Moving others' boats

[DFL1010]

I'm sure most have experienced a long pontoon with a big gap in it, save for a smaller boat.

What's the received opinion on moving the boat up/down the pontoon in order to make room for another boat?
Does the size of the boat influence the decision (e.g. ribs, small motorboats, trailer sailors vs 40ish foot heavy cruising boats, Sunseekers etc; obviously I'm not referring to someone's 2 point something metre tender here)?
Does the value of the boat to be moved influence (not so much in the context of "oh it's only a cheap boat, it doesn't matter", but more in terms of one's willingness to assume some form of risk/liability, either legal or moral, over any damage that might be done/argued to have been done)?

Or do you just as blanket rule say don't mess with another guy's/gal's boat?


I think I know what I think on the matter, but was just curious about others' views.

 

[HissyFit]

Pontoon in a marina/harbour: leave it to the marina/harbour staff. They have insurance.

Unmanned civic pontoon: raft up outside of offending vessel until owners arrive back (if you have no other choice and are not going to block anyone else).

 

[Minerva]

Pontoon in a marina/harbour: leave it to the marina/harbour staff. They have insurance.

Exactly this - I'm not going to potentially ruin my weekend by someone (erroneously) claiming I damaged their boat moving it a wee bit up the pontoon.

 

[neilf39]

If in a marina I would call up the staff to do it. Somewhere like Mylor are on the ball and will move boats to optimise space all the time. Some like Portland don't seem to manage the space.

If on a mid-river pontoon I would ask the skipper, if present, if they would mind moving up, and if not then let them know I shall be rafting on them instead. If there is no-one there I would raft on them and wait for their return when they would have the choice.

When in Dartmouth I had a large rib raft on me one night. They left it and there and never returned for a over a day and did not leave me any contact details. As I was due to leave the next day early I got the harbourmaster to move it as I did not want to be accused of creating any 'damage'.

I have in the past moved the odd dinghy out of the way.

 

[PhillM]

Move a small rowing dink, yes, yacht no. As others have said, the consequences could be great and option to raft an easy one. Unless of course you are a 40 footer and there s 25 footer right in the way. Mind you, I still wouldn't move it, although I wouldn't raft to it either.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

If you move a boat, you're potentially liable for any subsequent damage to the boat, until the owner returns. A lot of marinas won't move a boat without explicit permission from the owner; the one where I am has always asked me to move my boat when necessary to facilitate marina operations such as dredging. The boatyard I use WILL relocate my boat to their yard - at a price (small, I hasten to add).

 

[steveeasy]

How many variables can there be. Ive been in a boatyard for 5 years. never touched another persons boat. never needed too. If another boat ends up in my normal berth id look for an alternative or raft on to it. id call first though if possible.

Steveeasy

I have seen other people touch other peoples boats and shocked how they leave lines. wrapped round turnbuckles and over blocks. yep if they left mine like that id hunt them down.

 

[johnalison]

I think, though I don't remember exactly, that I have occasionally been involved with moving an unoccupied boat, in company with other boat-owners. This would only have been along to the next cleat or so and in benign conditions. I think there comes a point where practical needs override any niceties about legal liability, so long as common sense is used and the task is well within everyone's competence. I am less sure as to whether I have ever returned to my boat and found it moved. If so, and the need was obvious, I don't think I would work myself into a lather about it.

 

[Thistle]

Move a small rowing dink, yes, yacht no. As others have said, the consequences could be great and option to raft an easy one. Unless of course you are a 40 footer and there s 25 footer right in the way. Mind you, I still wouldn't move it, although I wouldn't raft to it either.

If we're on the inside of a raft, I guess most of us would let ourselves out (space permitting) and carefully move the remaining boat(s) in, even in the absence of their owners. (I would accept, of course, that it would be better if the owners were present or at least notified of our intention to leave at a particular time but this is not always possible.) Is this so much different from moving a boat a short distance along a pontoon to optimise the use of space? Would those advocating not moving other boats just sit fuming on the inside of a raft until all the other owners had returned and were ready to let them out?

I'd be quite happy if someone moved by boat in such circumstances so long as it was done with due care.

