O'Day 37 1982 Total Loss

[Peter Brennan]

On July 21 entering the Sand Hole at Oyster Bay we cut it a bit too fine and went on the rocks on an ebbing tide. TowBoat US was there in minutes but it was already too late. She was stuck. Eventually a big rock holed her and bent the rudder out of shape. TowBoat US needed two boats and four pumps to get her to dry land at Seawnhaka Corinthian Yacht Club. There she remains, looking beautiful, but declared a total loss by the insurance company. She is no longer our concern. But she has all kinds of neat stuff on board. The insurance company has abandoned her to the yacht club, which will do with her whatever they like. If you wants bits and pieces off a beautiful O'Day 37 call the yacht club and find out what they intend to do with her. But be warned: Seawanhaka is truly one of those places which you can't get there from here, any here. Check their web page first.

 

[jibes138]

that's a shame Peter. I saw a guy buy a hurricane wreck once and bond an entire half a hull to it as a repair. Took a couple years, quite a project. Not sure I'd want a boat with a joint the entire length of the hull under water. One less O'Day making the rest of them more rare.

 

[25yearslater]

With YOT just about complete I will be looking for my next endeavor. I bet I could fix it.

 

[Peter Brennan]

No doubt. But at what cost? The insurance company decided it was not worth the cost. Call Seawnaka (sp) Yacht Club and ask for the yard manager.

 

[Peter Brennan]

Some pix

 

[Peter Brennan]

The hole

 

[Peter Brennan]

The attached file YerazList01.txt is a listing of everything that is still on the boat.

 

[25yearslater]

That's it? For a professional at some ridiculous dollar an hour rate it is no wonder they totaled it. For someone like me it is highly repairable at a very low cost. YOT was in far worse shape when I bought her although the holes in the bottom were smaller. How did the inside make out? This might just be worth a road trip. I don't want to buy it just fix it.

 

[justsomeguy]

That's it? For a professional at some ridiculous dollar an hour rate it is no wonder they totaled it. For someone like me it is highly repairable at a very low cost. YOT was in far worse shape when I bought her although the holes in the bottom were smaller. How did the inside make out? This might just be worth a road trip. I don't want to buy it just fix it.

I could be wrong here, but I doubt the insurer would allow it.

And you're right. It's repairable.

 

[Peter Brennan]

I think it's reparable too. The insurer thinks otherwise and backed up its opinion with money. The boat was flooded and lots of things don't work Seawater inside a boat is a dreadful destructive thing. Disintegrated my US Documentation Certificate. The photos don't do justice to the hole, which is located at a point in the hull where all the starboard tanks would have to be removed to get at the backside of the hole, which covers an area of about two square feet. And then there is the rudder. At yard rates of $125 an hour repair costs more than abandonment. I suggest you call Seawnakah (sp) and see what they have to say. They don't want a derelict cluttering up their pristine yard. Which is an interesting irony: Our home port of World's Fair Marina is about as plebeian as they come. Seawanakah is up there on the snooty scale along with the New York Yacht Club.

 

[Bob McL]

I think that once it has been declared a total loss, if you fix it, you may not be able to get insurance on it again.

 

[Peter Brennan]

One thing the TowBoat US man noted was that it's not just physical damage but the boat gets soaked in holding tank gunk. And indeed it did. Over her on her side the contents of the holding tanks spread through out the boat destroying all the cushions, etc. The tow boat man gave his version more than two days before the survbeyor showed up.

 

[25yearslater]

I will give them a call in the next few days. In the mean time take a look at "And so it begins thread." That's me and YOT over the last 2 years. This boat doesn't appear to need half of what I put into YOT. Gut it, fix it, and put the new stuff in. A tyvek suit, rubber gloves and boots and a respirator are the least of it. The hardest part will be finding a person who wants a fully restored Oday 37.

 

[jibes138]

The real issue is the current market value of boats. Yachtworld has two listed at 29K and one at 16K and one at 48K depending on year and condition I guess. If the repairs are more than 29K they will total it. Did the motor get submerged and ruined? That alone would be close to 20K for a replacement.

