A guy with a "blow boat", a few away from me had some "run in's" with a local lobster guy claiming his pots were too close. Never once did his boat actually hit one of the buoys or entangle in one but he got very vocal one day to the fisherman when he was hauling.

Evidently that night the pot buoy went "missing" but of course the sailor was too dumb to realize that he had a buoy on either end of that four pot string.. The sailor "from away" who commuted here from CT on weekends came back two weeks later to find his boat full of rotten bait and literally ruined from stench. Due to the bait the Osprey's, Cormorants and gulls had all but destroyed his canvas, sails and pedestal cover. Everyone played dumb.

Oh and the guy who cut the trap was gone two weeks later never to return. You don't mess with a guys gear in Maine... I invited that guy to place them near my boat and I get a nice "discount" on my bugs. Having been a commercial lobsterman I sympathize and you'll get what you get if you mess with their gear and get caught. I have seen MUCH worse than a bait job. While I find it rude to place traps within mooring swing room I have no problem with them just out side my swing room and they don't bother me in the least.

If you feel it necessary dragging them out of swing room would be the better choice. Cutting one may get your boat scuttled or baited....