Hit by small motor boat.

[hasse_A]

Yesterday at anchor we were hit midship by a small motor boat. The young lady at the helm obviously did not have the knowledge for handling the boat.
It was one of those boats selling stuff to cruisers here in Bequia.
We got a scratch of about 1 feet long and half an inch wide.
It looks like its not gone all the way through the gelcoat but it's hard to tell.
The cost of fixing this depends largely if you need to apply top coat or if it is possible to just sand paper and polish it.
Does anyone here on the forum know the cost of the 2 different cases ?
1) Sanding, polishing and waxing.
2) Blending the correct color of topcoat, applying it, sanding, polishing and waxing.
The boat is almost 40 years old but in perfect condition. Otherwise I wouldn't really care. Also, I think hitting other boats should result in consequences.

/Hans

[boatman61]

Did you want to buy some stuff she was selling.. or was she just not watching where she was going.

[hasse_A]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Did you want to buy some stuff she was selling.. or was she just not watching where she was going.

She was approaching our boat to hand over a leaflet of the services they where offering and I was waving her away. She hit us with the bow head on.
And yes, we had the anchor ball hoisted.

/Hans

[boatman61]

Sometimes pays to have a couple of fenders slung on the sides... ready for occasions like this or others dragging.
I would sand it down then fill with an epoxy filler and finish with a car body filler.. if its white.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by hasse_A

She was approaching our boat to hand over a leaflet of the services they where offering and I was waving her away. She hit us with the bow head on.
And yes, we had the anchor ball hoisted.

/Hans

You've seriously never repaired topsides scratches before? Charmed life!

I get a few of these every year. Usually in a marina; usually someone loses control in the tide.

Fixing them is no big deal. I save them up and do them all at once in the spring. Yes, gel coat, and this is one job where you want an experienced pro to do it.

[gmakhs]

I have been hit by :
A Hanse 41.1 who anchored wrong
1 sailing school boat trying to manoeuvre in the marina .
Aluminium port police boat with no fender who wanted to come along side .
2 fisherman's boats by accident (at least those I called them alongside so it's my fault as we did not prepare fenders properly )
1 wooden kayak
1 piece of wood coming down the river stream

The boat has white tiger marks on the previously nice red hull , and one scratch have gone under the gellcoat .

Yes I do believe there should be consensuses and there are .
I took legal measures only against the school boat , because repeatedly I asked him to use fender since my 6 fenders on that side wherent enouph and he didn't so port police and marina office was my next step .
For the German guy it was more complicated since it happened at anchor , I called Tenerife traffic control to report the collision with his boat and report that his boat was unmanned with no anchor signals , they send a port police patrol which helped me untangle the boats and maid photos and report of the incinded .
On the first case the school boat paid for the scratches.
On the seccond case have to cover all the expenses , and I should have break the companionway start his motor and move his boat .

If you want her to pay and you wanna go through the hustle ask them first and if they say no report the incident to the port police and police .
If it's a.minor scratch some.times doesn't even worth to report it .

Most of the scratches are easy to repair and cheap.

[heron237]

leave it alone, what are you trying to figure out? how much to ask the poor woman for to repair, if so get a life

[hasse_A]

Originally Posted by heron237

leave it alone, what are you trying to figure out? how much to ask the poor woman for to repair, if so get a life

No, I am not even talking to the poor young lady. I am confronting the business owner who engaged her to handle the companies boat and as "shipowner" is responsible of who he appoints as "commander".
The "shipowner" is at this stage not being dismissive so we may very well come to an agreement.
And, I am not of the opinion that by just being poor you are allowed to damage other peoples properties without consequences.

/Hans

[heron237]

to each according to his ability, to each according to his needs


"And, I am not of the opinion that by just being poor you are allowed to damage other peoples properties without consequences."


Pound sand

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by hasse_A

And, I am not of the opinion that by just being poor you are allowed to damage other peoples properties without consequences.

Unfortunately, that is the way of life. My neighbour's house was recently robbed. The laptop they stole cost far less than repairing the broken window and door they smashed. My own car window was smashed some time ago, for a thief to take an inexpensive coat. I would have given them the coat, had they asked, and saved the damage to the car.

Life ain't fair. Your stuff is going to get bumped, scratched, broken, and messed up by others, and it just ain't fair. You can spend your time with reports and police and courts...and you will likely not be any closer to any kind of restitution. I'd be happy with even a simple apology...even an insincere one.

When my brand new solar panel was stolen off my boat, I made a police report, and another report to the marina. After all that effort, I asked the marina staff what happens next. They said...the report goes in the filing cabinet.

On my first trip on my C&C27 with a perfect and shiny hull, some guy tied up his dinghy, bow to bow with my boat at a long dock. Not realizing that any wind at all would swing his dinghy around and the outboard, in the up (and very pointy) position, would begin to dig a hole in my bow. By the time I noticed, it was too late. When the dinghy owner returned, he waited till I wasn't looking, and dashed away. From a distance I heard his young his son say to him..."hey dad, our outboard really scratched up that other boat."

[OS2Dude]

How fast was she going? Are you absolutely positive there is no damage deeper than the scratch? Getting hit 'bow on' would lead me to be concerned about damage to the underlaying fiberglass.

[taxwizz]

Unless her damage was deliberate....
Just set back with a stiff rum and mellow out in the thought that you are on a boat, in a beautiful place, and life is good.

[hasse_A]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

Unless her damage was deliberate....
Just set back with a stiff rum and mellow out in the thought that you are on a boat, in a beautiful place, and life is good.

So very true. We enjoy every day not being hit by another vessel.
Rum punch is also a big help.

/Hans

[taxwizz]

Life is amazingly short, and the older you get, the shorter it is.
Don't sweat the small stuff, but rather, enjoy every minute.
You only have so many left. Don't waste any being grumpy.
Offer her a cocktail next time she comes by, as long as she doesn't hit your boat again.
She probably got hell from her boss. Have sympathy.

[Scout 30]

Unbelievable. Sounds like the consensus is you should feel sorry for the idiot that ran into your boat. What a load of crap.