Boarding and rafting to stranger's boats. - Page 9

delite · #81 10-18-2012

Casey we'll have to disagree on your analogy. In any event it is common in BC and I wouldnt think twice about rafting to an appropriate vessel here at a public dock unless weather conditions or something else made it unsafe.

Rocket Science did you happen to find any where that said you cant? Unless specifically prohibited most actions are legal.

casey1999 · #82 10-18-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocketScience

I agree, with the exception of your "customs" wording. Try using the "It's the local custom" argument in the court of law when attempting to argue your position.

I keep hearing a lot of talk here about the right to raft given a public dock. Are you sure? I've searched high and low with regards to my own State's policy on this and haven't found squat. I'd be curious to see (link) other State's regs on this if they so exist.

I would think if the local law/regulation does not specifically state if rafting is allowed or not, then the rafting issue would become a civil matter between the two boats rafted together. Therefore any damage done would be the responsibility of the boat initiating the raft. I would guess local governments may not want rafting to their dock due to additional stresses it may impose (as previous poster stated).

Kind of like parallel parking (although previous poster did not like my car analysis, I will use it again), say parking is tight and a car parallel parks and is hitting you bumper (but no damage done). This person leaves their car with their bumper touching yours (but again no damage done). You still have room to back up and get out of your parking spot. No policeman will ticket the car hitting your bumper as they are not breaking the law and no damage has been done.

L124C · #83 10-19-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by delite

Parking a car is a very poor analogy Casey. There are always more parking spots or parkades within a few blocks, there rarely are more marinas or other docks to tie up at in the vicinity, at least here in BC. .

Never been to San Francisco have you?
What's a "parkade" anyway? Sounds fancy...I'd pay extra just to park there. Do they even allow trucks? All we have is "lots"!

L124C · #84 10-19-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommays

you pay good money to be rafted at block island whether you want to or not

I assume that it's obvious when you arrive, posted or they tell you when you pay?
I have no problem rafting, as long as I know to expect it, and can put out proper fenders to accommodate it. If it was super surgy (as it is at the dock in the OP), I'd go elsewhere or on the hook. Another member stated that in fact, it is forbidden at that dock, so apparently the Port Authority agrees that it's not a proper location for rafting.

Faster · #85 10-19-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by L124C

....What's a "parkade" anyway? Sounds fancy...I'd pay extra just to park there. Do they even allow trucks? All we have is "lots"!

A parkade is a multi-story parking garage to us Canajuns... and sometimes we DO pay 'extra' (too much, anyway, esp downtown Vancouver)

Quote:

Originally Posted by L124C

I assume that it's obvious when you arrive, posted or they tell you when you pay?
I have no problem rafting, as long as I know to expect it, and can put out proper fenders to accommodate it. If it was super surgy (as it is at the dock in the OP), I'd go elsewhere or on the hook. Another member stated that in fact, it is forbidden at that dock, so apparently the Port Authority agrees that it's not a proper location for rafting.

Yes, we also have areas where the docks are 'no rafting allowed'.. rarely for surge but in some cases the docks are not deemed up to the extra load. This is simply common sense and rafting in surge does seem like asking for trouble (increased complications with rig alignments, strain on lines etc.)

scratchee · #86 10-20-2012

Any of you good people can raft up to me any time. Be prepared to wipe some chalky white off your rub rail when you depart.

Hyrdflyr · #87 10-21-2012

In Alaska in the summer transient parking is a crapshoot. Seward is the worst. The only positive thing is that most motor vessels hate to tie to a sail boat because the shape, lifelines, etc are just not conducive to rafting up. I have come to expect a lot of "rash" from the summer traffic in Alaska. Sail boat owners appear to be a lot more considerate than the power boaters I run across. Two years ago, in another harbor, I had an idiot in a 20 foot aluminum skiff tie up below my fenders outboard without adjusting mine or putting out any of his own (there wasn't any on his boat) and his gunn'l galled the gelcoat off a patch about two feet long. I gave serious consideration to sinking the offender but moved him and went to the harbormaster to get the name and address of the offender. When I pointed out the insurance requirement for vessels in the harbor and then questioned the quality of observation of their patrol staff, I was politely informed that they only took notice of new boats to make sure that they billed all of the traffic in the harbor and didn't give a rats hind end if they noticed a boat being damaged ( unless in danger of sinking). Oh and they have a 7 year waiting list for slips. If you can get a slip, then you pay for it year around and if you haul out then they charge someone else for the use of your slip while you're gone.

SimonV · #88 10-21-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by L124C

Had my boat tied up to a public dock over the weekend. Tied on Starboard, open water (with a lot of surge) on Port. We left the boat unattended for a while (no time limits, etc.). When we returned to the boat, from a distance, I thought I saw a guy jump on my boat, cross the cockpit to Port, then jump back to the dock on Starboard. As he walked toward me on the dock, I stopped him and said "Did I just see you on that boat (pointing to my boat)?" He said: "Yeah, (he pointed to another boat docking in a spot that just opened) we were going to raft up, but it didn't work out". I said "What the hell do you think you are doing jumping on someone else's boat?" He replied "Happens all the time." I said: "I strongly suggest you don't do it on THAT boat again!"

I just read this whole thread and the first thing I noticed was the OP had not been rafted up too, only the crew man had been dropped off and was using the OPs boat as access to the public wharf. As the OP was blocking access to the public wharf, I can see no harm. Had he been on his boat I would assume the trespasser would have asked permission. Lay a blanket in front of a public thoroughfare, expect people to step on it.

chrisncate · #89 10-21-2012

Why do many on the pro rafting side automatically assume people who don't necessarily want to be rafted to and boarded are bad/wrong/jerks/bad people, whatever.. ?

Also, how and where do the pro rafters draw the line? At five boats? ten? A hundred? Who are you to say to that last guy who wants to add his boat in top of the pile... no, your boat is one too many?

It seems to me that in a pro rafting world, where the general attitude is "I need my access to the public dock regardless of all others" you give up your right to tell anyone at anytime "no, you may not add to the pile".

?

Capt.aaron · #90 10-21-2012

It reminds me of the old dinghy dock in key West, There was room for maybe 5 dinghy's at the sea wall and the other 40 would tie to the last one out and crawl across the other's, If you arived early in the morning, you would be blocked in by 40 boats and have to untie and re-tie your way out. It was communal. I kind of miss those day's, As for public free docking, you get what you pay for.