Extortion in Nassau

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Three Sheets

... @HyLyte - we have seawater in all four cylinders. Both insurance and Yanmar want to pull the engine and survey for cause. Because we needed to coordinate multiple parties to survey the cause and associated failure, not to mention possibly replace the engine, logistically it was made sense to come back to the states. ....

Wow! That's a pretty spectacular failure.

Coincidentally, not long ago there was another member who posted about a similar problem/failure with a Yanmar Engine and indicated that on his/her new boat, they had already gone through two engines due to such failures. I am not very good with the Search function but perhaps another member, such as GordMay, who seems to be the search Guru around here, can find that thread for you and you can reach the other member to see how/if they resolved the matter. (Frankly, I'm glad we have a boring old semi-oil drippy Perkins that always run without difficulty).

N'any case I do hope you get the whole business sorted out without much cost/grief!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Three Sheets

Our vessel is only 5 years old and we want to get to the bottom of this quickly and hopefully at no additional cost to us (based on insurance or warranty). The engine will be pulled next week, but we've had people here every day looking at it since we returned.

At five years is the engine still under original warranty or is this strictly insurance? If I may ask, I would be very interested in details about your insurance like the carrier, type of policy and coverage, and the rates. I don't think my insurance would cover an engine problem like that.

[rognvald]

"Your "if you can't sail your boat" comment was unnecessary except to add more insult to injury." Jennifer/Three Sheets

Jennifer, my comment was not intended as an insult but as a matter of fact. This situation could have been completely avoided if you did not rely on TowBoat US to solve your problem as if you were sailing on an inland lake or in coastal US waters. When you sailed out of the country, you should have been aware that your best help is from yourself(ingenuity/creativity) or another sailor(s). And, to many of us, a 160 mile tow in a "sailboat" back to the US is patently absurd. You own a "sailboat." The considerations that Andrew Troup and others mentioned were well stated and true. On the other side of the coin, I do sincerely sympathize with you and your unfortunate incident. Anytime one deals with "government", whether in the Bahamas or here in the US, it has the potential to be unpleasant. But, in the future, when you set your "sails?" for far horizons, you and your mate need to accept the personal responsibility that comes with your actions. And engine failure is just one of many malfunctions that can potentially disrupt your cruise. Good luck and good sailing.

[Three Sheets]

Originally Posted by skipmac

At five years is the engine still under original warranty or is this strictly insurance? If I may ask, I would be very interested in details about your insurance like the carrier, type of policy and coverage, and the rates. I don't think my insurance would cover an engine problem like that.

Seaworthy is our insurance carrier and we do not yet know what will be covered as it will ultimately depend upon the cause of failure. But because we filed a claim, The policy covers the cost of transport home and investigation of cause, which includes pulling the engine and running diagnostics. It's possible it will cover the engine as well depending on cause. They have been outstanding to work with and I highly recommend them. Our extended warranty with Yanmar was within the 5 year limit (within weeks), but the items that are covered in the extended period don't appear to be the cause.

We won't know anything for certain until the engine is pulled and I hate to speculate now. Whatever the failure, we will provide a separate posting on the forum when we know for sure. Either way, a call to Seaworthy for quotes is worth it. They have been a wonderful resource.

[Kettlewell]

WARNING: This post is pure speculation of what might have contributed to this problem. There are many possible scenarios that might have started all this. Maybe this particular towboat has been seen a lot in Nassau and the local operator felt he has been poaching business. Maybe the customs/immigration guy and the local tow guy are friends and the local tow guy has been complaining about business being bad. Maybe there are rules against US tow boats working in Nassau, but these rules haven't been enforced in the past. In my experience in the Bahamas rule interpretation depends a lot on who is doing it, what day of the week it is, what time of day, and the phases of the moon. Many, many times I have spoken to fellow cruisers who checked in at the same place I did and had very different experiences and results. I used to clear in Nassau a lot because it was easy, quick, and the officials were friendly compared to some places. Maybe that has changed.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Three Sheets

Seaworthy is our insurance carrier and we do not yet know what will be covered as it will ultimately depend upon the cause of failure. But because we filed a claim, The policy covers the cost of transport home and investigation of cause, which includes pulling the engine and running diagnostics. It's possible it will cover the engine as well depending on cause. They have been outstanding to work with and I highly recommend them. Our extended warranty with Yanmar was within the 5 year limit (within weeks), but the items that are covered in the extended period don't appear to be the cause.

We won't know anything for certain until the engine is pulled and I hate to speculate now. Whatever the failure, we will provide a separate posting on the forum when we know for sure. Either way, a call to Seaworthy for quotes is worth it. They have been a wonderful resource.

Thanks for the info on Seaworthy. Do keep us posted on how the engine problem sorts out.

By the way, you have a nice blog and some very nice photos. Can't wait to get back on the water.

[Three Sheets]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Thanks for the info on Seaworthy. Do keep us posted on how the engine problem sorts out.

By the way, you have a nice blog and some very nice photos. Can't wait to get back on the water.

You are more than welcome! And thank you, we hope to be somewhere nice again soon to shoot some more.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Not to pile on, but to think that you can take a commercial boat from another country and bring it into a different country and start a commercial job without work permits is naive. The solution you ended up with, sail the boat to international waters, seems like the most reasonable one in this case. Too bad you had to go through the distress with immigration before reaching this approach. Good luck on the engine claim and repair.

