Boat Trespasser

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

On the last night of our recent trip holiday cruise, we went to see a fine band called 'Bad Influence' at The Poinz in East Molesey on The Thames. A good gig .... BUT .... on arriving back to our barge moored at Hampton Court at 1am, I discovered an intruder on the deck. Thinking that he was in the act of burgling my home I took an aggressively defensive attitude to him ! It was after a short moment or two of collaring him and asking WTF he was doing on my boat at this time in the morning, I discovered he was fishing off my barge and had laid all his kit out over the roof. He was about 17 years old and had only a couple of words of English to his vocabulary .... "I'm sorry" and " my Uncle", and a very obviously Eastern European accent.

 

It would have taken no more than a shove for him to have been floating down The Thames into Molesey weir ..... but being a man of alledgedly reasonable character, I sent him on his way with a big F*ck O** ..... minus most of his tackle.

 

I then laid his fishing rods and tackle out on the bank and waited.

 

Sure enough his uncle came around with him and an aggressive attitude about 30 minutes later, asking why I'd scared his cousin ?

 

WTF !!! ..... the little trespassing tw*t was very lucky to get away without a long, fast swim .... and he even got his tackle back !

 

Nevertheless it made for an uneccessary early morning vigil with camera, air rifle and tiller arm at hand, to ensure my barge was safe from a mob handed attack from his East European brothers.

 

This was in Hampton Court .... a respectable place I hold dear and love to bits ....

 

What is the world coming to ?

 

Malc.

[Starcoaster]

I should think the world's coming to a hell of a state if finding a 17 year old lad who didn't know any better causing no damage on the outside of your boat resulted in aggression and threats and a night spent manning an air rifle and tiller arm...

[gazza]

just what i was thinking, must of been a hell of a gig to get you revved up like that.

[MtB]

Yello,

 

On the last night of our recent trip holiday cruise, we went to see a fine band called 'Bad Influence' at The Poinz in East Molesey on The Thames. A good gig .... BUT .... on arriving back to our barge moored at Hampton Court at 1am, I discovered an intruder on the deck. Thinking that he was in the act of burgling my home I took an aggressively defensive attitude to him ! It was after a short moment or two of collaring him and asking WTF he was doing on my boat at this time in the morning, I discovered he was fishing off my barge and had laid all his kit out over the roof. He was about 17 years old and had only a couple of words of English to his vocabulary .... "I'm sorry" and " my Uncle", and a very obviously Eastern European accent.

 

It would have taken no more than a shove for him to have been floating down The Thames into Molesey weir ..... but being a man of alledgedly reasonable character, I sent him on his way with a big F*ck O** ..... minus most of his tackle.

 

I then laid his fishing rods and tackle out on the bank and waited.

 

Sure enough his uncle came around with him and an aggressive attitude about 30 minutes later, asking why I'd scared his cousin ?

 

WTF !!! ..... the little trespassing tw*t was very lucky to get away without a long, fast swim .... and he even got his tackle back !

 

Nevertheless it made for an uneccessary early morning vigil with camera, air rifle and tiller arm at hand, to ensure my barge was safe from a mob handed attack from his East European brothers.

 

This was in Hampton Court .... a respectable place I hold dear and love to bits ....

 

What is the world coming to ?

 

Malc.

 

Christ on a bike I hope I never find myself in a pub with you. I'd be scared to glance at you in case I get the time-honoured "WTF are you looking at, pal?"

 

In the same situation as you I think I'd have asked the chap nicely to fish from the bank....

[luctor et emergo]

Oh yeah, what were you thinking. Everybody has the right to cone onto your boat, as they please. I think you are incredibly rude, not to have offered him a hot beverage.

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

Well the next time you come home to your boat at 1am in the morning, on a very dark night to find other unknown persons aboard the rear deck of your home, ...... tell me what or are going to think or do ?

 

Malc.

[alan_fincher]

I think you should consider renaming the barge.

 

Serenity doesn't seem to be your strong point!

[gazza]

my first thought wouldnt be to throw them in the cut.

[luctor et emergo]

I can not believe, that you all seem to think that it is wholy acceptable for a stranger, to get on your boat, and that that needs to be accepted with good grace. I mean, really?

 

Joking and sarcasm aside, If I come home in the dark, and a stranger is on my boat, I shove first, and ask questions after. With a boat hook in my hands....

[Starcoaster]

Yello,

 

Well the next time you come home to your boat at 1am in the morning, on a very dark night to find other unknown persons aboard the rear deck of your home, ...... tell me what or are going to think or do ?

 

Malc.

0

 

I am going to step back far enough away from my boat to be out of harm's reach, call the police or someone nearby to tell them what's going on and where I am, and then approach the boat with the phoneline open from a safe enough distance that I can both establish what is going on and protect myself if it is not totally innocent while I communicate with the 'intruders.'

 

I think very few people here have not had someone board their boat at some point, usually totally innocently (albeit rudely) to have a picture taken or just because they didn't even think it would be rude. The canals would be like Beirut if every such incident went off like this potentially could have done.

