Hit and Run in St Maarten

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by tp12

If his intentions were good I doubt very much that he'd leave without communicating what he was doing. And if they are good, then he's very naive to just leave and not think anything of it.

Who makes an agreement to fix damages and then leaves without making any further arrangements? Dodgy people...

People need to give the OP a break - of course he'd be upset. So would everyone here, if they're honest with themselves.

Exactly.

[adoxograph]

Originally Posted by YachtSplinter

...

As the boat as the only thing I own..it's true. What don't I have enough personal wealth for you ?

You built a yacht and own it. Good (wealthy) enough for me.

Hope the other guy comes back and sorts it out. Keep us posted.

[Delancey]

YachtSplinter, nice boat! Very impressive. Sorry about your misfortune. I hope it gets sorted favorably for you.

Personally, I cant think of a single reason why I wouldn't stop by to alert you to my departure if I had honorable intentions. Consider it a simple courtesy. At least leave a note. That's why I really look forward to being proven wrong about my assumptions about Gerard Sirot. Even if he does show up and make good he is still a jerk for skipping out without notice.

[JPA Cate]

Thanks, Delancey, for the pic of Splinter.

Ann

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by barboak

The OP posted on the Sint Maarten sailors FB page on Wednesday and has got some real time local help including pics of the incident. I don't believe he has found the owner of the Bavaria yet but he will probably show up or be tracked down.
Almost all the islands have FB cruisers pages now and then some more general pages such as the Eastern Caribbean cruisers and Coconut Telegraph. Much more targeted audience who may actually know and see the boats involved!


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Tried to look at the photos but couldn't findd that page on facebook. Do you have a link?

Thanks
Skip

[Garold]

Over the years, I've been hit several times.

One of the few times that I actually caught up with one of the perps was in our own marina. After confronting him and relating the fact that there were witnesses, the guy agreed to pay for my damage for which I quickly got an estimate from the marina workshop (same day). I presented the estimate for the gelcoat repair which he agreed to pay directly the next day. He was an overseas buyer who had just purchased the classic Swan yacht from the broker in our marina.

Fortunately, I woke early the next morning and noticed that he was loosening his lines intending to leave at 7am without having paid me the money which he had agreed to do before he left. I ran in my pyjamas to confront him. He turned off his engine and after discussion with his wife produced the cash.

The conversations woke his children who came up to see what was happening. He looked so honest and respectable with his young family there. Such a misread on my part.

And that's the only person to have damaged my boat that I have had payment from. The others were all non reporters, or deliberately mis informed me of their details, or just cheated their way out of the responsibility.

I think that my experiences are not unusual.

And so I, like several others, sympathise with the OP.

In most instances in my experience, other sailors do not behave truthfully. The default is that if you get hit, you need to be really pushy and demanding to get any form of payment from the other party. Low key respectful behaviour usually results in you paying your own damage bills. (Or paying increased insurance premium on renewals).

Don't lose your resolve YachtSplinter. I entirely understand how you may suspect that the guy disappearing without notice suggests to you that he intends to avoid settling with you. I, for one, think that you are likely to be correct.

Good luck.

Garold

[barboak]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Tried to look at the photos but couldn't findd that page on facebook. Do you have a link?



Thanks

Skip

Another boat in SXM was anchored near the incident and on FB offered the photos to the OP. They did not post them as far as I know!


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Delancey]

The boat appears to be a cruisified version of a Dudley Dix Mini 6.5 design called the Didi Cruise Mini. Like I said, impressive boat building project and also impressive sailing transat in a twenty one foot boat. Solo?

[rourkeh]

I am in St Maarten full time and will keep an eye out for the guy and or his boat.
Interesting all the posts from people who just want to argue, not actually offer any positive help. Don't you people have anything better to do. Guess not.

[YachtSplinter]

Thank you everyone who has been looking on the Island for Gerard, and to people looking on the other islands too. I really appreciate it.

I have yet to collect the photos from the witness boat as they are still in the Lagoon on the Dutch side and I am on the French side. They have put the photos on a cd so I need to collect them.

Just for the naysayers here, myself and Gerard didn't really start to discus a price for the repairs, I was to collect some quotes from the Dutch side and I asked him to find some on the French side and we could go from there. To me that seems more than reasonable. I have received one quote so far and the cost was $600.

I have learnt a lot from this experience, next time I will not be so trusting and get a copy of the insurance documents, boat papers passport ect and report to the authorities straight away.

The likes of Cadence are not really needed here so thank you for the bumps but I would ask you kindly to leave your comments to your self. Maybe if you can find Gerard then you could defend him if you like, at least then your efforts would be put to good use in finding him first.

[TonyGP]

kapow!!! Well said mate

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by YachtSplinter

Thank you everyone who has been looking on the Island for Gerard, and to people looking on the other islands too. I really appreciate it.

I have yet to collect the photos from the witness boat as they are still in the Lagoon on the Dutch side and I am on the French side. They have put the photos on a cd so I need to collect them.

Just for the naysayers here, myself and Gerard didn't really start to discus a price for the repairs, I was to collect some quotes from the Dutch side and I asked him to find some on the French side and we could go from there. To me that seems more than reasonable. I have received one quote so far and the cost was $600.

I have learnt a lot from this experience, next time I will not be so trusting and get a copy of the insurance documents, boat papers passport ect and report to the authorities straight away.

The likes of Cadence are not really needed here so thank you for the bumps but I would ask you kindly to leave your comments to your self. Maybe if you can find Gerard then you could defend him if you like, at least then your efforts would be put to good use in finding him first.

Sorry I ruffled your feathers. If you had included this type of explanation at the git go. My take may have been different? If we are speaking $600 I have a hard time believing a man with a yacht would run. That would be chump change for him and would probably not file a claim but open his wallet . Different strokes for different folks. I hope it works out

[Dauntlessny]

I feel for you with your damage. Probably as aggravating as anything else, is the number of days, nights, hours, the responsible boater is making sure his boat is not dragging and if so deals with it before it does any damage.

Much like you I have learned from fender-benders that it's always best to get some cash in hand. More often than not, there is no insurance or they won't submit a claim.

[hsi88]

I'm really digging these new design mono-hulls. Maybe I'm living under a rock, because I have never seen one where I sail. Don't even remember seeing one at the Annapolis boat show. Or perhaps I'm just not very observant. But I love the extra room without being a cat and I can see where they could be really fast with just a little heel. My hat's off to the OP for building her. Way more room than your average 21 footer. Nice boat!

[AquaGeo]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

This is getting pretty funny now.

The owner's name is Gerard Sirot. The boat name is "Marifa." Let's try not to mangle it up any further than we already have. LOL

Hopefully he'll have some luck tracking "Marifa" down via VHF in the next few days.

No one finds the Marfia if they don't wanna be found capiche?