 

[PhillM]

If we're on the inside of a raft, I guess most of us would let ourselves out (space permitting) and carefully move the remaining boat(s) in, even in the absence of their owners. (I would accept, of course, that it would be better if the owners were present or at least notified of our intention to leave at a particular time but this is not always possible.) Is this so much different from moving a boat a short distance along a pontoon to optimise the use of space? Would those advocating not moving other boats just sit fuming on the inside of a raft until all the other owners had returned and were ready to let them out?

I'd be quite happy if someone moved by boat in such circumstances so long as it was done with due care.

I agree, if they have decided to raft alongside you they would expected to be moved when you left. That to my mind is not the same as leaving your boat alongside a pontoon, all the others around you leaving, then a new boat wanting to make themselves a larger space.

I have had my boat moved and tbh I was fine about it, although I did notice that someone had tried to use my wind vane as a handle and pulled it to an angle. No damage done, but I needed to reset it and I was glad I noticed before I set off as it would have been a real pain.

 

[xyachtdave]

Constant pain at the yacht club. First boat arrives and stops 15 feet from end of pontoon, next leaves a 20 foot gap and so it goes on until there’s about 4 spaces you can’t quite fit a boat in.

I move them if nobody on board and no space.

And usually leave them tied up better than I found them too!

 

[HissyFit]

Constant pain at the yacht club. First boat arrives and stops 15 feet from end of pontoon, next leaves a 20 foot gap and so it goes on until there’s about 4 spaces you can’t quite fit a boat in.

I move them if nobody on board and no space.

And usually leave them tied up better than I found them too!

It's funny how thoughtfulness seems to be in direct correlation to quality of rope work, or is it vice versa?

 

[xyachtdave]

It's funny how thoughtfulness seems to be in direct correlation to quality of rope work, or is it vice versa?

I did see a Genoa sheet partly unwound from the furled head sail and used as a bow line recently while still connected :-/

And of course if you’ve got excess rope, keep wrapping it around the cleats, plenty of locking turns too, until it’s all gone.

Or the worst offence…..








…a rope coiled cheese!

Eek.

 

[johnalison]

…a rope coiled cheese!

Eek.

Unfortunately, they have a habit of ending up trailing in the water after I have walked past. Actually, that's not really true; it's the unruly mess of rope that usually ends up in the water. One doesn't want to leave a hazard for others to trip over, does one?

 

[Mark-1]

Exactly this - I'm not going to potentially ruin my weekend by someone (erroneously) claiming I damaged their boat moving it a wee bit up the pontoon.

Couldn't they equally erroneously claim you damaged their boat by rafting up against it?

 

[westhinder]

I think, though I don't remember exactly, that I have occasionally been involved with moving an unoccupied boat, in company with other boat-owners. This would only have been along to the next cleat or so and in benign conditions. I think there comes a point where practical needs override any niceties about legal liability, so long as common sense is used and the task is well within everyone's competence. I am less sure as to whether I have ever returned to my boat and found it moved. If so, and the need was obvious, I don't think I would work myself into a lather about it.

I certainly have helped move boats along the pontoon in order to make best use of the available space. In my experience it is a common practice in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Provided it is done with due care, just like when moving one’s own boat, I do not see why anyone would mind.
Has Britain become so litigious that people first think about their insurance and their solicitor before they do anything?

 

[penfold]

…a rope coiled cheese!

Wot's wrong with my cheeses? They're pretty for the tourists and let the rope dry quicker than a coil.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Wot's wrong with my cheeses? They're pretty for the tourists and let the rope dry quicker than a coil.

So long as they’re on your deck and not on the dock?

 

[john_morris_uk]

I certainly have helped move boats along the pontoon in order to make best use of the available space. In my experience it is a common practice in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Provided it is done with due care, just like when moving one’s own boat, I do not see why anyone would mind.
Has Britain become so litigious that people first think about their insurance and their solicitor before they do anything?

I agree. Get someone to video you doing it if you’re so paranoid about litigation.

 

[KompetentKrew]

A lot of marinas won't move a boat without explicit permission from the owner; …

I have had only the opposite experience with marinas, and have on more than one occasion been in bed or drinking my morning cuppa to hear feet on deck as marina staff cast off to move me to another berth.