Any advice for an owner who experienced a relaunch disaster? Thus far the boatyard is accepting full responsibility. I have filed a claim with my insurance.
Boatyard mishap
- Thread starter D. Inscho
- Start date
Be patient. Let the insurance company handle it. Read your storage contract. Don't say anything to the yard employees about the accident.
What did the insurance company tell you to do? I suspect that any repairs by the boatyard that doesn't meet their standards may affect future coverage.
Nothing yet. A claims adjustor will assess damage and involve themselves as needed in the process.
So sorry for your agony.
Try to get as many pictures as possible of anything and everything you can imagine of the boat. If your camera (phone) allows for it, take a long, slow, hi res. video slowly going through everything up close. Close ups of the damage in particular and scan your archives for any pictures of the boat in "better days."
Better days are ahead after the damage is repaired.
Try to get as many pictures as possible of anything and everything you can imagine of the boat. If your camera (phone) allows for it, take a long, slow, hi res. video slowly going through everything up close. Close ups of the damage in particular and scan your archives for any pictures of the boat in "better days."
Better days are ahead after the damage is repaired.
Thanks Ralph. Good feedback. It all hurts my little sailing heart, especially to watch these perfect sailing days get away.
If the mast is damaged and can't be safely repaired, the replacement cost might well exceed the value of the boat.
Let's hope not.
See if they will chater a loaner boat for you until the repairs are made. That would also serve as an incentive to get the repairs made on a timely basis.
Couldn't hurt to ask.
we had a dreadful haul in accident where the Travelift crew at the marina started to haul in off my cradle with the rear lift strap bearing on THE PROPSHAFT though I told them STOP DON'T LIFT , you 're out of position on rear strap, you wrapped the shaft! ! ( despite clearly marked lift strap positions. ) so 2 green operators. bent the shaft which took 1 1/4 months to fix. the ground lease for slips ( at all PA state owned marinas) specifies Pa is NOT LIABLE for any damage whatsoever. luckily a new p shaft same as OEM was on the way from Vetus in a week, the coupler was easy to remove, bought a Cutless bearing removal tool which made pulling the c bearing easy. (then I sold the c bearing tool to my mechanic for a little less than what I paid. ) (cost to fix , about $1000 for the shaft , total of the repair was less than my deductible. ) end result: very unhappy spouse, lots of rides on OPB other people boats. (NOTE we found out that a very popular local insurance co who 'insures' boats only covers 'water borne' damage -- not haul in or haul out damage by their yard crew. a neighbor found that out as the same marina crew dropped a lovely old Catalina 27 on its nose on the way to the haul in, but put the boat in anyway. when it started leaking they were unhappy about having to pull it out ASAP after normal hours. it suffered damaged keel bolts . ) many folks in our (former PA) marina switched to boat us as a result . advice: READ your slip lease and insurance policies very carefully; consider getting an independent surveyor . (and maybe a lawyer , all gods forbid. )
Agree totally. I hope this thread is a sort of wake up call for a lot of owners who are underinsured. i.e. they either have a low 'agreed value' policy or no set value at all. Any major damage will likely "total" their boat. I would hazard a SWAG that the replacement cost of the spar on many boats will start at 20K, and accelerate from there. The irony is that the rig costs (often lots...) more to replace than their inboard aux. engine.If the mast is damaged and can't be safely repaired, the replacement cost might well exceed the value of the boat.
Let's hope not.
As for yard Lift operators... a couple of decades ago we were watching the lift-out of a friend's Catalina 30 and the rear strap was under the shaft, as the hull came out of the water. Lots of yelling and arm waving ensued and the operator quickly lowered it so the sling could be readjusted. No harm, and a lot of luck! This was at a well regarded yard but still.... sometimes bad stuff happens... and that's why the yard carries insurance. And my boat is well insured, too!
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The boat valuation under my insurance policy is $30,000. The boat (1982) is solid and in fine condition. I'd hate to think it would be considered salvage. The insurance policy does cover out-of-water damage btw. It is now a matter of getting an assessment of the damage and agreeing to that assessment.
I appreciate all the observations, and the feedback about retaining a surveyor to independently assess the rigging.
I appreciate all the observations, and the feedback about retaining a surveyor to independently assess the rigging.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,825
A great statement. Totaling your boat is an insurance function. Filing an insurance claim is only one way to loose the value of your boat. I just sat on the beach for 16 months due to the death of my auxiliary engine. A 35ft boat in a marina with out an auxiliary engine is like an anchor in the mud tied to the cleat on the dock.
Options. A new engine, or if you are lucky a rebuild of a known engine. Without out an engine it has just salvaged value.
A survey can help you find a base value that can be used to determine the needed insurance. Be wise about this matter.
Once you file a claim with your insurance company, stand back and let the insurer take care of assessing the damage and repair estimate. The surveyor, hired by the insurance company, should come back to you for approval before proceeding just to make sure that all of the damage has been addressed. The surveyor, acting as an agent for the insurance company, should periodically inspect the repair progress. Once the repairs are completed the insurance company should come back to you for final approval. There may be a deductible due, paid by you, the rest should be covered by the insurance company.