Cradle collapses at Mana wrecking yacht

[seafox]

I have just seen a sad sight in our haulout yard at Mana Cruising Club. A cradle with a 12m yacht has collapsed in 50 knot winds and the yacht looks wrecked. I read in our local paper that estimates to repair it (I would not want to own it afterwards) are over $100,000. A launch sitting adjacent looks to have copped the mast as it's bow rail is munched.

Lucky no one was working or living on it at the time. There are some liveaboards two boats away who have been working/living on the hard for over three weeks. I bet they are wondering how safe they are now.

I dont know why it happened. We regularly get 50knot winds here. While my boat was out last year we had three storms go through.

Looking at the metal struts on the cradle I can see a lot of rust at the join on the bottom of one so I can't help but think "poor maintenance".

Another quite flash cat (launch) was also damaged. That was caused through poorly placed timber supports. Looks to be a major repair too.

[Alan Wheeler]

Yeah it's been blowing it's socks off here too.

[Alan Wheeler]

Darryl, can you keep tabs on it as to what the insurance company may do with it? I am wondering what parts maybe salvageable off it.
Anychance the mast remained intacked??? Probably not a chance, but....
Have you a photo??

[seafox]

I think the mast was stuffed. It is a Chieftan 38. I will pm you the owners details. Dont have the camera this weekend and living on our boat for a couple of days. Will bring the camera next time we go home and back. It wont change its appearance in a hurry
The hull looks stuffed but all the fittings etc will be ok. The hull has bananaed so bad that the prop now hits the rudder. The bow rail and some stauntions are stuffed. Must be a lot of salvagable gear though.

[cooper]

wow how far did it fall to do that kind of damage ?

[seafox]

bottom of the keel was about a foot off the ground. The side metal supports gave way and it fell on its side. I think the mast was wiped out on the boat next door and the hull smashed onto some debris on the ground. It was a long way down for the hull. It looks like a two metre fist has punched into it.
The boat looks totalled.

[cooper]

Gee l am glad that l am building a steel boat. l guess falling over like that is a long way but it still suprises (worries?) me that so much damage could occur.

[seafox]

They don't like slamming into bits of wood and metal on the tarmac side on

[Ativa]

Last week at the Salt Creek Boat yard in St. Petersburg a steel sail boat was having some welding done when the interior caught fire. An extremely large hauler hauled it away most probably to become scap metal.
THe other interesting thing that I witness was a momo that was worked on for a few months by the owner getting new rigging placed on after it's extensive bottom and interior job. The bilge alarm came on. When the owner inspected the boat water was coming in at an alarming rate. THe boat was hauled out and just in front of the Keel the Fiberglass was cracked wide open. The rigging company claims it was due to a bad re-glass job on the keel, however the owner says that it was from years of dumping oil into the bilge and pumping it over. Either way they are grinding out the bottom of the boat to re-glass it.

[cooper]

Yep.......thats steel boats for ya... the number of times that l have set the paddock on fire........carry a water knapsack on the back of my truck just to deal with it. As for inside the boat, even if you dont actually burn the insides out, grindings and sparks can wreck linings, pit windows, and all sorts of other damage. I know of a situation where guy working for friend on small section of car, small section catches fire, small section sets car on fire, bummer, car sets car port on fire, big bummer, car port sets house on fire, bigger bummer, total loss-no insurance, biggest bummer. Another mate did some welding on his boat bits in his parents shed.......6 hours later, it burst into flames. Here in the land of Oz on certain days we have "total fire ban days", its illegal amongst other things to use angle grinders and welders outside. Yep ...them steel boats sure can get you into a whole mess of trouble........:-)

[Marauder]

It would be very interesting to see what would happen should the owners go the marina's own insurance. Most marina's won't let you touch the boat till they have put it in the cradle. I reckon they should be at fault as they are responsible for securing it in place. With the owners insurance not being enough to cover the replacement cost, the marina should front up. Can't see that happening tho. With my boat due to come out soon for anti foul, I will be planning the lift by watching the weather. Seems to be safer to cross the Cook Straight!

[Alan Wheeler]

If it was the Marina's cradle and the cradle was at fault, I would have thought the Marina was liable. If the cradle was OK and the problem was poorly placed boat, BUT the boat was placed by Marina Staff, then once again the Marina would surely be liable. But if the Cradle was OK and they owner placed the boat and it was something he did incorrectly, then it is the owners problem.

[seafox]

There are signs everywhere saying the club travelift operator places the boat and not to touch supports.
The Marina has nothing to do with the hardstand or the travel lift. It belongs to the Mana club. Looking at the broken supports I reckon the club will be hard pressed to wriggle out of this one.
I am sure the owners insurer will go the club and I suppose the club has liability insurance.
The clubs premiums will increase so our club fees will increase too I suppose.
Hey Andy, it's Cook Strait, and I've never seen you sail it Straight

[Marauder]

Some people are very picky on their spelling of certain items. This shows that they must have too much time on their hands which should be put to better use like getting rid of the smell out of their boats. Your right that I have never sailed it straight. Must turn off that predictive txt, or is it text?

[seafox]

Nuthin wong with sum edjukation. Mr Harrarse at Hairytonga wold ave bin proud