 

[jibes138]

On the other hand a new 37 footer of good quality will cost you over 300K

 

[CalebD]

For starters I'm sorry to hear of your loss Peter.
I once took a look at that 'Sand Hole' on Lloyd Neck on a falling tide and said forget it. I could see a submerged rock jetty.
As to the issue of who owns it now I'd guess it belonged to your insurance company, unless they sold it to Seawanakah. I have no idea what a snooty club like that would want with your 'derelict' boat when their members have Hinkley's, Swann's and top tier boats like that. I'd bet that your insurance co. is just keeping your boat there temporarily until they can make arrangements to either part it out and/or chop it up into a dumpster. Big headache for them so why would Seawanakah want that responsibility? I dunno. Maybe they think the engine is worth salvaging and they need a backup engine for their 2nd launch?

My current boat was 'totaled' (CTL) by Boat US about 9 years ago when it chafed it's mooring during a bad blow in the westernmost LI Sound. Damages were: small hole in hull deck joint (3"x12"), bent bow pulpit, shredded genoa, bent RF extrusions - that was it. We bought the boat back from Boat US for $800 and received a check for our insured amount minus $800. We repaired our boat with the money from Boat US. We could not get insurance the next year either (as previously noted by another poster). One of the first questions on any marine policy is have you had a CTL in the last 3 years? (Red Flag, Red Flag, Red Flag).

The hull is repairable judging by the photos. Sounds like the interior needs a good gutting and cleaning. Hopefully the engine is not toast - quick action on this front might save it. The thing is you (whoever wants to try to rescue this boat) are going to need to find a boat yard that will let you do the needed work yourself and of course you will have to pay for the storage fees (possibly to Seawanakah too).

I'd contact the insurance company first as Peter Brennan is not kidding that Seawanakah is one of the last Blue Blooded yacht clubs around (besides NYYC).
You need to know which insurer Peter used (BoatUS, Allstate etc.). If you can speak to the right person at the Insurer they may be happy to sell you the boat for very little as they likely have to pay a lot more to haul it away to a dumpster.
I'm curious about the status of the engine. Which engine was it? How badly flooded? Putting a new engine in a boat that size could cost quite a bit. Scraping some crap off the cabin walls, while not pleasant sounding, should be fairly easy with a pressure washer.
Still going to cost you a bunch to clean up and fix.
Good luck.

 

[25yearslater]

Boatyard? I don't need no stinkin boatyard. Got the room for about 300 of these. Probably the only way I can get away with spraying gelcoat without snooty neighbors griping. So who was the insurance company Peter? My wife is warming to the idea of another project boat. Keeps me home and this restoration stuff is going to be my retirement hobby in the near future. Smell that? I love the smell of polyester in the morning. It smells like...boats. That's YOT way back there.

 

[Peter Brennan]

The insurer was Boat US. The actual carrier was Continental Casualty (CNA). I cannot say enough good things about them. I don't think the engine was submerged. The boat was over on her starboard side enough to submerge the chart table and the storage spaces along the side. Everything on the port side stayed dry above the bilge. When she was righted as the tide came in and the pumps ran the water seems to have leveled out at cabin sole level. Upholstery on starboard side ruined; port side dry. But the salvors tore up the cushions to plug the hole.

As for the Sand Hole, been going in there for 25 years and seen many a boat go aground. But this was a first and only for us.

Take a look at the inventory I posted yesterday. This inventory was required by the insurer. You are only permitted to remove personal stuff from the boat. If it's nailed down, screwed down or tied down it's part of the boat. If we did this again we would get personal property coverage too.

If anyone wants to inquire about the derelict on the Seawanhaka lawn better do so quickly. It's more than a month since the accident.

 

[Peter Brennan]

Still going to cost you a bunch to clean up and fix.
Good luck.

Yep.

Engine is Universal 5432.

 

[jibes138]

I was talking to a very talented marine service guy the other day. We started talking about the prices of a new boat. A new Caliber 35 is currently list priced at about $275K. With a few options will be around 300K or so. He said they won't even build one unless they get more than one order. I noted that for about 100K I could take my current boat and make it as good as new and save 200K and he was completely in agreement with this idea. He said for that kind of money he could have the boat in new condition and have a generator installed as well. I'm not planning to do it but it is an interesting thought. For 100K you could fix up this 37 and have a boat with replacement value of over 300K. But a better option might be to grab one of the others for sale at say 29K and invest the 70K in repairs and upgrades since you won't have to fix holes in the hull.