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doctorbill · 17-03-2021, 13:43

Hello everyone. I have chartered various boats about 12 times over the past decade or so and been lucky enough to never encounter a problem like the following, and just wondering what are the ins and outs of how to proceed.

We rented a 42 foot catamaran from a major charter company. The boat was a 2020 yacht in great condition when we picked her up. We experienced no problems or issues. On the 2nd to last day of our charter we needed to make a 30 nm sail back to be close to charter base for departure the next day.

That morning we exited a marina slip and I noted and used full use of both engines in forward and reverse momentarily when backing out of slip. We had no problem getting out of the slip. Upon leaving the marina I noted problems with steering to the right, and realized the port engine was not supplying thrust. This made the boat want to spin to the left, and with full rudder counter steering I could only make straight forward way, and was just able to exit the marina channel safely.

After exiting marina I was in a narrow cut where vessels come from each direction. I also had a lee shore and shallow water in each direction. I was able to use shenanigans with the starboard engine to make reasonable safe way, along with drifting, to where we could drop an emergency anchor on the edge of the channel where we were just out of traffic and also slightly safe from running aground.

I made a Securite call on 16 to announce my mechanical problem and limited maneuverability in the channel and my emergency anchoring position. I then attempted for about 30 minutes to hail the marina which was 1/4 mile away. I hailed them repeatedly on 16 and on the local marina channel with no success. (we later found out they had ALL of their radios off - major marina at a charter destination that charges $270 per night for a slip and where we had JUST been guests - not monitoring VHF 16...)

Anyway, with the boat secure, we dove on the engine and found the port propeller was GONE.

My wife went back into marina on the dinghy and found the port prop and securing cone in the slip we had been in, on the bottom in 10 feet of water and she dove down and got the parts.
She was then able (in person) to get the marina staff to reluctantly assist her. They apologized their radios had been off. She paid them $200 to get two marina staff to come out with a powerboat and they did an assisted tow in the channel for about 0.5 mi to a safe anchorage. The boat crew gave us advice on how to reconnect the prop. I myself reconnected the prop in a 2 kt current with a mask, snorkel, and a wrench from the marina crew.

Throughout all this we were trying but unable to get a hold of our charter company on cellular or VHF. When we finally did get the prop on and carefully went back into the marina we were able to call the charter company on the phone and they sent a mechanic to check the security of the replaced prop. The mechanic who arrived 4 hours later said the only thing we were missing was a locking nut, but he believed we had the cone on secure enough that we would be okay in forward to go back the 30 nm to the base. He also said, "you did a great ****ing job, and if you don't tell them back at base, then I WILL."

At this point the day was lost, we were forced to pay another $270 for a slip, and had to do a twilight departure the next morning leaving at 6am to get crew back to base in time to make later flights they had paid money to re-schedule.

Level with me here guys... The boat had a mechanic failure which cost us a day of our vacation and could have resulted in vessel loss but we prevented that. I repaired the boat myself. This was a "self rescue" of a problem that could have been more significant, but only resulted in one lost day of chartering and late flights. I feel we handled it well and count all the lucky aspects of the situation.

If I put a number on it, I would say it was $270 for a slip we didn't intend to get, one lost day of charter (~$1700), $200 for a tow, and flight change fees.

How should I, or would you, approach this with charter company?
My first thought is simply a reimbursement for our costs and single day loss of use, but I appreciate anyone's thoughts, experience, or comments.

Palarran · 17-03-2021, 13:52

You did a fantastic job handling the problem. It is strange the boat struggled to maneuver under one motor so badly as mine isn't nearly that bad. Anyway, heck yes they owe you but as you suspect, it's going to be tough to get the money. Most likely they will somehow turn it around that YOU caused the prop to fall off and YOU actually owe them. If you are going to charter again, probably the easiest thing is to ask for two extra days of charter for free in the future and in writing. Or a credit. It just always seems that companies like these simply won't write a refund check.

GreenWave · 17-03-2021, 14:04

Give them the chance to make good on the numbers you proposed here. Any hesitation or reluctance should be followed by stern rebuke. I know many don't agree, but leaning on them through Social Media and less than stellar rewviews is my approach. Of course, if they make you good then stellar reviews should be given!

Flagman101 · 17-03-2021, 16:36

I have had my share of mechanical problems on charters.
Burn out engine control panel, broken propeller, lost of steerage.
All easy fix except for the prop which they came in the mooring field the next day and switched boats.
I always complain and end up not paying for fuel, water and dockage.

dfelsent · 17-03-2021, 17:26

We had a charter. In the Abacos. At the start I pointed out the chafe in the furling line. “ that’ll be fine”. Wasn’t. Snapped. Dealt with it.
Engine wouldn’t start. Batteries wouldn’t charge. Found the loose lugs on the battery connections. Tightened them.
Engine overheating. Found the totally failed seal on the fresh water pump pouring water out. Kept topping up with fresh water when we HAD to use the engine for more than 2 or three minutes at a time. Used hip tows with the dink to get to and from docks when needed. Saved on fresh water.
This was a 7 day charter.
I let the charter base know before we returned that they might want to fix the boat before letting it out again.
When we returned,without any discussion at all, they handed us half our charter fee back in cash.

When I was a kid we had a charter where the transmission failed early on. Bras D’or Lakes. My dad let the base know. We sailed to and from anchor but could charge the batteries for lights at night.
Not a big deal. My dad may have been given a small discount.

I chartered a catamaran. In the BVI. Starboard alternator failed. No charging the battery, no way of combining banks across the engines.
Some conversations with the base. I found the failed connection (Field wire) and spliced it with a twist and duct tape. Not worth any discussion at the end of the charter

I could tell you more stories about other charters too. Engine failures. Transmission failures. Furler failures. Instruments. Dinghy painter. Icebox with incompletely cured polyester resin. As nauseum. I’d say 1 in 4 charters have had stuff break that kind of mattered.

