 
We quite like Yarmouth, IoW, where the HM is singularly reluctant to take your money in the office and seems to enjoy a race (half across the Solent if necessary) to collect money in his dory.

We've called them on the radio on a number of occasions when we're just leaving, having failed to get them to take the money earlier, and have met them in one of the channels or even in the harbour mouth. It either gives them an interest or justifies the dories.

<hr width=100% size=1>It was all so different before it changed
 
The Yarmouth attitude to debt collection has always puzzled me. They seem to prefer boat loads of cash to plastic in the office. Quite surprised me that there was no one on patrol at 6.00am, on the morning that I couldn't pay. I half expected a Dory catching us up just as we turned left at the Needles!

<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.
 
Re: It\'s a pain if you

pick up a charter boat thats been known for doing flits.

We went into 8 harbours on one boat and it was in the bad books of 5 HM's. The charter company told me it was the owner wot done it. He'd got so bad they put a handling charge on the mooring fees and stopped it out of his charter fee. He'd got bloody minded because he'd been charged when he thought he shouldn't be. Bit of a twit if you ask me.

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