My take-away is: If you're going to leave your boat more than FEW days and you're not paying for a mooring/marina, contact the nearest harbor master and give your contact info, and tell them about your plans for the boat. If your plans mean you're going to run afoul of "regulations" they are going to tell you before it happens. Most people in authority (in my experience) will treat people fairly if their authority is respected, and if they are asked to be part of the solution when people need a little help.

It seems to me this this is escalating due to lack of communication or owner responsiveness, first and foremost. Yes there are "asshats" but if you deal with them early in the game you get to find out who they are and you can make other plans before things escalate out of proportion to what you're prepared to take on. For the average Joe cruiser, it just isn't worth it to fight city hall.