Why do I Have to Share Insurance With Boaters Like This?

[purcellr]

We watched this on the local news as it unfolded here in Va Beach and that boat was taking a good beating in the breaking waves. The 2 crew (and 1 cat) were quite lucky to still be amongst the living today.
In the aviation world there is a great tradition that those who have gotten themselves into bad situations share their stories openly and honestly. That way everyone can learn from the series of decisions (it's never just one thing) that leads to a close call or a catastrophe. Having read a number of these "mea culpas" I can say that, almost always, their initial decision-making process doesn't sound flawed. It isn't until one looks back in time how a couple of decisions compound and end with a boat 40 yards up the beach.
I think that would make a great forum here. Of course I would remove the reply button-too much judgement would discourage an open honest accounting and would even probably prevent many from telling their stories. I'd know love to hear their story; when they decided to do what and how they came to that decision. I bet some parts would sound like something we'd do or have gotten away with if we are really, really honest with ourselves.

 

[Marc Bergmueller]

I'm sure the couple could care less of your opinion on insurance rates. They are happy to be alive. Fear doesn't make the best companion in a storm. I'm sure there were many changes of mind during the event. Do you feel better about yourself for judging them? Not everyone is as Salty as you.

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

There was a sailboat outside of our harbor this weekend here in Chicago (we actually had 20+ kt winds and 6 foot waves from the remnants of Irene) that was stranded outside the harbor with a broken rudder, engine failure, no radio. Skipper threw out an anchor before getting blown into a breakwall. Lucky for him there was a race going on and several boats stopped to help.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Sail magazine

 

[Ross]

Down around the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay the water shoals very abruptly along the eastern shore. More than a few boats have been trapped there..
I once got into shallow water when i was looking at the wrong green buoy on the Sassafras river. I was skipping one and sailing towards the next on a bend in the river. Nancy and the depth sounder alerted me when the alarm went off in six feet of water near a lee shore.

 

[jfmid]

The idea behind the saying is to stay with the boat for as long as possible. Lots of rescued sailors find their boats still floating after they leave. Which do you WANT to be in under 25 foot seas: a 35 foot sailboat or a 6 foot dinghy?

So stay with the boat until you have to step up into the life raft. Which means the boat is going under and you NEED the life raft.

Thanks for the great explanation. Makes a lot of sense.

 

[wetass]

It isn't until one looks back in time how a couple of decisions compound and end with a boat 40 yards up the beach.

Completely agree here....

Also, I think some insurance companies stipulate that you can't be out in a named storm, so this couple may be at a complete loss if they can't salvage the boat.

 

[jimlay]

I'm with kd3pc on this one....

Why in the world would you use this chap's poor fortune to beat up on a make/model of boat? Did a Hunter do you wrong one day? It would appear to me that the boat--by all accounts that I have read--survived the grounding undamaged despite the horrid conditions it was put through. The read I got was a cracked (not broken) rudder and fiberglass damage from the windlass being torn off of it's mounts. I'm as poud as an Hunter owner of a well built boat. Why the attitude?

Jimlay

 

[KD3PC]

KG

"well built"....is a PC term for thrown together by untrained workers, whether we are talking boats, houses, cars, motorcycles - anything really...

But that is what people want to buy...throw it away in 5 years to the next tier user (if it lasts that long) and move up to another one.

There are no "standards", only what people will put up with, before finding a lawyer (see tartan elsewhere on the net)

But this foundered boat is a trooper, all things considered.

 

[Ross]

They manufacturers can sell boats of any quality because there exist enough people who buy looks instead of quality and strength. Everything about a boat should be repairable and worth repairing. sadly that is not often the case.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Hey jfmid
There are lots of cases where folks abandon their boat only to never be seen again. The boat however is found several months later still floating. Seems that you should wait till the boat is actually going under and then step up into the liferaft

 

[Buck420]

Why do I Have To Share Insurance With Boaters Like This

Here's a little more of the story on the beaching of this nice H-450

http://www.wvec.com/video?id=128654758&sec=554037

 

[2d Wind]

A further update on this boat/couple:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...against-time/2011/08/28/gIQAiOZllJ_story.html

 

[Gunni]

Short Answer: You don't share insurance with this owner. His loss claim will be rejected for negligent disregard of the conditions of his coverage. He may get the Insurer to pay the cost of salvage but he won't be covered for the cost of his boat. No one will insure him again, which should mean that no marina will take his new boat should he decide to try again self-insured. On the other hand, I'm certain that any number of charter companies will let him have someone else's boat!

It is a senseless shame. Thanks to the responders who swam to the rescue. May we all resolve to not do that to our SAR services.

 

[mark_swart]

That's a real bummer. I sail very near where this happened, and he would have probably been okay if he could have gotten into Hampton, Willoughby Bay or even Fort Monroe marina. Most of those options are probably less than a mile or two away. I feel for the couple.

 

[thinwater]

Classic!
Probably never heard of Huricane Hole
Used the windlass as a cleat
Thought they could go 30 MPH in a 40' boat
Can't read a weather report
don't understand about "steping up into the life raft"

Pretty typical of the Bay IMO

The windlass having ripped out of the deck sealed it for me. I NEVER anchor to the windlass. All things considered, this was a happy ending.

The reason we have only one story (that I know of) is that only this person made ALL of these mistakes.

 

[Kings Gambit]

?

 

[Scott B]

Nothing really-- see post above yours.

That still doesn't make sense.

The brand of the boat makes no difference in why this boat ended up on shore. I deleted several posts that ended up bashing the make of the boat for whatever reason. I would have deleted these posts no matter what brand ended up on the beach.

 

[Buck420]

Why do I Have to Sharre Insurance With Boaters Like This ?

I was wrong, it was H-420 ... previously named "Bella" ..
there is a picture of "Bella" in the photo gallery on this site under H-420's ...

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/08/boater-rescued-during-irene-has-trouble-land

 

[seadaddler]

Buck420

Are you saying this is the bella from Burnt Store marina Charlotte Harbor,they purchased that boat maybe little over year ago,retired navy man and newly weds and purchased boat in I think it was 2010 ??????.
Nick