Hit and Run in St Maarten

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

But reposting my post to point out it isn't helpful is helpful?

If you learned something from it, then yes.


Unlike you, I have no problem with the OP asking if anyone has seen the guy who hit his boat and has not yet paid for the repairs. The guy has left and did not bother to tell the OP what his intentions were.

Since they already agreed that the other guy was at fault and would pay, I think it's just fine that he use every resource (including the net) to find the runner.

[boatman61]

Most likely place he'll be is anchored in the pack in Marigot Bay or round in Grande Case.. unless he headed for St Barts.. tho' I believe its been pretty windy recently..

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

are there no police in St Maarten?

Can't answer that question.

But my boat was docked at a marina in the US next to where the FWC boat is docked when it was hit by a power boat. It was a short walk, maybe 100 meters to the FWC who I was told was the correct party to contact. I took pix on my cell phone and walked over and showed the pix. I was told unless the damage was more than $US2,000 they would not take a report.

Fortunately I was able to get repairs paid for by the guy who hit my boat and now you can't tell my sugar scoop was hit. But just because there are police/FWC/USCG/whatever does not mean contacting them will solve the problem.

[robert sailor]

A few weeks ago near Panama a boat dragged down on a friend of mine and did damage to the bow and stanchions. He simply announced that he had no insurance and no money and my friend ate it. I didn't say much at the time but I noticed the guy had a near new hard dink and motor so for someone with no money he seemed to be doing OK. If he had tried that game on me he might be rowing a used dink right now.

[Cadence]

Maybe I'm a cynical old bastard. But with no pics or description of damages? Not inferring the OP may not have a legit claim. I would like to see the damage and the claim.

I would hate to see the other guy, pic of him and all, falsely accused.

Let me ask you if you were the other guy?

[neilpride]

Your best bet is to put a complaint in the police station and hope for the best, if the guy in question is near St Barth St Marteen Anguilla area maybe you have a chance , if they leave the island for somewhere else like BVI or windwards your chances are nil , until you meet in a anchorage again with this guy, if you are lucky and meet again that Bavaria pls don't be so friendly this time....Good luck..

[Tayana42]

Your best bet may be to put in a claim with your own insurance and let them go after the guy that did the damage.


S/V B'Shert

[Juho]

I have no idea how the legal system works out there, but I propose a least to collect the names of witnesses and contact the police to make this official. I mean that I would not want to hear from the other guy that "nothing happened".

[DeepCut]

I agree that you should not go public. You have his Name, Picture, and Boat name and seems he was working to get repair quotes . I would not say he has HIT and RUN..
Accident? >>> Exchange info>>> repair>>> Fair reimbursement...

[Dockhead]

To put it into perspective, perhaps . . .

My boat has been hit more times than I can count, over the years. Been dragged into in the middle of the night, had a large power boat lose control in the tide and smash my davits, had a Dutch sailboat lose control in the tide and smash into my topside, had an English boat do exactly the same, two weeks later, and smashed the hydroplanes off my dinghy motor, had another English boat (a beautiful Swan) lose control in a sidewind and bash into the side of me, which happened less than a week after a fishing boat t-boned me at anchor, causing serious damage. Oh and a few weeks after that, a racing keel boat misjudged getting into a windward berth, and got blown into me.

Sigh.

Not in ONE SINGLE CASE, did any one of these, or their insurers, pay me anything.

The fisherman was uninsured, and the many thousands of damage were impossible for him to pay, some of the others just ran off, others started arguing that there was no damage before I even opened my mouth, someone or another gave me a phone number, but I have pretty much resigned myself to repairing my own gel coat, and using my own insurance if it's more then gel coat or a stanchion.


I guess none of this is much comfort to the OP, but I guess I'm trying to help him not be surprised at what happened to him. People, even sailors, often have surprisingly little feeling of responsibility in such cases. If he wants to make the guy pay, it might require quite a lot of effort -- only he can judge whether it's worth it.

[peter57]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Maybe I'm a cynical old bastard. But with no pics or description of damages? Not inferring the OP may not have a legit claim. I would like to see the damage and the claim.

I would hate to see the other guy, pic of him and all, falsely accused.

Let me ask you if you were the other guy?

Cynical?. Sad Rhythm more like it. You can not hear the other side of the story it has BOLTED.

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

To put it into perspective, perhaps . . .

My boat has been hit more times than I can count, over the years. Been dragged into in the middle of the night, had a large power boat lose control in the tide and smash my davits, had a Dutch sailboat lose control in the tide and smash into my topside, had an English boat do exactly the same, two weeks later, and smashed the hydroplanes off my dinghy motor, had another English boat (a beautiful Swan) lose control in a sidewind and bash into the side of me, which happened less than a week after a fishing boat t-boned me at anchor, causing serious damage. Oh and a few weeks after that, a racing keel boat misjudged getting into a windward berth, and got blown into me.

Sigh.

Not in ONE SINGLE CASE, did any one of these, or their insurers, pay me anything.

The fisherman was uninsured, and the many thousands of damage were impossible for him to pay, some of the others just ran off, others started arguing that there was no damage before I even opened my mouth, someone or another gave me a phone number, but I have pretty much resigned myself to repairing my own gel coat, and using my own insurance if it's more then gel coat or a stanchion.


I guess none of this is much comfort to the OP, but I guess I'm trying to help him not be surprised at what happened to him. People, even sailors, often have surprisingly little feeling of responsibility in such cases. If he wants to make the guy pay, it might require quite a lot of effort -- only he can judge whether it's worth it.

Wow, I hope you have better luck in the air!!!

[Nobody]

He probably thinks your boat isn't worth his time and trouble you probably won't see this guy again money up front if anything like this happens again or call the cops first
He's the bad apple in the barrel
Most cruisers I've met seem honest

[David B]

Originally Posted by Skuzzlebutt

Guys (and Gals ... No offense, gotta be PC here ),

Reading (most of) the replies here, I can't but wonder it were you in the position of the OP, if you'd feel the same.

The situation, as presented, is that OP's boat was damaged, the boater who caused the damage agreed to settle, then left the country, and the OP is trying to find him.

I find most of the replies here to be insensitive at best, and stupid at worst. Give the guy (the OP) a break! Especially if you are a thousand miles away.

Presuming that the police were not contacted, presuming it was a lightly damaged rub-rail, etc. is not helpful. Besides, if it is a $100 rub-rail, and the agreement was that it would be paid for, it should be done.

Personally, I tire of seeing the same old posters take positions without knowing the facts, making assumptions followed by pontifications as to what the poster should have done, should have known, should have ... you name it..

I see no reason whatsoever for at least half of the posts here. You have offered no help, no solutions.

Get a life!

jus' sayin...

On behalf of all reasonable people on this forum, I say thanks !
I also hope the OP finds this guy and receives appropriate compensation - for his time, the damage and the angst.
We all make mistakes at times - it is how we deal with them that shows the people we truly are.

[CSY Man]

I am all on the side of the OP in this case.
I have also been hit and dragged into at night but got it sorted out.
If some arsehole hit my boat, caused damage, then left the anchorage without paying, I would also go ballistic on the Internet with pics and details.
Easy to delete the thread when and if the culprit pays.