Skip
Well-Known Member
- Oct 5, 2006
- 1,085
- Boat Info
- 07 58 DB
Truly Blessed IV
2010 Nautica 12' RIB, 40HP Yamaha
- Engines
- MAN CRM 900s
Had some excitement at our Marina, in our slip, on Tuesday evening--we were aboard the 420, planning to spend the night, when a transient sailboat under power entered the Marina, attempted to stand off the fuel dock, put the ragbote in reverse, and backed right into my plow anchor at ~4 knots SOG. Truly Blessed II was just sitting in the slip, secured, minding her own business...
First, and most importantly, my wife and kids were not hurt. They were in the cabin watching a movie when the boat hit us. My wife said it was quiote loud, and the 420 was shoved back hard against her spring lines. I was at the local Domino's picking up dinner when the accident happened; thank God Kris and the boys were not hurt. Had they been up and moving around at impact they could have been tossed into a bulkhead or galley counter.
The impact bent my plow anchor, dinged up the gelcoat under the anchor chute, and (I think) damaged the anchor chute such that it will need to (at least) be rebedded. Dingdd my rub rail as well. I saw no obvious bending or other deformation on the anchor chute itself, but I can't see any gelcoat damage underneath until the chute comes off. The backing plates in the anchor locker under the anchor chute appear to be displaced--not a good sign. My slipmate saw the whole thing and wrote out a statement. Ragbote skipper (with no insurance on the boat) was maneuvering astern under power, but she was facing her bow. Incredible.
I have Frank W on speed dial, and he gave me some solid advice on how to handle this.
I took digital photos of the entire area, exchanged info with the ragbote owner, and then filed a report with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction over the Potomac, even though my Marina is at a Marine Corps Facility.
The steps I took, in approximate order:
1. Sprinted down the dock with two pizzas in hand when I saw the ragbote hard against the bow of the 420 and my wife on the foredeck looking really pissed off.
2. Made sure nobody was injured.
3. Exchanged information with the ragbote owner and directed them to a vacant slip.
4. Took digital photos of the damage to my boat. Asked my slip mates to write out statements describing the accident.
5. Met the ragbote skipper as she was coming back to check on my boat and took her thorugh each photo, explaining the damage that I saw.
6. Called the Quantico Town Police (not their jurisdiction)
7. Called the Marine Corps Base Quantico Military Police (not their jurisdiction)
8. Called the USCG Washington DC district (not their jurisdiction, but the USCG directed me to the Virginia Marine Police, who said (wait for it.....not their jursidiction)
9. Called the Maryland State Police (not their jurisdiction) BUT..they put me in touch with the maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, who said yup, this ugly baby is ours.
10. Filed a report with the desk officer. While on hold with the various echelons of our bureaucracy, I jotted down notes about the accident, including time, location, estimated damage, etc. I kept a running log of who I spoke with and at what time.
11. I then called the number on the ragbote owner's business card to ensure that I did not get a bogus contact. The card is accurate.
12. Did a short huddle with my wife afterwards. OUr hard and fast rule is that when the kids (3 and 6 years old) are in the cabin with life jackets off the cabin door is secured and an adult is with them. In her haste to get to the bow my wife secured the hatch, but left the kids alone without life jackets. Neither boy swims well. We were lucky that they stayed put where there Mom told them to. Lesson learned: Kids go into jackets, period, if the adult has to leave the cabin. Am I paranoid? Yes.
What I failed to do:
1. Get the home address and number for the ragbote skipper and the names of her crew.
2. Get the federal document number of the ragbote.
3. Take photos of the damage to the ragbote (the 420DA won--that plow anchor tore the hell out of the ragbote's transom..small consolation)
Next steps:
1. Called a local marine fiberglass pro to get an estimate on gel coat repairs, inspection of the entire bow area for any other damage, and rebedding of the anchor chute.
2. Frank advised me that a bent plow can't be heated and straightened, so I called my dealer today and the cost for a new plow for an 03 420DA is $225.
3. Followed up with the case officer from the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources today. This guy was pretty smoked after all the water borne stupidity on the 4th, so I put the pissed off, aggrieved boat owner emotions away and treated this guy with the respect I would accord anybody in uniform. Lo and behold, he has 6 year old son just like me. We talked about kids movies (he had just taken his son to see Transformers) and I let drop how fortunate I am that the uninsured sailboter, who failed to maintain proper watch while maneuvering astern under power with no warning whistles, did not injure my kids.
Moment of humor: as I briefed the lady ragboter on the damage to my boat using the digital photos, she looked at me with a long sad face and said "well, I have no insurance, but I will do my best to make good on this"
Translation: "Yikes, this looks like it is going to be expensive, I don't have much in the way of disposable income, so I guess I better get the heck out of here"
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police were very interested in the lack of insurance aspect.
More to follow, but I wanted to share what I did and what I should have done better. SRO veterans will recall my post from last September, when, during TS Ernesto, the dilapidated POS 35' ragbote with dry rotted lines in the slip next to my 420 broke loose and gouged the gelcoat above the rub rail near the midships cleat on the starboard side of my boat.
