Hurricane Ian sank our boat... but not our dreams.

[rwaldrop13]

I am calmer than my family and friends think I should be, but I am sorry to say that 2 years and 1 month to the week that we moved aboard Pau Hana and moved her to Fort Myers, our boat is gone. When the back side of the eyewall came up the Caloosahatchie River, it broke Legacy Harbor Marina apart. While Pau Hana's moorings held, the docks did not, and she was carried into a concrete pier across the entrance fairway. She was pinned there by the storm, and the rest of the marina dock sections shattered her into multiple pieces. My wife and I had evacuated to the marina hotel, and were on the second floor when she went down. The storm surge actually was up to the hood on my Chevy pickup in the marina parking lot, which was higher elevation than the hotel parking lot.

I have truly enjoyed being part of this group, and will continue to periodically log on, but right now I can't begin to even comprehend our loss. We lost everything except 3 changes of clothes, and while we have moved to a rented house 3 blocks from the marina, I still have a hard time driving by.

We are still awaiting action from our insurance company, who is stalling pending "assessment" of the damages. I've sent them pictures of the remains, to no avail. Currently we have no plan beyond the next year or so, and are deeply grateful to our friends and family who've reached out to help us with clothes, accommodations until we found a place, and a vehicle. Anyone reading this who thinks Enterprise Car Rental is a solid, reputable company, I am sorry for your delusion. Their conduct over the past 3 weeks was shameful at best, criminal at worst, and the storm does not justify the way I was treated by their Fort Myers/Boy Scout Road location.

Thank you for the advice, and camaraderie over the last 2 years. We were finally in a position mechanically and otherwise to start short cruises on Pau Hana, and in 12 short hours our dream was destroyed. The cherry on top was that this was my 57th birthday. Cruel irony that!

Rob Waldrop

 

[dannc]

Sorry to hear of the loss of your boat. Horrible is not a strong enough word.

We too had a bad experience with Enterprise. We needed a car due an accident so they brought the rental to our local Enterprise because they did not have one ready to go. This is a small operation in a small town. When we went to get the car, the smell of cigarette smoke wafting out of the car was over powering. We did not want the car. Told the manager as soon as we had opened the car door but since there was no other car, we had to take it while the brought up a new car. The manager had walked out side and he too could smell the smoke. It was unreal how bad that car smelled.

The next day, after picking up the new car, they billed US for smoking in the car that THEY transported for our use. They knew d...d well that car had been smoked in prior to us getting the car. They had driven 30 minutes to our local Enterprise. The local manager knew the car smelled because we dragged him out of the office for him to get a whiff. They were trying to pass the buck on to us and it was an expensive bill.

The local Manager lied, lied and lied. The manager where the car was from, lied, lied and lied. It took quite a few emails and phone calls to the credit card company and higher management in Enterprise to get this resolved.

Thankfully, we have not had to deal with Enterprise since then, and certainly they have new management, but they will be a provider of last resort after that experience. The only other company that was this bad, well they were worse, was Nationwide Insurance. They are NOT on your side but will be up your back side.

Good luck with the insurance and Enterprise.

Later,
Dan

 

[FlyWright]

So sorry for the loss of your boat and belongings. Hope you find an agreeable settlement in your future that starts a new chapter in life. Hopefully that includes another boat.

In the meantime, glad to know you'll be checking in to TF periodically to keep the dream alive. Wishing you the most favorable conditions moving forward.

 

[Fletcher500]

Stories like this are heart breaking. These vessels provide us amazing adventures with friends and family and are a source of memories we will always treasure. They are physical objects constructed of plastic and steel, but also become part of our family. Best to you.

 

[psneeld]

That's the problem with sinking too much feeling into a boat. Lose it and it is a bummer but if like part of the family you have to mourn it.

Most people wind up with multiple boats in a lifetime and we all move on when we sell and buy.... not sure why some times people hold on to feelings for a boat that is lost or given up unexpectedly but not for one that is sold quickly so we can move to the next one.

I just hope I never equate any material object with a family member or close friend loss... they wouldn't like to be compared to something with an insurance policy on it.

To the OP, chin up... your passion will continue to work towards your dreams..... bad things come to pass... a lot of us have made it through rough times and just keep moving forward.... it's the only formula that works.

 

[hollywood8118]

Rwaldrop,
Please keep us informed on the process, others can also learn through your process. I have fond memories of the experiences that our boats have allowed us to have over the years.. but in the end the boats themself are are just things. The memories always last longer than the boat itself.
Hopefully the boat was not full of your life's memories.
Hollywood

 

[Blissboat]

Very sorry for your experience, Rob. Your thread title says your dreams are still afloat. Keep them that way, and let us hear about what comes next.

 

[ScottC]

So sorry to hear about your horrible loss, Rob. Looking forward, though, should be better, as it couldn't possibly be any worse than what you just went through.

 

[Captain Salty]

Moving on

Well Rob, somewhere down the road of life you’ll probably find out why you had to lose this boat. You have also learned how the natural world works and it sure as hell could not care less about you or your things.

After 50 years as a licensed Mariner, I know there is always another boat. With the experience you gained with your Hatteras, you’re better prepared when looking for the next one. I’m sure there were a few things in your boat that annoyed or worried you because none of them are perfect.

Your dreams are not ended nor, it seems, broken. You get a fresh start with lots of ill gained, but useful knowledge. You will find another place to keep the next boat, hopefully out of hurricane zones when they are in season.(Wishful, hopeful thinking doesn’t work. No one is exempted.).

Expect to move seasonally and enjoy the travel. Familiar marinas and waters are fine things, but you learn more by cruising and the “grass may be greener” somewhere else.

Insurance is a fine thing for marina owners and boatyards, not so much for boat owners. It’s just the way it is. Don’t expect more. Who knows, maybe one day one will surprise you.

Salty

 

[Peter B]

Sincere condolences. because it will, for a time, feel like loss of a family member. However, hopefully time will heal that feeling, and a new plan will emerge to redirect your drive and enthusiasm into.

 

[Endeavor GB 32]

Hey Rob, I know that this won't make you feel any better, but here goes; 1. We recently prematurely lost our dog Stella, I honestly would rather have lost our boat. My wife would not be crying in the middle of the night 5 weeks later. Boats are replacable.. 2. In 2009 when the great recession cost us eveything, every day I would tell myself, "If I went to the waiting room at Children's Hospital, everyone in the waiting room would trade places with me, because all I lost was some sh** and you can always buy more sh**." Also, remember the famous words of Gen. Joe Stillwell: "Illegitimus non carborundum!" (Don't let the bastards grind you down.) Looking forward to your new boat stories down the line.
Best regards,
Scott

 

[cbouch]

Don’t understand why you guys are beating this guy up...off course his loss is not as important as a sick child or death in the family but it is more than a boat it was everything they owned except a few changes of clothes...how would you feel if your house blew away with ever one of your possessions? Btw,enterprise sucks! It reflects badly on the great loop association that continues to carry it as a sponsor...

 

[psneeld]

Not sure anyone is beating him up...just putting things into perspective.

When you move aboard and give up dirt, which some of us have for a big piece of our lives, losing everything to the sea is a constant threat one has to be ready for.

If you are ready for it, it doesn't take all the sting out but one often has a plan and dives into it. If not, it is easy to fall into depression if one doesn't start to see the light at the end of the tunnel soon. Letting him know that either us redundant of hopefully it helps.

Rarely have I seen empathy really fix anything.

 

[Fletcher500]

Such amazing and well founded advice from people who truly have life figured out. Wow, I really need to tune in to TF more often for these pearls of wisdom.