Anchorage collision

[rebel heart]

I had a guy smash into my boat in our marina. $12K in damage, completely destroyed my stern platform, split teak rails, broke everything on the stern. Fortunately no hull or rigging damage. I eventually found the guy (took two months), I had insurance, and when I found him I got my deductible back. So for all the cost of insurance, it takes a lot of $1200/year premiums to add up to $12K.

I had a guy in Mexico smash into us, ripping a stanchion out of the deck, and ripping into the teak gunwales. Good luck getting money back from those guys.

A few lessons I've drawn:

a) I'm financial responsible for my vessel. If I don't like a situation, no matter what anyone tells me unless they're going to pony up $100k, I'm doing what I decide. I normally don't pull the captain card, but anchoring and mooring are two areas where you can really put the vessel in jeopardy. I've had marina guys try to wave me into slips or people tell me that some particular spot is fine and it's "no problem" to fit in. ********. Unless they're willing to pony up the money and except all risk, their opinion isn't worth a pee over the rail. Marina managers, dock workers, long time harbor residents, whatever. Don't disregard everyone's opinion out of hand but when things get pear shaped it's your ass.

b) I try to anchor only in places with good holding and lots of room. If neither is the case, I won't stay for long. I really have no idea how I'm going to handle the Med. It sounds like tight quarters, idiots, and bad gear.

c) No matter what you do you're not totally safe. You can be totally dialed in some anchorage and then at 2am an idiot shows up while you're sleeping. You can be in a great marina slip and your moron neighbor, or even some guy who went down the thoroughfare and zipped on out again, can smack into you while you're off the boat.

[donradcliffe]

The minor dings from anchoring and marina collisions are a fact of life, and you are better off accepting them as normal wear and tear. Even if they are not your fault and the other boat can be identified and has insurance, you will lose good cruising time waiting for repairs.

In the third world its local boats coming along side that cause the marks, even though you leave a fender out on each quarter.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

The minor dings from anchoring and marina collisions are a fact of life, and you are better off accepting them as normal wear and tear. Even if they are not your fault and the other boat can be identified and has insurance, you will lose good cruising time waiting for repairs.

In the third world its local boats coming along side that cause the marks, even though you leave a fender out on each quarter.

My friend got all the way across the Pacific to Hiva Oa, and twelve hours later a boat dragged and bent his Hydrovane.

[zeehag]

i found here--especially when i was in la cruz and zihuatenejo tha t folks who come into the anchorage in darkness are noisey enough to awaken me so i can prevent most kinds of collisions by being out in cockpit with my radio to call port capt on ch 16.

i also learned of a scam used here in mexico--if a mexican hits your boat, you CAN lose it to that soul--he owns you until you have paid for his losses--which include wife and kids clothing, foodstuffs, rent, boat repair even tho there was no damage except to your stuff---be aware and safe--dont sleep deep--you will lose.
here one MUST have liability insurance to prevent that, and excessive lighting in cockpit, as well as ability to hear stuff in your sleep and respond appropriately before coffee....

[Thames 4 Blood]

Thank you all for the sage words. You sum up what I assumed to be the situation. I just didn't want to be the only sucker who swallowed the hit if nobody else did :-)
Just a word to the wise.... The American Gentleman and I use the term in its truest sense, came back again to check all was well. His considerate action completely took the sting out of the minor damage. I hope everyone here would do the same. I think it matters!

[estarzinger]

mmmm . . . . .metal, unpainted topsides . . . . 1 1/2" stanchions and pulpit/pushpit . . . . = . . . . little damage from light impacts

In Mexico we had a 60' ketch in front of us drag and T-bone our bow and the drag down one side of the boat. Hawk's anchor apparently held both boats for quite a while, until he managed to get un-impaled from our bow and push down the port side. Beth & I were off the boat in town, but that's what several observers told me. I found a lot of wood chips on my deck apparently from his toe rail, but no hull damage nor any tubes bent on Hawk. The only damage was he wiped off the port nav light.

People occasionally ask if they have anchored too close . . . . I usually smile, wave and say "it's fine with me, you can hurt Hawk, I don't know about your boat though"

[barnakiel]

The only thing you can do is to anchor in less crowded places.

b.

[bluetriguy]

Originally Posted by Thames 4 Blood

Does anyone have any advice / experience on how to deal with minor scuffs in an anchorage?

We are currently at anchor in Syracuse, Sicily.

The weather has been quite squally and twice in 4 days boats have dragged into us!

The 1st, a small French yacht collected our anchor on the way, bounced off all 4 sides of us due to awful helming and I finally managed to haul his anchor up with mine and set him on his way. No real damage done due to some fast fendering except for an annoying gouge in my teak toe rail. And no bloody apology either! This was in daylight.

Last night a 49ft cat bounced un-fendered off our starboard side at 4am. I have checked the hull as best I can and see no damage there. His davitts bent a guard rail fitting and moved my Bimini frame but I'm hopeful both will straighten out. At least he had the grace to come over in the morning and say sorry! Polite American gentleman.

The point is this... I haven't dragged nor done anything wrong yet I have a dig in my toe rail and bent fittings and a worry about my hull.... It's not enough to warrant an insurance claim but should I just accept this as part of life? How does everyone else deal with this sort of thing?

I fully accept that both incidents were accidents. I am not angry in any way apart from the lack of curtesy of an apology. Sooner or later I'm sure to do something stupid to inconvenience another cruiser! But in the end I'm damaged through no fault of mine!

Just to add moral high ground to my winge... We have a 27kg Manson on 10mm chain with 50m out in 9m water. The gusts causing the problems aren't frikken hurricanes! The problems come from both boats having undersized anchors or chain. A small Danforth in the 1st case and a 25kg delta on the cat which must weigh double our weight and twice the windage to boot!

*** I had a more severe problem last year in California - and had over $6k US in damages (actual receipts - not the estimate). We were hit while moored in Avalon along with the local harbor patrol boat (!), I made the mistake of claiming it and promptly lost the policy! They paid the claim but I have no ins as a result. (I had no claims prior to this one. A perfect record...) Just food for thought...

[Thames 4 Blood]

As insurance companies become even more risk averse this is a real worry!

And Barnakiel... Oh that it were that easy :-)

[delmarrey]

I usually anchor up wind from them all. And that's where most of hillside protection is as well, at least here in the PNW anyway.

[markpierce]

It could help to have a strong/steel boat, and one might escape with only a painting expense.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i found here--especially when i was in la cruz and zihuatenejo tha t folks who come into the anchorage in darkness are noisey enough to awaken me so i can prevent most kinds of collisions by being out in cockpit with my radio to call port capt on ch 16.

i also learned of a scam used here in mexico--if a mexican hits your boat, you CAN lose it to that soul--he owns you until you have paid for his losses--which include wife and kids clothing, foodstuffs, rent, boat repair even tho there was no damage except to your stuff---be aware and safe--dont sleep deep--you will lose.
here one MUST have liability insurance to prevent that, and excessive lighting in cockpit, as well as ability to hear stuff in your sleep and respond appropriately before coffee....

Yeah it's that last bit about no caffeine that scares me!