I don't think you should beat up on a country for having laws that are similar to the laws we have in the U.S.

Having a foreign vessel with foreign workers perform work wouldn't be legal in Florida, either.

Your insurance company should have known better (and probably did).

[Three Sheets]

So many of you are missing the point. If you would bother to read the story and thread, you would understand that I am NOT criticizing the law. I'm am criticizing the extortionist that appeared at our boat using his BASRA credentials after obtaining our location from customs/immigration and demanded payment at $125/mile. AND he showed up at the Department of Immigration just after we told the story to the Director. If you find THAT behavior ok, then so be it. Either way, I'm done defending myself to those who can't read.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Three Sheets

So many of you are missing the point. If you would bother to read the story and thread, you would understand that I am NOT criticizing the law. I'm am criticizing the extortionist that appeared at our boat using his BASRA credentials after obtaining our location from customs/immigration and demanded payment at $125/mile. AND he showed up at the Department of Immigration just after we told the story to the Director. If you find THAT behavior ok, then so be it. Either way, I'm done defending myself to those who can't read.

When you go out cruising again, you better be prepped to meet more of those sharks. Never ever assume somebody to be an official but also never ever assume somebody to NOT be an official. You won't be able to tell from how he/she looks. Many will try to get your money. When you dress like a tourist and walk over Times Square, see what happens to you; that exact same thing will happen wherever you show up as tourist; no difference.

Only after so many years out, your appearance will change ever so slightly towards that of a cruiser who has seen it all before and they will detect that and respect you somewhat.
I have seen cruisers that go ashore wearing white socks in sport shoes. Don't do that.

Also you must realize that the Bahamas are very close to the US and many US boats that are ill prepared still make it there but not further nor back. It is like a filter. You were in this category this time. Once you make it PAST Chicken Harbor (Georgetown) you will shed yourself free from that flock
They will still try to hassle you, but there will be less of them.

[rognvald]

Three Sheets, I still find your story very interesting from many perspectives. After reading your Facebook account looking for more details, I encountered this quote you made on March 24 via mobile:



"We owe you a story and as much as I hate to wait to share it, Mike and I are working with a good friend and acting press agent to develop it. Also, I need to secure permission to use some company names and/or quotes in the story. So please forgive the delay. We just think the story needs to get out to the general public and the business community in South Florida. To do that, we must present our facts properly and give appropriate credit where it's due. So thanks for your patience! Bet you are really curious now. "

Are you now preparing to produce a movie or perhaps write a best selling book from your Nassau experience? Or, is your goal to simply warn the cruising community of your horrific experience in Nassau and the harrowing sail back to international waters before being towed into Ft. Lauderdale? I'm sure many in the cruising community, myself included, will be waiting for the next chapter in this intriguing story. Good luck, good sailing and best wishes for you new book? movie? front page feature story?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by rognvald

"We owe you a story and as much as I hate to wait to share it, Mike and I are working with a good friend and acting press agent to develop it. Also, I need to secure permission to use some company names and/or quotes in the story. So please forgive the delay. We just think the story needs to get out to the general public and the business community in South Florida. To do that, we must present our facts properly and give appropriate credit where it's due. So thanks for your patience! Bet you are really curious now. "

oh... that suddenly changes things...

[Three Sheets]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Three Sheets, I still find your story very interesting from many perspectives. After reading your Facebook account looking for more details, I encountered this quote you made on March 24 via mobile:

"We owe you a story and as much as I hate to wait to share it, Mike and I are working with a good friend and acting press agent to develop it. Also, I need to secure permission to use some company names and/or quotes in the story. So please forgive the delay. We just think the story needs to get out to the general public and the business community in South Florida. To do that, we must present our facts properly and give appropriate credit where it's due. So thanks for your patience! Bet you are really curious now. "

Are you now preparing to produce a movie or perhaps write a best selling book from your Nassau experience? Or, is your goal to simply warn the cruising community of your horrific experience in Nassau and the harrowing sail back to international waters before being towed into Ft. Lauderdale? I'm sure many in the cruising community, myself included, will be waiting for the next chapter in this intriguing story. Good luck, good sailing and best wishes for you new book? movie? front page feature story?

Ha! No, I don't think the story is that interesting lol. Many of our followers on Facebook are good friends and cruisers that had been asking what was going on. We wanted to share our story, but didn't want to use company names without permission. Regardless of the situation, Seaworthy Insurance has been a lifeline to us, TowBoatUS Ft Lauderdale was nothing but respectful to the Department of Immigration and very much wants to ensure they are doing right by the Bahamian laws. I did not want to misrepresent.

[CaptainDana]

It's the story of how a couple of Americans on a nearly new boat expose themselves as easy marks to unscrupulous Bahamians by their utter lack of seamanship skills and are thus taken advantage of. Then, they make a heroic escape back to the good old USofA.

Who knows the difference between a sea story and a fairy tale? One begins, "Once upon a time..." The other begins, "Now this is no shi...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Once you make it PAST Chicken Harbor (Georgetown) you will shed yourself free from that flock
They will still try to hassle you, but there will be less of them.

Now that's funny. Never heard that before. Did you make that up yourself or is it a part of the cruising lexicon that I missed?

And it is so true. It seems like the common mentality is that beyond Georgetown you have reached the area that in old nautical charts said "Here be Dragons".