Hit and Run in St Maarten

[tp12]

Originally Posted by YachtSplinter

Ok, I think this thread is quickly loosing what I had intended.

The guy does not have AIS
He has a broken radio
He agreed to do everything to sort this
He was anchored 2 boats away then left..? I would guess this is not the action of a honest person..I would reason to think it is reasonable for him to pop over to let me know his plans.
I have contacted the coast guard on the Dutch side, as he has left the Dutch side by checking out of customs on Monday they have no power on the French side.
I have also contacted the French Customs and police to help but as it's a civil dispute they are not really interested.

I am trying to look for him on the French side of the island and asking for local people to just keep an eye out to help me find him.


Yes I agree 2 sides of a situation but I have much more important things to do than to set up a name and shame campaign on a stranger. The guy hit my boat, did a runner I need to find him quickly it's the Caribbean..he can be anywhere in a short time.

I was minding my own business reading at anchor when this guy hit my boat I was down in the cabin.
He did agree to help and was very reasonable and I trusted him, he seemed a respectable person.

What I do not understand is why he left without telling me where he was going and making arrangements with the damage .

If the tread is in the wrong place I am sorry, what I am looking for is local people to keep a look out to help me.

Please remember I am the innocent party here with damage to my boat with nobody now to pay for the repair. I do not think this is fair.

Just off topic

Some of you please give me a break, this is not a public shame campaign, I just need help to find the guy. I think by checking out of a country where the damage was done is not a good sign and I have Every right to try to find the guy. If he innocently shows up then I will remove this, and if I find him I will remove it as well. It is just a tool to find the guy.

I am looking for help to find this guy, what am I expected to say ? People need to know the reason why I am looking for him. Please don't use this tread as a bashing stick towards me just because you don't like the post. That's a waste of time.

I have a genuine problem with this guy and need to find him...do you think you have a genuine problem with me ?

Please feel free to offer advice like where on the internet I can find help looking for the guy. But if your over 2000 miles away you are not my target audience.

Don't worry mate, you're doing the right thing. He's done a runner; pure and simple. If he'd contacted you to let you know where he was going and to make arrangements then that would be different. But he hasn't.

I wish you the best of luck in finding the guy and here's a bump to the top for your thread.

[cards26]

He shamed himself when he left.

[Jsta_Rebel]

Sorry to hear this happened to you YachtSplinter. The holding can be bad in some places and especially the anchorage in the lagoon coming through the Dutch side between the two bridges. I'm one island over from you, but I'd be glad to let you know if he shows up in Anguilla. I also want to ask why you didn't report this incident to the Dutch marine enforcement and especially ICE. I know that they wouldn't have allowed the boat to go through the bridge and leave until this issue was settled.

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by David B

I also hope the OP finds this guy and receives appropriate compensation

I think we all want that ... I never said I didn't either, but it would seem some people only think in "for" and "against" and miss the point completely.

So be it

I hope the OP gets his compensation, tho I still feel he could (should) have worded his post differently until the situation becomes more clear

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by 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

Rarely is more paperwork and bureaucracy a good thing. This is one of those occasions.

Good advice to submit a claim with your insurance company. Even if you don't end up claiming. Make sure you retract in writing, if necessary, so you don't get allocated increased premiums in the future.

Also be persistent with the police and authorities about filing an incident report. Don't take no for an answer. They are paid with somebody's tax dollars. They are paid to fill out forms.

Might also be a good idea to alert other jurisdictions and marinas. A well worded email with some evidence, like photos, can work wonders. Follow the emails up with a phone call. Just state the facts and be professional. Also state any verbal or written agreements. If you have witnesses state that fact but perhaps not name them until you need to.

The act of placing a lien on someone else's property is sometimes possible. Most customs authorities love an excuse to exercise their power.

All depends on how much effort you want to put in.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[captlloyd]

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?

Wow, your insensitivity to the OP is astounding. Are you somehow related to the scumbag that hit this poor fellow?

[cards26]

Beating up newbies again.

I wonder if a member of the 'antagonistas' had written the same exact comment about the boat damage, would this band of bullies attack one of their own?

[AquaGeo]

My fave part of this post is haw quickly it went from the original point

"Hey guys, this guy hit my boat and I need help finding him"

To people wanting details of damage and being pissy about the wording of the post and wanting to hear the other side...

Interesting perhaps, but totally missing the OP's point.

Good luck!

[Oc1]

Here's a free bump. Good luck finding the guy. Hopefully this thread will be brought to his attention and he will make good on your agreement. I don't blame you for using every means at your disposal to try and track him down. Keep us updated as I would love to hear if it turns out differently than we all expect it to.

[swisscraft]

Looks he is maybe Swiss Citizen, or at least he lived once there..

Some options:
If his boat is under Swiss Flag, insurance is mandatory and you could reach the registration office directly (there is just one for sea going vessels) ask for his insurance and claim your damage directly wth them. This may be the easiest way and probably the most surprising for this fellow: https://www.eda.admin.ch/smno/en/home.html
PS. Names of Swiss flagged boats are unique - and there is just one port, spelled in our different languages, so you should see: Basel, Bale or Basilea.

Second, Switzerland has a very simple dept enforcement system which you can initiate with relative little money. Its difficult to find much in English but if your damage is significant it may be a further option if you can find his local address and he still has assets in Switzerland (even a pension would work). But as said, you may have spend a few hundred $$ upfront and you need to be well documented to win a case. But people hate it, as it give you a bad credit record which is still a big thing there.
https://www.ch.ch/en/debt-enforcement-request/

I would try option 1 - if the government is able to gives you the insurance details and you have a witness or so you almost settled. Never tried but maybe just a few emails...

Saying so - hope he has a Swiss registered boat...
Good luck !!

Marco

[TonyGP]

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?

And what difference will it make to you if you see pics of the damage? Do you know where this guy is and seeing the pics will cause you to report his where abouts?
The OP is merely requesting that if anyone knows where the guy is or happens to see him in their travels that they get in touch with him. It is not your place to judge the case, nor was the OP asking you to. If anyone is sensitive about the wording used in the original post, you have the choice to ignore this thread.

[SaltyMetals]

The yacht should be registered somewhere. What flag?

Happened to me in the uk a few yrs ago and I eventually tracked the rat down through the UK ships register.

Maybe he intentionally switched off his AIS so he cld not be easily tracked. Sooner or later he will switch it on again and can be found through AIS Vessel Tracking - AIS Positions Maps | AIS Marine Traffic.

[davefrediam]

Good luck finding the scumbag!

[HappyMdRSailor]

I hope this all gets sorted out...

And we can change your screen name soon...

And you'll stick around !

[Getweh]

Originally Posted by YachtSplinter

HIt and Run. Yacht "Marifa" Bavaria 47

On 31 March yacht "Marifa" dragged her anchor and caused damage to my boat. The owner Gerard Sirot seemed honourable and was going to sort the damage, a value was not yet aggreeded on, we were waiting for some local quotes.

On Monday 4 April in the morning he checked out of St Maarten.
I'm hoping he is still on the island as he wanted to see friends here. so we can sort this problem out, if you see "Marifa" or Gerard please let me know.

Here's a Bump