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duck55 · 26-08-2014, 06:22

I had lost part of my navigational electronics, given old information on sand bar, low tide, and I ran aground. We saw the sand bar before hitting it, but did not have time to miss it. We ended up with about 25' of our stern with our starboard side to the waves fitting us at around 120*. I made a bad choice and did not account for the shallow water and prop wash.

I did call the coastguard to find out where find out where the current channel is and we also talked about the tides. It was clear that it was not an emergency and gave us a heads up that we were going to get inspected very soon.

As we were using our dinghy to set out an anchor near the channel we were contacted by a rescue vessel and made it clear we did not want any assistance at this time. We set the anchor and put up our anchor ball.

A rescue vessel that (I had no connect with) trying to make money and on there approach snagged our an anchor rod with his port outboard as they tried to pass within about 15' of our bow. One of there crew members tossed us a line and with us not wanting there help or them saying they were in distress I let it slid over board. I called the coast guard about the accident. They then pulled up to our starboard side I got part of there information and they backed away and were messing with there port outboard. After about 10 minutes the left.

About 4 hours after grounding we were able to pull our self free using our anchor. The chain had a bunch of nicks and had some issues with it passing in our chain wheel.

Once at the dock we contacted rescue company about replacing our chain and there claiming we did not help there vessel that was in distress. I also contacted my insurance company.

This morning they came out to the dock trying to get us to pay for there damaged outboard and for them helping us. I gave the him our insurance contact information and he refused to give us there insurance information (found it on the net).

In my 14 years of owning boats I have never run into any issues like this and wondering how long It would take for an outcome?
Dose anyone have any advice?

DeepFrz · 26-08-2014, 06:31

Contact the management of the company and try and get it resolved. You should be in no means responsible for them running over your anchor chain. Just bad seamanship on their part. They are trying to bulldoze you into letting go of the chain issue. If they had declared an emergency it would be recorded by USCG. One engine out on a twin is certainly no emergency.

PS: inspect the chain and if you feel it has been compromised then replace that section of chain.

**GordMay** · 26-08-2014, 06:51

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Duck.

valhalla360 · 26-08-2014, 07:06

Just trying to be devils advocate here: How wide was the channel? Could they claim you were blocking the channel and they were just trying to get past you?

Still probably doesn't justify a claim against you but it does muddy the waters a bit.

Most likely, they are taking the old: The best defense is a good offense strategy. If you agree to forget the damage to the chain, they will forget the damage to the outboard.

The question is how much will the chain cost you vs the hassle of trying to get them to pay and then straightening out the situaiton.

duck55 · 26-08-2014, 07:25

I have been in contact with there management and it's a mom and pop operation. The son was the one that ran over our chain. They had triple outboards. I did get back in touch with the USCG and there is going to be an investigation. It's so nice of the company for putting that they had an emergency in writing to me.

Were planning on chopping off about 1' past the damage. It will leave us with 380ish feet of rod.

I was more than 18' from the channel according to the information I was give from the USCG. I don't think my chain was within 5' of the channel. The channel is 52' wide and only saw 20 boats pass when we were there. I know I missed it big time. The channel is not well marked.

At no time did I think they would replace the chain, but I was also trying to get all there information for my records.

Thank you Phil, Gord May, and valhalla360

rwidman · 26-08-2014, 07:31

If someone ran over my anchor chain and damaged their boat I would not have provided them with my insurance information. I would have demanded theirs. I would have recorded their registration numbers and photographed their boat.

They owe you for the damage to your chain. They are responsible for the damage to their own boat.

**Ex-Calif** · 26-08-2014, 07:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by duck55

I have been in contact with there management and it's a mom and pop operation. The son was the one that ran over our chain. They had triple outboards. I did get back in touch with the USCG and there is going to be an investigation. It's so nice of the company for putting that they had an emergency in writing to me.

Were planning on chopping off about 1' past the damage. It will leave us with 380ish feet of rod.

I was more than 18' from the channel according to the information I was give from the USCG. I don't think my chain was within 5' of the channel. The channel is 52' wide and only saw 20 boats pass when we were there. I know I missed it big time. The channel is not well marked.

At no time did I think they would replace the chain, but I was also trying to get all there information for my records.

Thank you Phil, Gord May, and valhalla360

Seeing as how you have contacted your insurance and made a report you should also report to them that the company is seeking remedy from you. You should provide them the contact info of the "rescue" company and the USCG folks you've talked to and then let them handle it.

I would not be talking to the company any longer. That's what you pay the insurance company to do. A nicely worded letter from them makes them disappear I think...

2 cents mode - CAIL (Certifiable Armchair Internet Lawyer

)

valhalla360 · 26-08-2014, 08:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwidman

If someone ran over my anchor chain and damaged their boat I would not have provided them with my insurance information. I would have demanded theirs. I would have recorded their registration numbers and photographed their boat.

They owe you for the damage to your chain. They are responsible for the damage to their own boat.

When there is an accident, you both exchange information regardless of fault, so no you still provide your information.

From what was described, technically the tow company owes for the chain but from a practical view, it likely is more trouble than it's worth.

rwidman · 26-08-2014, 08:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by valhalla360

When there is an accident, you both exchange information regardless of fault, so no you still provide your information...

I don't think this qualifies as an "accident". The guy didn't hit the boat, he hit the anchor rode. He could have just as easily hit it when nobody was on the boat. What then?

rwidman · 26-08-2014, 08:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by duck55

............. This morning they came out to the dock trying to get us to pay for there damaged outboard and for them helping us. I gave the him our insurance contact information and he refused to give us there insurance information (found it on the net).

I would have told them to go to (you know where) and gone back inside my boat and shut the door. These guys are trying to bully you.

valhalla360 · 26-08-2014, 08:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwidman

I don't think this qualifies as an "accident". The guy didn't hit the boat, he hit the anchor rode. He could have just as easily hit it when nobody was on the boat. What then?

Are you suggesting they were intentionally trying to cut the anchor chain with the propeller? Of course it was an accident. An accident, they caused but that's not the point.

Crash, incident, etc... you can play at semantics but the point still stands. Even if it was totally your fault, you get the other guys info at the same time you give them yours.

Cheechako · 26-08-2014, 08:43

The tow companies are like jackals. Some good ones but yeah... always be careful with those guys.

fstbttms · 26-08-2014, 09:04

Leave a scathing review on Yelp. Don't leave out any details.

dannc · 26-08-2014, 09:50

If this is the Duck 55 I am thinking it is, the boat surely was not in danger from a sand bar. The duck is built like a tank.

Good luck, the other "captain" sounds like a .....
Dan

duck55 · 26-08-2014, 10:37

Yep danc it's a steel Diesel Duck 55.

The USCG just left from doing my boarding inspection. They took a copy of my surveillance system, my GPS concordats on where I landed, and where I dropped anchor. He says the rescue boat was acting dangerously and there on there way to see them.

We were also talking about the rescue company’s website and it's not in compliance with the law from missing information.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheechako

The tow companies are like jackals. Some good ones but yeah... always be careful with those guys.

I think I can come up with better words than jackals.

It looks like the USCG is going to get most of this straitened out today.