"Strangers on a boat"

NH_boater · 08-20-2013, 09:21 PM

Saw an interesting thing yesterday at Meredith Town Docks. A beautiful Formula Performance Cruiser idles in and ties up directly again the boardwalk piers. The owners walk off towards the restaurants. A few minutes later, a family is walking by admiring the Formula. Minor waves rock the boat against the docks, barely. The next thing that happens blew me away.

The Father of the admiring family, quickly takes off his shoes, boards the cruiser while wife and little kiddies are all holding the boat. The father proceeds to open doors, looks under the seats and searches the other people's boat for something, with an odd sense of real urgency. I thought he was admiring the boat or robbing it. Next he opens the cabinets off the swim platform, finds some fenders and proceeds to tie fenders in place to 'protect' this cruiser.

I must say that it is certainly possible that the second family that boarded the strange boat knew the owners or is somehow otherwise associated with the boat owners but I am guessing not. It appeared that this stranger boarded the boat, rummaged through the vessel, and ultimately tied up some fenders in the 'spirit of helping a stranger protect his boat. He certainly did not know where the fenders were cuz he opened virtually every cabinet or door before finding them.

I stood and watched in disbelief as it seems the guy just boarded someone else's boat, without permission and starts to go through it. The waves were not, in my opinion, anywhere near the point where this could be justified in anyone's mind. My guess is that we was a complete stranger and my guess is that he walked away thinking he did a good thing. It was odd.

Personally, I would never board a stranger's boat, never mind go thru it. If waves were doing damage, I would attempt to find the owner or possibly hold the boat off the piers but even this would make me very uncomfortable. Even if fenders were just laying there in the open and waves were banging away, I not sure I could touch an other person's boat. Maybe it's just me.

08-20-2013, 09:21 PM	#1
NH_boater Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 298 Thanks: 14 Thanked 147 Times in 62 Posts	"Strangers on a boat" Saw an interesting thing yesterday at Meredith Town Docks. A beautiful Formula Performance Cruiser idles in and ties up directly again the boardwalk piers. The owners walk off towards the restaurants. A few minutes later, a family is walking by admiring the Formula. Minor waves rock the boat against the docks, barely. The next thing that happens blew me away. The Father of the admiring family, quickly takes off his shoes, boards the cruiser while wife and little kiddies are all holding the boat. The father proceeds to open doors, looks under the seats and searches the other people's boat for something, with an odd sense of real urgency. I thought he was admiring the boat or robbing it. Next he opens the cabinets off the swim platform, finds some fenders and proceeds to tie fenders in place to 'protect' this cruiser. I must say that it is certainly possible that the second family that boarded the strange boat knew the owners or is somehow otherwise associated with the boat owners but I am guessing not. It appeared that this stranger boarded the boat, rummaged through the vessel, and ultimately tied up some fenders in the 'spirit of helping a stranger protect his boat. He certainly did not know where the fenders were cuz he opened virtually every cabinet or door before finding them. I stood and watched in disbelief as it seems the guy just boarded someone else's boat, without permission and starts to go through it. The waves were not, in my opinion, anywhere near the point where this could be justified in anyone's mind. My guess is that we was a complete stranger and my guess is that he walked away thinking he did a good thing. It was odd. Personally, I would never board a stranger's boat, never mind go thru it. If waves were doing damage, I would attempt to find the owner or possibly hold the boat off the piers but even this would make me very uncomfortable. Even if fenders were just laying there in the open and waves were banging away, I not sure I could touch an other person's boat. Maybe it's just me.