I'd appreciate any comments re the problems I'm having with the
storage yard where my
full keel 40'
ketch is out of the
water.
It was on a grassy field in Fort Pierce with the masts and
rigging off when
Hurricane Francis hit. The wooden block supporting the forward
keel appears to have been dry rotted, and the vessel went over onto its starboard side. Luckily none of the jack stands stabbed the
hull.
12 days later a 300 ton crane was employed to raise the numerous downed vessels (35+) in the yard.
Photos taken at the time of the re-erection show that the crane's two u-shaped straps were not spread apart by an upper gantry; the straight up lifting action placed the boat's weight on the starboard straps passing the aft upper taff rail and the forward cap rail. Both rails were badly broken. On the port side both the taff rail and the cap rail suffered damage from "pinching" once the
boat was raised upright These damages aren't the real problem however: a 54" vertical crack in the starboard glas
hull runs directly amidships down the side. The crack midpoint is about at the waterline. The boat's hull was cracked I submit by stressing the hull as was never intended; upward force on the fore and aft upper starboard hull sides while the center starboard hull on the ground bore a very significant part of the weight of the
boat. The hull at the point of the crack is at least 5/8" solid glas. Inside the hull the crack is a small ridge, outside broken ends of roving can be seen. It should be repairable, but it's going to be a good deal of
work. The
teak rails are a far more difficult job to get right. Adding injury to the situation is a yard claim for $1900+ as my share of the recovery (crane) cost.
My liability
insurance for
storage doesn't include hull damage so I'm on the hook.
So: What is acceptable practice for raising
boats that are knocked over? Unlike
boats damaged in the
water, time is not of the essence here. Certainly air-bags could have been employed, which would have caused none of this damage.
What's a typical recovery charge to right a vessel ? Would the yard be correct to add in new jack stands?
How much could a crane cost for three days
work? Is there any state- Federal
rule that such accidents be documented and/or reported?
Other vessels that suffered damage during and after the storm have been written off by
insurance companies. The terms the adjusters negotiated with the yard are not known. I'll be most interested in comments, especially from those whose boats have been knocked down. Thanks.
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