So I pull up to a fully loaded restaurant / bar on a hot Saturday afternoon.
VERY limited mooring available.
A spot appears, and is BARELY long enough to accommodate my vessel. Once in place, I have INCHES on either end. Having securely made fast to the available cleats, I am concerned that the boats to either end of me may be concerned by my proximity.
The boat behind me has plenty room ( at least a couple feet ) to move back a couple feet.
Without the skipper nearby, can I move his boat back a couple feet ? ? ? . . . as a 'buffer', so to speak ? ? ?
I did it anyways, taking great caution to adjust his fenders, and securing his boat as if it were my own.

What do you think ? . . . it was a *nice* offshore-type hull.

in Texas we would have shot you

do it, I do! (did)

if he wasn't around to help you out... move it. As long as you tie him off properly, or as well as he did it himself.

Seems ok to me. I've done it before.

That would not fly with me.
Becuase of were the cleats and fenders are on my boat the stern must be tied tight to the dock or the bow could pivot and hit the dock. If you are retieing someones rig you should be responisble for what happens and are you willing to accept that?

Ok in my book, this isn't rocket science, just be considerate and do a good job. My only concern would be if it is in an area where there is some chop and potential for damage, but in a protected area...big deal.

Me too. Where's the beaf. As long as it was properly retied, you actually lessened the potential for damage to both boats.

just mimic what the owner did, same spring line set up, slack in lines...

I think this one should become a poll. I am curious too, There has been many times I go somewhere else instead of rafting to someone's boat with no one on it or moving and retying a boat where there would be plenty of room.