Boat Damage from Boat Yard

[wsmurdoch]

I keep copies of a photo of my boat hanging in travel lift slings aboard. A copy always goes into the hands of the travel lift operator before he lifts the boat. I also make a point of telling him the displacement. He is working blind and needs all the help he can get.

[Stewie12]

I have never heard of such rot. They have to have third party liability insurance for occasions such as the damage they caused to your yacht.

Contact your insurance company and ask for the name of the yards. Cheap, probably effective and free.

[DEAN2140]

At attorney? Ridiculous. If the damage is $1000 take them to small claims court. No attorneys allowed. This matter will not go to the Supreme Court.

[Manateeman]

Dear Original poster. I’ve asked several boatbuilding friends if they had any specific knowledge of the construction of your boat and in particular the strut.
South Shore Yachts in Ontario tel # 905 468-4340 might have all the drawings which could be useful in the repair.
Happy trails to you.
Mark and manatee crew

[Smokeys Kitchen]

Originally Posted by wsmurdoch

I keep copies of a photo of my boat hanging in travel lift slings aboard. A copy always goes into the hands of the travel lift operator before he lifts the boat. I also make a point of telling him the displacement. He is working blind and needs all the help he can get.

+1

A little thread drift

This is what I do now also. Not getting into this situation is the best way to go

[CarlF]

It would be the laugh of the day in small claims court to tell a judge that you want $100 from the city because they bent a piece of your yacht

There's no way this is worth the aggravation of suing a public entity. And assuming you plan to use them in the future, do you really want to be the guy that sued them?

There is a "lesson learned" here. Some boats have a hull shape that is prone to straps slipping. Those owners eventually have something like this happen and learn to tie a line between the straps before being lifted.

I too have the little strap plates on my gunwale too. But before being lifted, I take some blue masking tape and wrap it between the top and bottom life lines above the plate. That way the operator (and you) can see if the strap starts to move.

And I always tip the travelift operator $20. I give the dock guy a tip for grabbing my lines and he isn't dangling my boat 8ft in the air.

[C_Breeze]

Bear-o-ness, this is a timely post as my boat is currently enroute to a marina in Oly. Could you message me on which 1 it might be as my lift from the trailer is this Friday, the 21st? TIA

[Stewie12]

Why go to the expense of a lawyer. Let your insurance company sort it out for you.After all that is what you pay them for,

[gbmacca]

I arranged for my boat to be lowered into the water after a last lift on a Friday and we were able to let the boat be lowered gradually into the water. It is a 55' Chris Craft Constellation, wooden hulled boat which had to sit in Mexico for a few weeks then arrived in Australia in our summer, where we had 40 degrees on the tarmac on several days.
Could nearly put my finger between the planks!
The Saturday morning, got a phone call from the yard to say they had to drop my boat as - and I quote - a boat 'was coming back from Rottnest ( an Island off our coast)which had lost one of its motors'.
I asked if it was sinking and he said no, but the owner wanted it repaired straight away, so I suggested that to get a mechanic on short notice, especially on a Sat/Sun may be hard to do and to firstly arrange that.
I was told in no polite manner that they were going to 'drop my effin boat' - which they did.
I arrived about 30 minutes later to find the hull leaking like a sieve and nearly 3 foot of water in the bilge. I raced off and hired two big pumps and we stabilised the situation.
I lost my desal, bow thruster and generator which combined was over $20k!
When I said they had a duty of care - they said claim it on insurance which. with a wooden boat over 20 years old is hard to get, so I thought that I had better just bite the bullet as I may not be able to get ongoing insurance.
The richest man in Australia has shares in the yard - so my chances of successfully suing were minimal!
It might have been his boat, but what really pissed me off, is that boat was not lifted until the Monday!
There are boat yards and there is 'boat yards!'
Gbmacca

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by Bear-O-Ness

I had my boat pulled this past Monday in Olympia, Wa at the port run boat yard. The straps were incorrectly placed and my prop strut was damaged at about $1,000. The yard (publicly run) says it was my responsibility to know where to place the straps. The boat was pulled a year ago for the first time after my purchase by the same yard and the same guy running the lift. He told me then that the two marks on each toe rail were where to place the straps. I told this to them (same guy) this was what where you told me to place then last year. Strap slipped off of the end of the keel and hit the prop shaft. Yard says it was my responsibility to know were to put the straps and make sure they were in the proper place myself! I was still signing the release paperwork when they were actually lifting the boat so could not have even seen where they were. He started to pull but realized that they were in the wrong place and moved them forward. Noticed the damage after pressure washing and setting it up in the yard. I approached the yard about the damage and said I would accept the repair work myself but would appreciate credit for the two extra days this damage cost me. I should note that the lift and yard are run by the port and the work done by a private entity in the yard. They refused to even consider giving me credit for the two days (about $100 vs my bill of $1,000). Am I way off in expecting the yard to take some responsibility for their error in placing the straps? I talked to the repair guys (who just purchased this business this year) and they told me this happens all of the time with the yard not taking any responsibility for their damage! Anyone else dealt with these issues? Would appreciate any response from anyone as I am going to pursue this with the port commissioner.

The Port Commission won't help you!
The Travel lift operator (probably Nate?) should have been standing right next to the vessel where the lift is, as the travel lift is remotely operated.
It's not really a great spot to view the exact lift points from.
You said they started to lift? Then repositioned the straps?

Did they have a line tied between the straps to keep it from slipping?
MOST IMPORTANT

Or, place that tie line on the straps after discovering the misplacement.

If they didn't tied the two straps together it IS there fault.

Though I doubt the "POO" it's what we down here call them, will accept any responsibility for their actions or inactions.
We've fought with them on many violations through out the years.
Just settled a lawsuit to the tune of 2.5 million. With federal court involved, because of their pollution and death of Budd inlet due to pollution from their broken Wastewater plant there.
The guys at the boat works Austin, is my neighbor, and is good people.
Forget the Port and get your boat, fixed and outta there.
That'd be the best.
IMHO
SV Cloud Duster

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by C_Breeze

Bear-o-ness, this is a timely post as my boat is currently enroute to a marina in Oly. Could you message me on which 1 it might be as my lift from the trailer is this Friday, the 21st? TIA

The only Boat lift in Oly is The Port of Olympia Boat Works.
Swantown Marina.
SV Cloud Duster

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Wondering if I can get a patent for a movable underwater camera/sonar system that confirms strap position before there's propshaft-damaging force applied.

I understand the value of new technology, but am at a loss to understand how hundreds of thousands of boats are hauled without a new-fangled gizmo? My boat has been hauled eight times in 24 years without an underwater camera.

[C_Breeze]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

The only Boat lift in Oly is The Port of Olympia Boat Works.
Swantown Marina.
SV Cloud Duster

Thanks BYD. Sounds like I might be in for some fun.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by C_Breeze

Thanks BYD. Sounds like I might be in for some fun.

Shouldn't be a problem, But... Sometimes, stuff happens.
I've used them for years.
Other Port Operations are a bit of a s*** show though.
I prefer Boat Haven Port Townsend.
SV Cloud Duster

[C_Breeze]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

Shouldn't be a problem, But... Sometimes, stuff happens.
I've used them for years.
Other Port Operations are a bit of a s*** show though.
I prefer Boat Haven Port Townsend.
SV Cloud Duster

Hopefully I won't be providing the yard with too many opportunities for stuff to happen. I'll need to be in Oly for a while but thanks for the Port Townsend rec. I like the area.