North Texas Winds

[SearayTX]

Well, we had 30-40 mph sustained winds yesterday with gusts at the marine reaching 67 mph. It did quite a lot of damage to 2 legs of the marina, mainly the 50 ft slips. The pics below are of the 50 slips which was ripped apart in the middle of the arm. A lot of boats had cosmetic damage, but the boat with her bow sticking out of the water is a 44 Motor Yacht (hard to tell from the pic).

I keep my boat in the arm next to it, and the boats next to me had damage on the swim platforms slamming in to the end of the slip and flying debris. Keeping my boat on a lift seemed to be what kept mine without any damage.

 

[First Born]

Wow, sorry to hear of the damage. Glad to hear you made it through it ok.

Wesley

 

[SearayTX]

Appreciate it. I just got a phone call. The houseboat on the right just sunk.

 

[STIHLBOLTS]

Wow, glad you missed getting hit. Sorry to see the others go down like that. Very undignified. :smt100

 

[SearayTX]

I've only been a boat owner for 4 years and (knock on wood), have not had to claim damage under my boating insurance. In a case like this, is the marina's insurance liable in anyway, or is just your personal boat insurance?

 

[chuck1]

I've only been a boat owner for 4 years and (knock on wood), have not had to claim damage under my boating insurance. In a case like this, is the marina's insurance liable in anyway, or is just your personal boat insurance?

Ouch, glad you came though ok. If you look at the fine print in your slip lease I'm sure you are going to find some wording that they are not liable :smt021

 

[First Born]

Not really sure but if I were guessing you signed a contract with the marina holding them harmless for any damage to your boat. In which case I would think it would fall on your own personal insurance. Your insurance company may try and subrogate against your marina but their insurance company is going to show the contract; which if done correctly will say you are responsible for all damage. Just my thoughts, maybe someone who has experienced this can let us know how it was handled.

Wesley

 

[First Born]

Ok Chuck beat me to it :smt021

 

[goblue]

I've only been a boat owner for 4 years and (knock on wood), have not had to claim damage under my boating insurance. In a case like this, is the marina's insurance liable in anyway, or is just your personal boat insurance?

You insure your boat. The marina insures its property.

 

[Scholarship]

Is this at Lake Lewisville?

 

[SearayTX]

Yes, it is Lewisville.

 

[Converse48]

You insure your boat. The marina insures its property.

What happens when their "property" lands on your boat? What if the marina's liability (e.g. shoddy construction or poor maintanance) was a contributing factor? I'm not suggesting that was the case in this situation in TX, but I'm curious about that. Is there a lawyer in the house?

 

[wish2fish]

what happened to the houseboat to cause it to sink. Looks like there shouldn't be any damage from the roof cave in.

 

[SearayTX]

Festivus, that was where I was leaning. Wind was a factor here, and I'm sure that there was some damage from roof debris flying around. There were several peices of the marina floating in the middle of the lake. I don't know if the marinas in my area have to be buillt to a certain code to stand up to high winds (ex hurricane codes on the coast).

Our marina is only 4 years old, and looks brand new. They take great care of it, and not sure if you can do anything against 70 mph winds. They have closed the marina until at least Wed, and also closed the city park that surrounds the marina. I know that they have to stabilize the fuel from the boats that sank, and then have to be cleared by some local agencies and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

 

[SearayTX]

wish2fish
Don't quite know. From the pics I took around lunch time it looks like the boat already has some water inside weighing it down, and it sank about 5 hours later. It is an older boat that is fairly new to the marina (this past summer), and it needed a lot of work. The people who bought it were up there almost every weekend before Dec working on it.

 

[wish2fish]

I thinking they had a leak through a seal and the pumps were handling it. Probably lost power and batteries died.

 

[Stray Cat]

Slips designed like that must be like a giant airplane wing. Once the balance of air pressure changes it wants to fly or fly apart.

If the power went out at the marina, the houseboat must have had a leak the battery and bilge pump(s), if they worked, couldn't keep up with. It must be fairly deep where the MY went under...

 

[First Born]

You insure your boat. The marina insures its property.

What happens when their "property" lands on your boat? What if the marina's liability (e.g. shoddy construction or poor maintanance) was a contributing factor? I'm not suggesting that was the case in this situation in TX, but I'm curious about that. Is there a lawyer in the house?

Not really sure but if I were guessing you signed a contract with the marina holding them harmless for any damage to your boat. In which case I would think it would fall on your own personal insurance. Your insurance company may try and subrogate against your marina but their insurance company is going to show the contract; which if done correctly will say you are responsible for all damage. Just my thoughts, maybe someone who has experienced this can let us know how it was handled.

That was the reason for my response, the only true way to find out is to file a claim with your insurance company and let them try and argue with the other insurance company about who is responsible. I personally feel that if you go back and read your agreement with your marina you will find that it has a hold-harmless provision which means any damage that happens to your boat will not be brought back against the Marina(as long as your state allows such agreements). You will soon find out just by talking to the other boat owners. How about the boat beside the house boat did it make it ok would hate to see that one go down.

 

[wish2fish]

I'm with firstborn on this one. I would turn into my insurance and let them fight it out with the marina and/or their insurnace company. One of the reasons you have insurance and an agent it to make life simplier when you have problems. If they do get the claim paid for by the marina or their insurance company it shouldn't count against you.

 

[slack250]

And to think I was just about to put my boat out there!