I am convinced that ragboters have it out for me at this point.
Perhaps there is a target on my boat that only people who wear birkenstocks and think bathing is optional can see.
regards
Skip
First, and most importantly, my wife and kids were not hurt. They were in the cabin watching a movie when the boat hit us. My wife said it was quiote loud, and the 420 was shoved back hard against her spring lines. I was at the local Domino's picking up dinner when the accident happened; thank God Kris and the boys were not hurt. Had they been up and moving around at impact they could have been tossed into a bulkhead or galley counter.
The impact bent my plow anchor, dinged up the gelcoat under the anchor chute, and (I think) damaged the anchor chute such that it will need to (at least) be rebedded. Dingdd my rub rail as well. I saw no obvious bending or other deformation on the anchor chute itself, but I can't see any gelcoat damage underneath until the chute comes off. The backing plates in the anchor locker under the anchor chute appear to be displaced--not a good sign. My slipmate saw the whole thing and wrote out a statement. Ragbote skipper (with no insurance on the boat) was maneuvering astern under power, but she was facing her bow. Incredible.
I have Frank W on speed dial, and he gave me some solid advice on how to handle this.
I took digital photos of the entire area, exchanged info with the ragbote owner, and then filed a report with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction over the Potomac, even though my Marina is at a Marine Corps Facility.
The steps I took, in approximate order:
1. Sprinted down the dock with two pizzas in hand when I saw the ragbote hard against the bow of the 420 and my wife on the foredeck looking really pissed off.
2. Made sure nobody was injured.
3. Exchanged information with the ragbote owner and directed them to a vacant slip.
4. Took digital photos of the damage to my boat. Asked my slip mates to write out statements describing the accident.
5. Met the ragbote skipper as she was coming back to check on my boat and took her thorugh each photo, explaining the damage that I saw.
6. Called the Quantico Town Police (not their jurisdiction)
7. Called the Marine Corps Base Quantico Military Police (not their jurisdiction)
8. Called the USCG Washington DC district (not their jurisdiction, but the USCG directed me to the Virginia Marine Police, who said (wait for it.....not their jursidiction)
9. Called the Maryland State Police (not their jurisdiction) BUT..they put me in touch with the maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, who said yup, this ugly baby is ours.
10. Filed a report with the desk officer. While on hold with the various echelons of our bureaucracy, I jotted down notes about the accident, including time, location, estimated damage, etc. I kept a running log of who I spoke with and at what time.
11. I then called the number on the ragbote owner's business card to ensure that I did not get a bogus contact. The card is accurate.
12. Did a short huddle with my wife afterwards. OUr hard and fast rule is that when the kids (3 and 6 years old) are in the cabin with life jackets off the cabin door is secured and an adult is with them. In her haste to get to the bow my wife secured the hatch, but left the kids alone without life jackets. Neither boy swims well. We were lucky that they stayed put where there Mom told them to. Lesson learned: Kids go into jackets, period, if the adult has to leave the cabin. Am I paranoid? Yes.
What I failed to do:
1. Get the home address and number for the ragbote skipper and the names of her crew.
2. Get the federal document number of the ragbote.
3. Take photos of the damage to the ragbote (the 420DA won--that plow anchor tore the hell out of the ragbote's transom..small consolation)
Next steps:
1. Called a local marine fiberglass pro to get an estimate on gel coat repairs, inspection of the entire bow area for any other damage, and rebedding of the anchor chute.
2. Frank advised me that a bent plow can't be heated and straightened, so I called my dealer today and the cost for a new plow for an 03 420DA is $225.
3. Followed up with the case officer from the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources today. This guy was pretty smoked after all the water borne stupidity on the 4th, so I put the pissed off, aggrieved boat owner emotions away and treated this guy with the respect I would accord anybody in uniform. Lo and behold, he has 6 year old son just like me. We talked about kids movies (he had just taken his son to see Transformers) and I let drop how fortunate I am that the uninsured sailboter, who failed to maintain proper watch while maneuvering astern under power with no warning whistles, did not injure my kids.
Moment of humor: as I briefed the lady ragboter on the damage to my boat using the digital photos, she looked at me with a long sad face and said "well, I have no insurance, but I will do my best to make good on this"
Translation: "Yikes, this looks like it is going to be expensive, I don't have much in the way of disposable income, so I guess I better get the heck out of here"
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police were very interested in the lack of insurance aspect.
More to follow, but I wanted to share what I did and what I should have done better. SRO veterans will recall my post from last September, when, during TS Ernesto, the dilapidated POS 35' ragbote with dry rotted lines in the slip next to my 420 broke loose and gouged the gelcoat above the rub rail near the midships cleat on the starboard side of my boat.
I am convinced that ragboters have it out for me at this point.
Perhaps there is a target on my boat that only people who wear birkenstocks and think bathing is optional can see.
regards
Skip
