Nanny state- please no more

[Guest]

A notice has very recently appeared at some marinas and elsewhere. It bears the impressive signature of Police Constable Gledhill of Hampshore Police Marine Unit. He or she tells owners of yachts and boats to inform the marina office 'each time they leave their berth'. This is to prevent theft of the vessel and also -wait for it - so that if the yacht does not return, the coastguard can be infomred!
Nanny state and nanny authorities, for goodness sake get off our backs and let us get on with sailing and boating. Furthermore since when have the police been responsible for ship and boat movements.
This sort of stuff is unnecessary, uncalled for and unhelpful. If PC Gledhill has nothing else to do except sit in an office writing this sort of stuff, it is suggested that he or she gets out on his or her flat feet - or even afloat - and works on enforcing the law.

 

[rogerroger]

oh what criticism the police would get if people thought they weren't taking boat theft etc seriously.

I'm sure you'd expect them to jump to it straight away should your boat be stolen - or would you not bother them ?

/forums/images/icons/cool.gif Roger Holden /forums/images/icons/cool.gif
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.first-magnitude.co.uk>First Magnitude</A>

 

[Trevethan]

Tend to disagree here. I abhor government intervention in our pasttime generally, but this to me appears to be the local police requesting boat owners to follow a particular practice that will benefit said boat owner

After all it is responsible and seamanlike to inform someone of your departure, route, destination, eta, and so on.

The marina is as good a place as anywhere to do this. They know you and your boat and will know whom to call under particular circumstances.


Regards,

Nick

 

[kingfisher]

Always tell someone where you\'re going

One of the first things we teach on the dayskipper course in passage planning, is that you always tell someone where you are going and when you'll be back.

I prefer to keep the marina office informed, rather than SWMBO:
Marina office knows about sails, wind and tide
Marina office knows the distance between ports
Marina office has phone numbers of different ports & authorities

So telling someone where you're going and when you'll be back is basic boating safety.

Obi-Wan
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[davel]

Agree with other posters here - big over reaction to a well meant gesture.
If you feel it's an invasion of your rights - simply ignore it.

Dave L.

 

[chas]

Agree nm

.

 

[Cornishman]

Don't know what goes on in your part of the country, but Devon & Cornwall Police now have a RIB stationed at Dartmouth bought in conjunction with the Dart Harbour & Navigation Authority. Its main purpose 'is to combat the supply of Class A drugs in support of the force's control strategy'. The Press Release goes on to suggest that it will heighten the force's profile and assist partner organisations (HM Customs ?).
Perhaps Pc Gledhill and his/her colleagues should pressurise their Chief Constable into buying one for them? Would you like that?

 

[JeremyF]

Police in Portsmouth already have a rib, in addition to their cutter. Both were in action on Sunday keeping boats out of the big ships channel, and escorted a 10/11 year old in a mini-rib with a 15hp outboard out of the harbour entrance and into Haslar. Some parents!

Jeremy Flynn

 

[Viking]

When I was in Chichester Marina we were alway logged in and out by the Marina lock staff and of course they knew who the owners where and who was taking the boats out. They also asked when we were coming back but that was more about free berthing spaces nodoubt.
But to let the marina know your going out even if only over the radio is no bad thing. Particiular about a multi thousand pound boat that may not be missed for a week or two.

 

[Eudorajab]

Does this mean we need to file our passage plans with the local constabulary as well ???

 

[Rob_Webb]

It might be a well-meant gesture but I doubt it will have any material impact for several reasons:

1. Do you really envisage your average marina office hand picking up the phone to ring the home of a bertholder to check where he is because his boat is back late?

2. What is the definition of late? And so if you are away and decide to extend your trip do you want to have to rememeber to ring the marina to avoid them alerting your family (or worse the CG/Police)?

3. Any determined thief could easily circumnvent the system by taking the boat and then calling up on Ch80 a few mins later to report that they have left and will be away for 'some time'...... At what point do you expect marina staff to become suspicious... probably when it is too late.

Nice idea, but don't see it having any practical benefit.

Much more beneficial was the part of the notice that advised owners to let the marina know when they have arranged for a third party to work on the boat e.g. to service the engine. Now that MIGHT help prevent the more brazen day-light robberies to take place.

 

[bedouin]

Re: On the contrary

Telling marinas when there is a 3rd party working on the boat is encouragement of one of the most brazen forms of day-light robbery known to man - viz the 10% some marinas add to the bill just for letting the subcontractor do the work.

 

[claymore]

The Lovely Ruth Gledhill

caused the strings of Claymore's heart to zing around 1968. I don't suppose she's related to the PC in question, but she was a well meaning sort of a girl, if a little hard to understand at times.

regards
Claymore