Major damage :(

[Lou_tribal]

This morning we went to the boat to work on the raw water circuit after a week of vacation to discover a major hull damage
My feelings are between desperation and heartbreaking.
Here are the pics







In the following the cause is obvious, when they set the post the full weight was on the wood angle...



So sad I am about to cry...

L

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Oh man , that sucks!..No need for that.

 

[Portage_Bay]

That's horrible!

I'm not familiar with Canadian law or business practices. In the US I'd contact a surveyor immediately and get a report of what the damage is and why it happened. My own surveyor, not one hired buy the yard or either side's insurance carrier. At the same time I'd notify my insurance carrier of the incident. All the while and from the first moment telling the yard in no uncertain terms they are responsible. Keep all conversations with the yard simple and to the point. No casual remarks about anything.

 

[Lou_tribal]

I need a drink and a strong one

L

 

[Donsan]

I need a drink and a strong one

Methinks you need a lawyer!


Really sad story.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I need a drink and a strong one

L

Yes you do...I'm buying

 

[psneeld]

For your own peace of mind.....If it's just in that one spot.... maybe no big deal. Have them grind off the paint and gel for a foot or so in both directions and look for lamination cracks.


Many of the older trawlers had hollow box keels that you could crack at points but it is a simple fix and no threat to whole boat/ultimate structural integrity...but I would have them add additional blocking ASAP.


When I bought my boat, the keel was dripping Water so I broke out the grinder. Took just a couple hours after it dried to fix it (less than an hour a day).... several days of layering, sanding and filling. Ultimately covered with cloth and epoxy, barrier coat and paint. Cant tell it was there after 8 years, 7 round trips to FL from NJ and several light groundings.


A surveyor isn't a bad idea.

 

[Ski in NC]

It happens. Not the end of the world. Just a bunch of grinding and glassing needed to repair.

Is that a water tank in the interior photo? How hard to move?

Take a further away shot showing the keel blocking. How many other keel blocks and stands?

Will need to get yard to lift boat and reblock so the the repair area is accessible.

What type of hull construction?

 

[Xsbank]

Yes the yard is fully culpable. Call your insurance company and let them deal with it. The sad part is your very short boating season is now wrecked. It looks like whomever was blocking your boat had either never done it before or was in a hurry to go home. He should stay there.

Get it properly blocked and get a knowledgeable surveyor involved. Insurance!

 

[Ski in NC]

No, the yard is not "fully culpable". Depends on how they blocked the boat (need pics). They might or might not have done a standard blocking arrangement.

If a boat has a tender keel, yard needs to be told that so blocking is done more carefully.

 

[Crusty Chief]

Sorry Lou, and it’s not gonna just buff out! The boating season just got a lot shorter.

Hope the repair is done in a timely manner and done well. Best of luck!

 

[Lou_tribal]

The hull is full fiberglass, no sandwich. The keel is not hollow but thick plain fiberglass. The boat is on 3 stands, 2 adjustable one on aft and one in front ( the wood one I show). Problem there is that they did not set the one in front properly and flat. The wood piece was sitting at and angle so the full weight was on the wood angle and not the full flat wood surface. First thing I check is if the broken fiberglass was wet or rotten in any way, what is not the case, it is perfectly dry and solid. Issue for me is obvious, if you put many tons on a single point it will break as the pressure is not distributed.
The tank showing in the picture is the waste tank. Not a big deal to remove it but better to be sure it is perfectly empty before disconnecting the discharge or it will be a big mess.

I immediately went to the guy at the marina so to show the damage to him, while not the owner he clearly stated that the issue was the way it has been set on blocks and it is an insurance case.


I will be monday morning at 7AM at the marina to deal with the owner. Just hope this will not go wild and to be able to get back in water before September in order not to ruined my planned 3 weeks cruise.

Let see...

L

 

[Doug]

Good luck Lou!

 

[Lou_tribal]

Thank you all for your support, much appreciated.
I must admit seeing this while arriving to the boat just hurt and broke my heart.

L

 

[SoWhat]

Nothing a couple of thousand won't fix. Yard should offer to repair it if they have the capabilities. They could deny liability claiming a wind burst from a thunderstorm knocked the boat off so it was an act of god. Nobody wins if it goes to litigation.

If they don't step up, get some quotes. Shouldn't take more than a week or two to repair and the spring rush is over.

 

[Ski in NC]

Do post pics of entire blocking arrangement.

I've blocked a lot of boats. Even if block is edge loaded, the wood should crunch in before the keel. All depends on the whole support situation.

Keel does look a bit soft, somehow.

 

[MurrayM]

Crap.

Have any other projects you were thinking about doing that required your boat to be on the hard, but weren’t willing to do them because it intruded on your cruising season? Might be the time...

 

[Lou_tribal]

Crap.

Have any other projects you were thinking about doing that required your boat to be on the hard, but weren’t willing to do them because it intruded on your cruising season? Might be the time...

Well we were already working on different things like new fresh water circuit, new battery bank etc. I guess that I may add new hull paint considering the repair...

L

 

[Lou_tribal]

These are all the pics I took about the way it was set.

 

[C lectric]

Ouch Lou. I am very sorry to see that.

I agree though that you NEED to contact your insurance co. who will get a proper surveyor to assess the damage. Even if you and the yard agree that the yard is to do the repairs that surveyor can monitor so a shoddy job is not done.

