In article . com,
wrote:

I went to my boat today to tie up for any surge from Katrina

Was worried about her, and you. Everything come out okay? .... ANYthing
come out okay?

and found
for the second time that kids have been aboard smoking pot. They do
not steal anything or do any damage but they do leave butts and ashes.

Some good points by others. I'd document and take pics for your
protection, but if they're not doing any harm otherwise, I'd let it
alone, except possibly to leave a note asking them to clean up a bit
more after themselves.

Some of the neighborhood kids terrorize our neighbors who try to correct
their behavior. They don't bother us because we simply ask them to be a
bit more careful so they don't hurt themselves.

Main point: You have kids of that age. Some or most of the nay-sayers
don't. AND you have first hand experience in what happens to kids that
are caught with drugs. I trust your perceptions and intuition.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

They live right across the canal and I get the impression that its
like when I was a kid sneaking into the neighbors tool shed to smoke
cigs, stupid but I didnt turn out to be a criminal whereas if I had
been imprisoned for it I may have turned out bad.

I understand where you are coming from.

But if you can tell that someone has been smoking pot in your boat you
can be dang sure that the marine police and coasties can tell, too. But
you will be the one losing a boat. Even if the Fed's don't take it,
Florida confiscates automobiles every day that are found to have even a
small amount of illegal drugs in them.

At the very least put a note on your boat where they would see it before
entering, telling them not to use you boat (or anyone elses) anymore.
Also write that you have reported the illegal entry and drug use to the
police.

But there still could be residue in your boat. I know of cases where the
CG wiped parts of cabins with sterile cloth and then sealed them up for
testing.

Then I'd be sure to make a formal report and get some sort of report #
for your own records. If the kids take your warning they'll not be
caught. If they don't then they will, and after ignoring a warning,
should be.

Btw, a couple weeks ago I was visiting a friend. His grown son was there
with one of his buddies. That buddy is in the USCG and works in the DC
office. We got to talking and he said that all the money they were
getting for "homeland security" was going into their drug interdiction
efforts. Yeah, some was into "port security" but for the coasties "port
security" is drug interdiction. After all, traffic is traffic. Smuggling
is smuggling, whether it be pot, cocaine, heroin, people, or explosives.

"Peggie Hall" wrote
wrote:

I do not want to get them
in trouble for the pot smoking and do not really want to get them in
trouble for using my boat while doing no damage.

You're kidding! What they're doing is illegal--they're trespassing as
well as using illegal drugs. By not prosecuting, you're condoning
both--and lord knows, in our wacky society today, what you could be
charged with .....

Peg is right. If police found the "butts" they could confiscate your boat.

Vito wrote:
Peg is right. If police found the "butts" they could confiscate your boat.

In his first post he said:

I went to my boat today to tie up for any surge from Katrina...

So depending on where he is relative to where Katrina struck, his
dilemma--or even the boat--may no longer exist. I just hope HE's all
right and can post again to let us know how he and his boat fared.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

Thanks Peggy, I am fine and so is my boat. I am about 400 miles east
of New Orleans and all we got was about 3' of storm surge. We got 10'
from Dennis a few weeks ago. I appreciate your concern.

David OHara

ahoy,
My wife is in the apartment management business. While talking to other
apartment management staff at another complex in the area, the husband
of the husband / wife team told her that he had found what appeared to
be crack cocaine in a baggies on the complex grounds. He called the
local police and the responding officer almost arrested him for
possession of the drugs. He said next time he'd just ignore the baggies.
He just didn't want some innocent kid getting a hold of it.
Paul


ahoy wrote:
On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 00:58:25 -0500, wrote:


I went to my boat today to tie up for any surge from Katrina and found
for the second time that kids have been aboard smoking pot.

I would report this to the police and keep a copy of the report on your
boat.

