Boat lift failure and sunken boat

[docofthebay]

Saturday I was inside my boat docked in the condo complex marina. My step daughter and friend were fishing on the bow. Suddenly she started screaming "Doc we need you NOW!" I ran out and uptop and she said "that boat just fell in the water "

Apparently this catamaran boat forgot to pull one of the plugs and with all the rain, the starboard side filled up and weighed so much, it finally collapsed the lift.

It was still partially floating at first. The condo assoc called the owner who said don't touch it. This is a later shot of it on the bottom.

 

[Bucit]

Was the boat too heavy for the lift to begin with or were the pilings not set right? Rain shouldn't cause the lift to do that. I agree it will add weight but not enough to collapse unless it was at it's limit to begin with. What about his bilge pump? I owned a marine construction company and something doesn't sound right here.

 

[docofthebay]

Outside of what they told me, I don't know what made it fail.
I do know a few of the lifts in our marina were installed with the small end of the pole down- that's the easy way for the installer but is a weaker, less stable platform I don't know if that's the case here.
We did have some very strong wind a hour earlier with a small storm, buts that's not atypical, shouldnt have blown it over.

 

[Pyrojodge]

Wow, Doc,

That's sad for the owner...

Be interesting to find out exactly what happened...

 

[Summer Fun II]

Yikes not another sinking. :wow:

 

[Bucit]

Outside of what they told me, I don't know what made it fail.
I do know a few of the lifts in our marina were installed with the small end of the pole down- that's the easy way for the installer but is a weaker, less stable platform I don't know if that's the case here.
We did have some very strong wind a hour earlier with a small storm, buts that's not atypical, shouldnt have blown it over.

Tip end down is definatly easier for installation but if they have enough pole in the ground it shouldn't have happened. It's possible the pole was too short or they didn't get enough in the ground. That I could belive. Either way it sucks that they sunk the boat.

 

[wvsundancer]

I wonder if Service master can clean this up ????

 

[docofthebay]

I wonder if Service master can clean this up ????

That's a lot of water to be vacuumed up!

 

[tdschafer]

Doc,

I can't see the pics. Is anyone else seeing little red x's?

 

[docofthebay]

I'm not an eye doctor, I don't know what would make you see red x's

 

[Summer Fun II]

The pics are a no show now. :smt017

 

[tdschafer]

I'm not an eye doctor, I don't know what would make you see red x's

Your post is what's making me see red! There are x's where your pics are supposed to be!

 

[Summer Fun II]

The pics are showing now.

 

[LawyerMan]

(1) The guy better call his insurance company.
(2) His insurance company better call the lift installer and piling installer to possibly subrogate.