 

I do not think people getting on your boat without permission is ok, far from it. I would be at the best curt with anyone who did so. What is even less ok to me though, is threatening a 17 year old kid who had no idea what he did wrong and throwing a gun into the mix later for good measure.

Edited September 3, 2012 by Starcoaster

[LoneWolf]

...

Sure enough his uncle came around with him and an aggressive attitude about 30 minutes later, asking why I'd scared his cousin ?

 

WTF !!! ..... the little trespassing tw*t was very lucky to get away without a long, fast swim .... and he even got his tackle back !

 

Nevertheless it made for an uneccessary early morning vigil with camera, air rifle and tiller arm at hand, to ensure my barge was safe from a mob handed attack from his East European brothers.

...

 

nephew surely?

 

 

otherwise what star said

[MtB]

I can not believe, that you all seem to think that it is wholy acceptable for a stranger, to get on your boat, and that that needs to be accepted with good grace. I mean, really?

 

Joking and sarcasm aside, If I come home in the dark, and a stranger is on my boat, I shove first, and ask questions after. With a boat hook in my hands....

 

I can see another board schism opeing up here.

 

Using violence in the first resort is untterly unacceptable in my opinion.

[Guest]

I should think the world's coming to a hell of a state if finding a 17 year old lad who didn't know any better causing no damage on the outside of your boat resulted in aggression and threats and a night spent manning an air rifle and tiller arm...

 

Yes but before we jump to condem...

 

7Thinking that he was in the act of burgling my home I took an aggressively defensive attitude to him ! 7

 

I would take the same attitude whether it be my boat or house...the guy or his uncle would know it was wrong to be there - pleading 'I't was my uncle wouldn't work for me..

[luctor et emergo]

We are not talking a sunny afternoon and some rude twerp sticking a camara in the hatch. We are talking 01.00 hrs. A stranger on the back of your boat.

 

I say good chap, would you awfully mind vacating my property?

 

I can see another board schism opeing up here.

 

Using violence in the first resort is untterly unacceptable in my opinion.

 

 

Being on my boat, uninvited, is utterly unacceptable, in my opinion.

 

Esspecially at night.

[Guest]

I can not believe, that you all seem to think that it is wholy acceptable for a stranger, to get on your boat, and that that needs to be accepted with good grace. I mean, really?

 

 

We don't all...

[gazza]

daily mail anyone?

 

the lad was fishing, elaborate cover for a boat break in.

[leeco]

I would of asked him if hes caught anything and joined him.

[Guest]

We are not talking a sunny afternoon and some rude twerp sticking a camara in the hatch. We are talking 01.00 hrs. A stranger on the back of your boat.

 

I say good chap, would you awfully mind vacating my property?

 

 

 

 

Being on my boat, uninvited, is utterly unacceptable, in my opinion.

 

Esspecially at night.

 

Plus one..

Edited September 3, 2012 by The Dog House

[luctor et emergo]

I would of asked him if hes caught anything and joined him.

 

 

What, in the water?

[MtB]

Is it legally possible to trespass on a boat?

[Emerald]

off topic (slightly):

I was asked a couple of weeks back to step off my own boat by a concerned gentleman that thought I was up to no good whilst browsing through the windows at the boat yard. I thanked him immensely for taking good care of my boat & watching over it for me in my absence. (it was in for repairs)

 

Back to topic:

I am not sure how I would react if startled at 1.00am in the morning with the old ticker pumping and the adrenaline going. It is difficult to say if I would have reacted any different to the OP. I know the conversation would not have been very polite.

[jenlyn]

We are not talking a sunny afternoon and some rude twerp sticking a camara in the hatch. We are talking 01.00 hrs. A stranger on the back of your boat.

 

I say good chap, would you awfully mind vacating my property?

Flippin liberty! Am amazed some think it's ok for someone to do this. I would have been peeved as well. It's not ok to do this, it's not to politely put it "rude", it's trespass, end of. I have heard many of you shout on here about people sticking their heads in your boats and asking to come aboard and look around. You didn't ole it.

[mayalld]

Is it legally possible to trespass on a boat?

Yes, although it is a different type of trespass to trespass to land

[LoneWolf]

Flippin liberty! Am amazed some think it's ok for someone to do this. I would have been peeved as well. It's not ok to do this, it's not to politely put it "rude", it's trespass, end of. I have heard many of you shout on here about people sticking their heads in your boats and asking to come aboard and look around. You didn't ole it.

 

I think you're confusing people who think it's ok to 'trespass' on a boat at 1am with those who think it's not ok but also think that the OP overreacted

 

only 1 person has said it's ok so far (the fisherman, tsk)

[Guest]

Is it legally possible to trespass on a boat?

 

Ask DaveM -

 

but I'm afraid if I found somebody fishing of the back end of mime, night time or otherwise they would be firmly asked to leave and if they didn't they would be removed, forcibly if needed.