I also agree that you need to get a whole bunch of photos from both sides and from enough angles that the blocking, however it was done, is clearly
shown .

If this is not done first you may wear the problem however it turns out.
Even if you and the yard come to an amicable agreement about the repairs you NEED a surveyor involved.

NO where near what you have to deal with but I did a repair to my boat after we got hit. FIrst thing I did was contact the insurance co. and they sent a surveyor who was an actual marine engineer with boat experience. As mine turned out even though it cost me a bunch of the summer I would have been covered if my work had uncovered more trouble and the finish of the job had to be sent elsewhere. I asked. It didn't.

In the past I have had angled blocking like that done BUT they then laid a piece of heavy lumber several feet long atop the block to pick up the boat keel angle and that lumber is what took the angle on the block, not my hull.

 

[Lou_tribal]

Ouch Lou. I am very sorry to see that.

I agree though that you NEED to contact your insurance co. who will get a proper surveyor to assess the damage. Even if you and the yard agree that the yard is to do the repairs that surveyor can monitor so a shoddy job is not done.

I also agree that you need to get a whole bunch of photos from both sides and from enough angles that the blocking, however it was done, is clearly
shown .

If this is not done first you may wear the problem however it turns out.
Even if you and the yard come to an amicable agreement about the repairs you NEED a surveyor involved.

NO where near what you have to deal with but I did a repair to my boat after we got hit. FIrst thing I did was contact the insurance co. and they sent a surveyor who was an actual marine engineer with boat experience. As mine turned out even though it cost me a bunch of the summer I would have been covered if my work had uncovered more trouble and the finish of the job had to be sent elsewhere. I asked. It didn't.

In the past I have had angled blocking like that done BUT they then laid a piece of heavy lumber several feet long atop the block to pick up the boat keel angle and that lumber is what took the angle on the block, not my hull.

Thank you, I was wondering if I should contact my insurance right away or wait to see what the marina owner will tell me monday morning.

L

 

[Comodave]

I would see,what the marina owner offers first. The insurance company is probably closed over the weekend anyway. Get as many photos as you can. My yard blocks my keel in 3 places but uses long blocks set parallel to the keel so it spreads out the load more evenly. Good luck, sucks finding out this late in the season.

 

[SoWhat]

How about a full length pic of boat? I'm a little confused about stands v. blocking. My keel is blocked fore and aft. Then four adjustable stands are placed. All of the weight is on the blocking. Boat should be level for and aft and side to side. I usually check it after yard guys are done. Usually right on but if they don't put 6X6 pieces of plywood under the stands they sometimes sink in a bit. I've redone their stands in the past.

(I think I'm trying to say put a level on the boat and take pics)

 

[healhustler]

Get your ducks in a row, Lou. Yes, the yard owner may be a fair guy who will take the issue in hand, but ya gotta be prepared that it could be different. The ducks are dated photo evidence, witnesses, and insurance. Insurance will likely take care of the legal.

 

[Lou_tribal]

Just called my insurance as after reading my contract they clearly specify that they should be contacted right away whatever happens and that the damages need to be inspected prior any repair started. Also knowing the marina owner I am pretty sure he will put that on me.

Thank you all will keep posting about what is happening.

 

[koliver]

I see you have now read your insurance.
There is a proper order to these things:
1 know what your insurance will cover.
2 know what your insurance will not cover.
3 make sure you don't do anything without documenting it.
4 make sure you don't do anything the insurer doesn't want you to do.
5 have the insurance adjuster with you when you get the yard involved. Stay out of any negotiations the adjuster gets into with the yard.
6 once the adjuster has decided whether this is covered, if it is, let the adjuster run the survey, the repair, etc.
If it isn't covered and you think it should be, keep on documenting every step so you can still pursue your claim if you decide to do so.

Good luck!

 

[Wayfarer]

Oh man, what a rotten thing to come home to. I hope things get patched up and sorted out quickly and easily. Good luck!

 

[BandB]

Just called my insurance as after reading my contract they clearly specify that they should be contacted right away whatever happens and that the damages need to be inspected prior any repair started. Also knowing the marina owner I am pretty sure he will put that on me.

Thank you all will keep posting about what is happening.

You did step one perfectly. Ask marina for their liability insurer and contact them. Let your insurer fight for you. I would get a surveyor or independent repair shop to look at it and try to be there when your insurer looks. No work until appraisal of damage done.

Then sit back and think of the fact, you aren't hurt and your boat can be repaired. It's why you have insurance, whether marina is culpable or not. I'd be heartbroken but then try to put it in perspective.

 

[Lou_tribal]

You did step one perfectly. Ask marina for their liability insurer and contact them. Let your insurer fight for you. I would get a surveyor or independent repair shop to look at it and try to be there when your insurer looks. No work until appraisal of damage done.



Then sit back and think of the fact, you aren't hurt and your boat can be repaired. It's why you have insurance, whether marina is culpable or not. I'd be heartbroken but then try to put it in perspective.

For sure, like I told my wife nobody’s dead and I prefer this to happen on the hard than hitting something on the water and sink the boat !

L

 

[twistedtree]

For sure, like I told my wife nobody’s dead and I prefer this to happen on the hard than hitting something on the water and sink the boat !

L

Yup, the worst part is the hassle of it all, and lost use of the boat.