Spring Launch Disaster

And if you melt down these manifolds the magic stainless steel makes for a great fiberglass repair too! It can also be used to re-cast a new outdrive if you need one.
 
Jsea - I really feel for you. I was sick reading this. Good luck with this situation. It must feel like a no-win position to be in.
Mark
 
That is some slick marketing you got there. The 'ole "Not cool to drop your boat" segway into let me sell you $2500 worth of boat parts you don't need. Nice...real nice.
 
Although the insurance will take care of the damages..we hope. You will never be compensated for the lost fun times while your boat is laid up getting repaired. I'm sorry to hear this.
 
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You said originally that the fuel tank was directly over the crack in the keel. If that's true, there's no 50/50 about it. Your fiberglass guy cuts a huge hole in the bottom of your boat, then tells you he may not need to pull the fuel tank? If I've got the facts straight, you'd better find a new glass guy.

What are you going to do if the repairs are half-assed, or if unforseen damage makes itself know later? Say "pretty please" can you fix this also? To protect yourself, you should have gotten your insurance company involved.

Good luck with the repairs.
 
Interesting that he already started cutting holes - have you authorized them to do anything to it? I hope you were lucky to have pictures or have non-employees witness this whole fiasco. I'd get your insurance company involved - be the first call I'd make and then they can pursue the correct course of action. I agree though - I'd be pushing for a replacement boat. Sorry to hear - hope this all works out for you!
 
F repairs. New or used boat equal to the value of yours including an inspection by a surveyor of your choice for the new ride.

Sorry, I would NOT settle for repairs. A 4' drop of something made of glass and parts mounted that rely on the integrity of that glass is going to haunt you down the road. I just KNOW you will be posting here in 2 years about the cracks and looseness of everything.

I would show this guy the thread here and tell him you have many many people's input on this.
 
I'm really sorry to hear about this. I would be stewing for sure. I would also consider asking them to replace the boat with like model and condition that hasn't been dropped. Then give them your boat to sell and recoup whatever they can. There are so many things that have been affected I can imagine.

Best of luck
 
If he is going to make the repairs, do tell him that you'll be there at the end of every work day to inspect and take pictures.
Hate to say it, but assume this will become a litigated matter down the road. Protect yourself now, so that you won't kick yourself later.
 
If thay started to repair the boat all ready that is because they want to hide dammage with surface repairs I would not have let them start to repair the boat till you have contaced your insurance co. and get your own survayor to asses the dammages and insisted on a replacement boat of equal value survayed to your satisfaction.
I hope you took pictures right away because now that the repair has started who knows what the original dammage looks like.
I wish you well and hope you can get a new boat
Dave
 
Jsea,

Geeze,
I am real sorry to hear about your bad luck on this. I agree with the guys urging caution on this.

A friend of mine and his dad race to Macinaw island evry year on lake Michigan. Several years back they bought a new used sailboat to race. They got all the way up to Traverse City and hit some pretty good sized waves. The boat broke in half. The EPIRB saved them and they were all airlifted out of the water. The boat had been surveyed before the purchase and deemed to be in excellent condition. After the accident, they found out that the boat had incurred previous hull damage, and that is why she broke.

I'd be getting the name of that Rabbi Lawyer someone mentioned earlier.

Good luck, don't mean to cause you anxiety, just want you and your family to be safe.

Regards,

Jeff
 
I'll chime in as well and say you must call your insurance company and the insurance company of the marina. He wants to sweep this under the rug to keep his premiums down and cover up a big whoops. He is doing so in a manner that leaves all the risk and potential problems in your lap from here on down the road.
 
RT 240SD said:
I'll chime in as well and say you must call your insurance company and the insurance company of the marina. He wants to sweep this under the rug to keep his premiums down and cover up a big whoops. He is doing so in a manner that leaves all the risk and potential problems in your lap from here on down the road.
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Bada-Bing......... Dead on... I'm really sorry. Reading about how the boat dropped made my stomach churn.

Although the marina wants to take care of you, I can certainly understand that it might be a little uncomfortable rocking the boat. (no pun intended). However, I can definitely say that I would not want a 5-ton boat that took a header on the transom keel and motor near the gas tank. The impact most probably put some serious stress on portions of boat that are not visible.

Sorry, but in my opinion the boat is damaged goods and you just personally took a hell of a depreciation hit out of no fault of your own. No matter how well they fix, you have "DAMAGED GOODS". I think you deserve a little better. I would get your insurance company involved and let them go to bat for you to possibly get you into a comparable boat and/or make sure that the repairs are agreed to/or overseen by your insurance.
 
You didn't say who your insurance is with. My guess is that if you decide to get them involved, they will require a structual engineer to inspect the boat and determine the damage, how it can be repaired or if it is a total loss.

I appreciate you not wanting to get them involved but you are intentionally keeping them in the dark about damage which if they discover it later as a result of another "accident" they can refuse to pay. By getting them involved you actually protect everyone's interest.......including the owner of the marina.

As said before....boats are not built to withstand the physics of being dropped four feet on any hard surface.

-John
 
boatrboy said:
Jsea - I really feel for you. I was sick reading this. Good luck with this situation. It must feel like a no-win position to be in.
Mark
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Hey Mark, ya this is making me crazy. On one hand i agree with many of the folks on this site, saying i should recieve a new or equal valued boat, then my mechanic says this damage would be equal to a fender bender in a car, because of where and how it hit. He said if it would have taken a full direct hit on the pavement, it would have been a total loss. But where it hit the damage stayed localized. As mentioned by some other folks here i'm worried about damage showing up later on down the road, so i am pushing for some kind of signed statement. Thanks Jsea
 
Ya i didn't realize they would start repairs this quickly, i came down one day and the glass guy had already cut out the crack. We have been taking pictures, though to document whats been happening. I'm going to get something from the surveyer, showing what he found and any recommendations. I'm also contacting an attorney just to see what recourse i have, and to get some kind of statement for the marina owner to sign. Everyone here has been so great, thank you all for your input. Jsea
 
I think you may be missing the point- I've got $500 that sez the first thing an attorney is going to tell you is that you should have notified your insurance carrier. They (insurance carrier) represent you and your boat- and have more attorneys than Carter's has liver pills...You paid for the surveyor, I assume- he should have already given you a written report.

You seem to have this inexplicable desire to not get your insurance company involved, even though just about everyone here has advised you to do so. So hoping you don't get screwed- good luck.
 
tobnpr said:
I think you may be missing the point- I've got $500 that sez the first thing an attorney is going to tell you is that you should have notified your insurance carrier. They (insurance carrier) represent you and your boat- and have more attorneys than Carter's has liver pills...You paid for the surveyor, I assume- he should have already given you a written report.

You seem to have this inexplicable desire to not get your insurance company involved, even though just about everyone here has advised you to do so. So hoping you don't get screwed- good luck.
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It's funny. If this had been my boat, the insurance company would have been my first call! Maybe, he doesn't have insurance? :huh:
 
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