Stolen mooring - what can be done?

I would get a diver to attached a steel cable to his prop. Then put a sign on the boat to say do not move this boat has been immobilised. Call this number for release ******. When he calls the PAYG mobile you can agree to remove the immobilisation if he agrees to buzz off.

My guess is he will ignore the signs and damage his own boat.
 
I thought this issue got resolved!! If not, why don't we all go mob handed to the mooring to send the squatter on his merry way. Just a thought, he might be reading these posts :D:D
 
tonygibbs said:
I thought this issue got resolved!! If not, why don't we all go mob handed to the mooring to send the squatter on his merry way. Just a thought, he might be reading these posts :D:D
Click to expand...

How serious a sin is it to borrow an unused mooring? Stealing chain from it (what sort of mooring uses 60m of chain?) would be a Bad Thing, but we have no more than hearsay evidence of the fisherman's attitude and none of his intentions.
 
I've been resisting the temptation to be sucked into this discussion again but had to check on progress. Suggestion about divers attaching steel cables to props? - come on get real. For a start where are you going to find a diver to do that?
All these sneaky tricks to imobilise the fishing boat probably come from laterday schoolboys who would knock on old couples doors then run away and who wouldn't say boo to a goose let alone a grizzly fisherman.
I say again, discuss it with the fisherman and failing successful resolution, ask the police for advice.
 
ghostlymoron said:
I've been resisting the temptation to be sucked into this discussion again but had to check on progress. Suggestion about divers attaching steel cables to props? - come on get real. For a start where are you going to find a diver to do that?
All these sneaky tricks to imobilise the fishing boat probably come from laterday schoolboys who would knock on old couples doors then run away and who wouldn't say boo to a goose let alone a grizzly fisherman.
I say again, discuss it with the fisherman and failing successful resolution, ask the police for advice.
Click to expand...

+1, but thanks for every suggestion made, really it has been a big help, and quite entertaining.
 
emkay said:
A friend of mine put in a private mooring several years ago consisting of large steel plate / concrete, substantial chain, mooring buoy etc. ?.....
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Does friend's boat insurance include legal cover? If so, speak to the lawyers.
Is friend a member of the RYA? If so, speak to the RYA legal department.
Otherwise, speak to a lawyer and pay for the advice.
 
Apart from one third party account that the other boat owner is a bit thuggish you have no background on the fellow. He may well have bought that mooring from someone and you have not got all the facts.

If your 'friend' has got boat insurance then I'd suggest seeing if there is legal cover attached. While the Police could be informed regarding the 'criminal damage' the problem will be the evidence to support the claim and the burden of proof lies in the fact that the new 'tenant' may think he has a right to the mooring and has tailored the new lines to suit his vessel (as I had to do myself when I took over my latest Crown Mooring.) Police would need to prove 100% in court to get a conviction. The mooring still may not be recovered. It's not a case of Police being ineffective, it's like calling an electrician to a plumbing job.

Civil law however deals with situations like this and the most likely outcome would be that both parties would be asked to put their case forward and if your friend is successful by balance of probability (50.01% and not the 100% required under criminal law) his mooring would be returned.

As a start I'd suggest getting a legal note drawn up and leave a few copies in appropriate places on his boat. The content should state your 'friend's full history and claim to the mooring and point out that the boat may be removed to a public hard at his expense and at his liability by a certain date if there is no response. There needs to be sufficient time for the owner to see the letters. Also, any boat move should be done preferably professionally with precaution and insurance against damage to his boat.
 
+1
Solid proof of criminal damage can be bloody difficult and horribly frustrating.
e.g. how do you prove how long the chain was?

Remember, for the police to involve themselves, this has to be able to stand up in court.
 
I don't think you've got a cat in hells chance of prosecuting this gentleman successfully. The best bet is to get the plods to have a word with him and resolve it informally. At least we are progressing away from the trip wire/tin tacks/dog ****e/mob rule approach.
 
OP: ever since you stated "Its a private mooring, so no harbour master, also no crown estate involvement.", I've been wondering about the Crown Estate angle.

Specifically, if not the Crown Estate, who is your friend's "ground landlord" for this mooring?
 
Having read through this thread and contacted the op via pm I know that he is in a no win situation here, the area in question has been, for as long as anyone can remember, a free for all, in as much as you lay your own mooring and that's the end of it...if someone bigger comes along and puts his boat on it there is not much you can do other than ask for it back.

If the op hasn't even spoken to the fishermen yet, how can this problem be resolved? If he gets told to f*** off at least he knows where he stands, unfair as it maybe.
 
Having spent the last 20 mins reading this long thread, I have some up with a cunning plan...

Remember the 3 key ways to fool someone: Distract, Divide and Disguise.

1. Simply drop something suitably heavy nearby and attached your old buoy to it. Move the fishing boat onto new mooring. This will look like your old and original mooring.
2. Attach a nice shiny new buoy to your original mooring chain.
3. When your boat is ready for the water, simply tie up to you original mooring.

This way...
The fisherman returns, he will assume that he has a new neighbour, and think nothing more of it.
Should the 'landlord' find out and pursue the fisherman, he will get the bill.
There will be no recourse to you as you haven't 'damaged' his boat or even entered into any communication with him.
Should the new mooring fail at any time, then the fisherman will not be looking for any retaliation as he will not be aware of the part you have played.

Cost - not a lot verses the emotional and potential future problems of other suggestions.

Best of luck
 
Pkewish said:
Having spent the last 20 mins reading this long thread, I have some up with a cunning plan...

Remember the 3 key ways to fool someone: Distract, Divide and Disguise.

1. Simply drop something suitably heavy nearby and attached your old buoy to it. Move the fishing boat onto new mooring. This will look like your old and original mooring.
2. Attach a nice shiny new buoy to your original mooring chain.
3. When your boat is ready for the water, simply tie up to you original mooring.

This way...
The fisherman returns, he will assume that he has a new neighbour, and think nothing more of it.
Should the 'landlord' find out and pursue the fisherman, he will get the bill.
There will be no recourse to you as you haven't 'damaged' his boat or even entered into any communication with him.
Should the new mooring fail at any time, then the fisherman will not be looking for any retaliation as he will not be aware of the part you have played.

Cost - not a lot verses the emotional and potential future problems of other suggestions.

Best of luck
Click to expand...

I like it.
Very cunning.
Baldrick would be very proud
 
playing devils advocate, if its not registered in any way its only the gear that's been commandeered?
Your friend then has no right of ground if he doesn't own it.
If there is room forget the fisherman and let him walk all over your friend and just lay a nearby new mooring.
On no account watch him, follow him to his home then get some paid assistance to have a quiet word at his home about his obvious mistake.
 
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