I’ve come to understand many charter boats are more imperfect than our boats. It’s all part of the adventure and fun.

BillKny · 17-03-2021, 19:04

I have been on both sides of this equation. I have been a charterer, AND the service manager for a charter company. I know the pain on both sides.

I assure you, you have no idea the abuse customers heap on these boats. The mind spins. My skin crawls just thinking of it... BUT that is no excuse for ignoring a problem.

In this case, it actually has nothing to do with the charter company's maintenance or anything they did wrong. You didn't say so, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that this boat had a saildrive. For reasons I have never been able to figure out, these things throw props with a frequency that I consider totally unacceptable. Props I KNOW were put on correctly, and without external issues--just fall off. I don't know why, and now that I am out of that business I don't especially care. They are cheap pieces of crap, and are only installed to save money. They are maintenance nightmares, and I would never put one on my boat.

BUT... past that... the charter company STILL should take ownership of the issue. You paid for a working boat, and it didn't work. You will have a long uphill climb trying to get a cash refund, but they damn well should at least offer you a discount on your next business with them.

A good charter base manager would have offered you something during your end of cruise debrief. Keeping customers happy, even when things go pear shaped is his job. It's a tough and difficult job, but he gets paid to do it. If he let a customer walk away unhappy, without trying to make it right, shame on him.

doctorbill · 18-03-2021, 05:17

All helpful responses. Thanks everyone. Yes, they were saildrives. It is so bizarre to me that there is no type of cotter pin on there, but I've never investigated the different means of how props are secured except for some Yamaha 115m outboards I used to have. Our last sailboat (Hunter 450 Passage) was a Yanmar with a direct prop shaft through a packing nut and I never had problems but never got intimate with the prop.

One curiosity I have: Is there a direct link as to how one should control the throttles that can induce this problem? I am always slow and steady with them, (sort of standard gentleness) but I can't say I have spent a real significant stopping in neutral moment between shifts when maneuvering in tight quarters. And from what I gather, the momentum for loosening the prop would be hard shifts going from reverse into forward?

So I will proceed with seeing how they will offer to make good on our contract and let post response here once I know.

garychurch · 18-03-2021, 08:53

What did the charter contract say about these circumstances(

DEAN2140 · 18-03-2021, 08:57

Is there a reason you didn't name the charter company? The last charter I had in Antigua was with Dream Yacht charters and we had some problems also. I sat down with the manager at the base and we worked out a cash settlement, though not entirely to my liking. The same thing occurred with DYC in Guadeloupe with a catamaran. The company delivered a new monohull from Martinique for the cat, which we were very happy with. They also gave us a cash settlement and paid for a hotel for time lost.

jim King · 18-03-2021, 09:54

30 miles out? Sounds like you were in the Exumas heading back to Nasau?
With either Dreamyacht or Sunsail/Moorings in Palm Cay? Either charter company should have offered you a settlement. It is hard to get cash out of them but they would most likely offer a few days off on your next charter. I think there is something in your charter contract that stipulates this. Check your agreement on the charter and you will probably find this in the fine print.

joelhemington · 18-03-2021, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillKny

I have been on both sides of this equation. I have been a charterer, AND the service manager for a charter company. I know the pain on both sides.

I assure you, you have no idea the abuse customers heap on these boats. The mind spins. My skin crawls just thinking of it... BUT that is no excuse for ignoring a problem.

In this case, it actually has nothing to do with the charter company's maintenance or anything they did wrong. You didn't say so, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that this boat had a saildrive. For reasons I have never been able to figure out, these things throw props with a frequency that I consider totally unacceptable. Props I KNOW were put on correctly, and without external issues--just fall off. I don't know why, and now that I am out of that business I don't especially care. They are cheap pieces of crap, and are only installed to save money. They are maintenance nightmares, and I would never put one on my boat.

BUT... past that... the charter company STILL should take ownership of the issue. You paid for a working boat, and it didn't work. You will have a long uphill climb trying to get a cash refund, but they damn well should at least offer you a discount on your next business with them.

A good charter base manager would have offered you something during your end of cruise debrief. Keeping customers happy, even when things go pear shaped is his job. It's a tough and difficult job, but he gets paid to do it. If he let a customer walk away unhappy, without trying to make it right, shame on him.

While I've heard a lot of bad things about sail drives, with a catamaran do you have any real option? I can't figure how you'd run a traditional straight shaft given the shallow hull draft of a catamaran.

clakiep · 18-03-2021, 10:36

As someone who sailed the North and Southatlantic and the Med in the eighties, my only comment is : 'Those were the times of good feeling and goodwill'. The boats got better, communications got better, but the human enviroment.....?

Capt. Claus - ocean tramp of the eighties

bstreep · 18-03-2021, 10:42

If it's Sunsail or the Moorings, I think you are looking at a reasonable settlement. If they offer a discount on a next charter, they should add to that amount, and the discount should be combinable with any other discounts.

If it's Dream Yacht. Good luck. If you left without any compensation, our experience is that you are SOL. They are just a horrible, horrible company to deal with. We've chartered 16 times. By far, the absolute worst charter experience ever, and it was on a boat less than a year old. Their primary repair tool is a roll of duct tape. And then there's the false advertising...

alex_sauvage · 18-03-2021, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by joelhemington

While I've heard a lot of bad things about sail drives, with a catamaran do you have any real option? I can't figure how you'd run a traditional straight shaft given the shallow hull draft of a catamaran.

Quite a few....probably one of the reasons why older cats had engine under the bed: gives you a better angle for the shaft