If you are ever stopped for a search by the USCG and they bring a dog
aboard and find pot remnants, YOU will be the one in trouble and in
danger of losing your boat - UNLESS you have reported the illegal entry
to the police and kept your copy to show the coasties.


old jewish proverb;
"never let your name become known to the authorities"
I'd be leery of reporting anything. If they bring their dog with them
to investigate and find any pot residue they'll probably just bust you
instead. It's about boosting the number of provable convictions;
nothing to do with right or wrong.
The cops can't do **** about finding your trespassers and they don't
really care anyway so they'll probably end up investigating you
instead. Sorry you're having trouble.

wrote:

Thanks Peggy, I am fine and so is my boat. I am about 400 miles east
of New Orleans and all we got was about 3' of storm surge. We got 10'
from Dennis a few weeks ago. I appreciate your concern.

That's wonderful! I'm so glad to hear that you and your boat are ok. A
lot of others aren't as fortunate.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

Are there 12V motion detectors that can be coupled to very bright spot
lights? Set the detector to look at the companion way and the spots to
illuminate the cockpit.
BF

wrote in message
ups.com...
I went to my boat today to tie up for any surge from Katrina and found
for the second time that kids have been aboard smoking pot. They do
not steal anything or do any damage but they do leave butts and ashes.
This time one left a T-shirt which could be used to ID them if I was
really interested. The first time I think they got aboard by me
leaving the combo lock unlocked (you have to spin the tumblers and I
forget). This time I think they actually removed the hasp but
carefully replaced the screws when they left. Security at the dock is
minimal and would be difficult to enforce. I do not want to get them
in trouble for the pot smoking and do not really want to get them in
trouble for using my boat while doing no damage. However, they could
get hurt being stoned and stupid so I want them to never come back. I
left two notes for them telling to leave my boat but I do not think
they will see them because they do not turn on any lights. I'll
replace the lock and hasp tomorrow but wonder if anyone else has any
suggestions for a way to warn them without hurting them.

Marinas differ. My marina has no security--you'll be hard pressed to
even find anyone employed by the marina around. On the other hand, we
have a camaraderie between boat owners on my pier, a couple of
live-aboards, and several folks who are at the boat quite frequently,
even on "school nights". We keep an eye out for each others boat. If
we lock our boats, we use combination locks so that a fellow slip owner
can check on our boat. Just last week someone called me to inquire if
I had intentionally left my boat unplugged. On the other hand, when I
was on the hard in a different, larger marina, I had security follow me
to my boat every time I drove in to check on things. If I wanted to
drive around the marina to look at the different boats and different
work people were doing, there was security again. They were nice, but
distant, and a constant reminder of--I don't know of what. I was not
doing anything wrong, but I still felt uncomfortable. Even some of the
marina shipswrights expressed some discomfort towards the security--and
they have every right to expect that their shops stay secure!

If you lock your boat more securely, then the problem will likely move
to someone else's boat. Have you considered discussing this with
fellow slip owners, and asking those around your boat to "keep an eye
out"? Some larger marinas in this area have also instituted a "marina
watch" program. Sometimes a big show of a small effort will deter
possible "perps". If it happens regularly, perhaps a little extra
effort and a few extra trips to the boat by a few fellow ship owners,
along with a few signs, may yield results; at least, increased
"legitimate" traffic may deter illegitimate ones.

It's sad that sometimes people take advantage of a less "policed" or
self-policed situation.

Good luck!

mickey

How about liability if they get caught and the law decides to
impound you boat and come after you for knowingly (?) let them
use the boat.

Leanne

wrote in message
ups.com...
I went to my boat today to tie up for any surge from Katrina
and found
for the second time that kids have been aboard smoking pot.
They do
not steal anything or do any damage but they do leave butts
and ashes.
This time one left a T-shirt which could be used to ID them
if I was
really interested. The first time I think they got aboard
by me
leaving the combo lock unlocked (you have to spin the
tumblers and I
forget). This time I think they actually removed the hasp
but
carefully replaced the screws when they left. Security at
the dock is
minimal and would be difficult to enforce. I do not want to
get them
in trouble for the pot smoking and do not really want to get
them in
trouble for using my boat while doing no damage. However,
they could
get hurt being stoned and stupid so I want them to never
come back. I
left two notes for them telling to leave my boat but I do
not think
they will see them because they do not turn on any lights.
I'll
replace the lock and hasp tomorrow but wonder if anyone else
has any
suggestions for a way to warn them without hurting them.