"T" boned by a rental sailboat yesterday

We have lots of rentals in SD. If you are breathing, and can get your credit card on the counter, you are good to go.

We were in our slip yesterday, down below, and "whack". Came running up, and two people are in a 20 ft sailboat, mainsail up, still pinned against our boat. Keep in mind, we were inside the slip by several feet, and not sticking out.

After we got him unpinned, I went over tot he rental place, and they said it was between me and him, and they were not responsible. No apologies from the rentee, or renter. Which is how I figured it would go down.

I got his info, and will be calling the main office tomorrow.

Amazing, these rentals place (sail and power) cause havoc on our waterways.

Contact your insurer now- let them handle the heavy lifting. There is liability exposure that needs to be addressed.

Depending on the amount of damage, think my first phone call would be to the marine police. Think I would want an accident report from a LEO before things got he said she said.

Ted

Owners are just as bad. We had someone ram our boat while we were in the slip a few weeks ago. our boat won the battle, but he did manage to bend our bow roller a bit. He was nice enough to appologize and offer to pay for the repair, but it is something I can do myself faster than taking it to a shop - hopefully without having to remove it from the boat. I cam running out swearing like a sailor when I heard the crash (was sitting on the floor in the saloon defrosting the fridge). He kept saying over and over "sorry, we are new boaters." Just like with the rentals, perhaps we need to have better training requirements - something more than an online exam that is 90% oriented to jetskis and how many life jackets need to be on the boat. Hope it all works out for you.

Frequent problem in the Eastern Caribbean, difference is that we are not locals and the renter is frequently from a 3rd country altogether and is going home in a couple of days.

Many amusing stories of me standing on a trawler in the midst of a couple hundred sailboats giving sailing instructions to tourists on Hobie cats.

Don't mind the tourists not knowing how to sail, but it is sad that many/most do not understand what 45 degrees means (as in 45 degrees off the wind). At least in the United States it appears many of the schools no longer teach angles and degrees.

The damage was not extensive, just venting.


About 9 months ago, some guy and his girl friend who rented from the same place, ran aground on the beach with a nice sailboat. The news cameras where on the beach filming them as they came in. No remorse, laughing it off, probably still under the influence.


These rental places need to do a better job vetting, and training, but that is not their business model. Its all about cash in the register.

Rest assured the rental companies are no happier about it than you are but the nature of their business requires renting to a lot of inexperienced and even irresponsible people.

Claiming it didn't involve them was just wrong from a legal standpoint. Their agreement with the renter probably says it's the renters responsibility but they have to collect on that. You aren't part of that agreement and the law doesn't allow them to relieve themselves of responsibility to third parties.

Now, in any situation such as this, even when you initially think the damage is minimal is photos, attempt to get a report by a LEO, and notify your insurance with all the information you have. Your insurance company is prepared and equipped to take it the rest of the way. They are obligated to pay if the other party doesn't so they have real incentive.

Insurance is seldom a benefit unless the insurance company can recover from the rental company. Most of us have deductibles high enough to repair the damage caused by a t-bone from a Hobie Cat.

I have had several friends who basically had to pay the full amount of the repairs even though they had insurance.

So far I have been lucky. But then I think about the rentals when we anchor and choose a spot away from the action.

Now the jet skis, that is another issue.

Bay Pelican said:

Insurance is seldom a benefit unless the insurance company can recover from the rental company. Most of us have deductibles high enough to repair the damage caused by a t-bone from a Hobie Cat.

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Good point.

BandB said:

Good point.

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That is why I went straight to the rental company. I have been talking to them the past few days and I am hopeful they will do the right thing.

'At least in the United States it appears many of the schools no longer teach angles and degrees.'

NO THEY ARE TOO BUSY TEACHING SELF ESTEEM.

So the question then becomes Why was your boat in his way?

FF said:

So the question then becomes Why was your boat in his way?

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My boat was in the slip, tied up, not sticking out, and the sailboat came in with flying colors and the mainsail up.

I think I have a red target on our boat. I was sitting dead in the water yesterday, floating in a no wake area showing a guest on the boat the electronics, and a sailboat who was motoring almost side swiped me by 5 ft. Large open area, with a 1/4 mile on each side but he needed to get to the dock, and that was the line he was taking. Amazing.

Similar 'encounter' for us last Oct at the crowded San Francisco Bay Fleet Week Blue Angels performance. A 60 ft Hatteras got loose and ended up T-boned on our bow pulpit like a pickle on a fork while we were tight on anchor. I had to deploy more rode to get uncoupled.

His insurance covered all the costs and were terrific to deal with but it took 3 months to complete the repairs. I could have done a better job on much of the work at a fraction of the cost and time, but the insurance company wanted the pros to do it. It involved replacing the teak pulpit 'fork', some minor caprail repairs, new anchor roller and rub rail. The insurance company even covered a bottom job.

In the end, I ended up with a better boat but the costs were (IMO) criminally escalated by a dishonest boat works in Vallejo, CA. For example, he charged 6.5 hrs labor to remove the damaged pulpit. I was present and assisting the removal and we were done in 1:45. That was just the tip of the iceberg. Suffice to say, I couldn't wait for my boat to be returned to me even in it's partially completed state. I will never return there again! But I digress...

I'm sorry it happened but all's well that ends well. I hope you'll get your insurance company involved to help ensure your costs are covered for a proper repair.

How bad is it? Worse than some gouged gelcoat and bent stainless?

"My boat was in the slip, tied up, not sticking out, and the sailboat came in with flying colors and the mainsail up."

So you admit it was in his way!!!

Probably half the blame is on the marina too for having a slip in his way.

If it gets to court you will be accused of having the marina move at 15K into his right of way.

Sail takes precedent over power , simply being tied in a slip does not absolve your power vessel!

FF said:

"My boat was in the slip, tied up, not sticking out, and the sailboat came in with flying colors and the mainsail up."

So you admit it was in his way!!!

Probably half the blame is on the marina too for having a slip in his way.

If it gets to court you will be accused of having the marina move at 15K into his right of way.

Sail takes precedent over power , simply being tied in a slip does not absolve your power vessel!

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Yes, it is ironic. I used to sail, and in general respect sailboat people. I always give them right of way, but I don't seem to get it when I am paddling my outrigger as a self propelled vessel.