Anybody here know much about travel hoists?

[Rappey]

Its really sad to see boats like this. I hope you're gets recovered with little damage and reasonable costs.
I assume the yard takes no responsibilty for not securing the boats adequately as it looks like there are straps which have not achieved much ?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

… My own plan is to sit on my hands until the salvage guys have left, and then ask the yard to lift the boat. I'm in no hurry. We're still at the start of hurricane season and the boat is safer where it is than it would be back on stands.

That’s a high risk strategy. Basically you are uninsured and could lose your boat if you don’t pay up. They may have to move it to recover other yachts whose owners choose to pay.

I hope you find a solution. Think hard about doing nothing and possible consequences to you.

 

[Refueler]

What about getting as many owners together as possible to have a 'strategy meeting' ? The more owners that can get together and present a solution to the yard .. the better.
At end of the day - yard will depend on owners to continue their stay .. paying fees etc. Its fine yard thinking there are plenty of other owners looking for space - but if its known that yard was bad for such as this ... who will want to be there ?

 

[Sea Change]

That’s a high risk strategy. Basically you are uninsured and could lose your boat if you don’t pay up. They may have to move it to recover other yachts whose owners choose to pay.

I hope you find a solution. Think hard about doing nothing and possible consequences to you.

I'd rather lose my boat than pay that quote, plus the rest of this summer's storage, the repair bills, and the re-launch costs. That would all add up to significantly more money than my boat is worth, even if I had the cash, which I don't.

I have signed no contract with anybody except the yard. I signed my contract with them based on their standard level of fees. I would accept some additional costs might be applicable, perhaps I will need a whole hour of travel hoist time to set the boat upright. Any more than that is simply unreasonable.

The yard have chosen to contract this work out to another company who have rushed in to action without checking whether anybody can or will pay their fees. That was a very silly thing to do. There are rumours of a back hander deal between the yard and salvage company, which might explain it.

 

[rogerthebodger]

What the the weight of your boat and do you need a travel lift of could a jib crane to lift and prop the boat up again

I built a bridge crane to lift a boat up using chain blocks to lift one side to get it upright and propped up as before

 

[Sea Change]

What js the weight of your boat and do you need a travel lift of could a jib crane to lift and prop the boat up again

I built a bridge crane to lift a boat up using chain blocks to lift one side to get it upright and propped up as before

About 8.5t
I reckon if need to, I'll dig a trench and use some inner tubes to tip her upright in stages.
Unless the yard staff physically stop me from digging a hole, I suppose.

 

[B27]

While it looks like a 10 minute job to lift the boat upright, then what?
You either have to launch it or prop it.
As it's been damaged, it may not be in a fit state to use the normal propping methods?
So at the very least, you're needing someone to take a professional look and assess it to some degree.

OTOH, you may not simply be able to walk away, you could be liable for the costs of removal.

I suspect the high cost quoted might be intended to encourage some people to walk away.
Maybe they don't want or could not cope with, the work of repairing too many of the boats?

Is there any 'government money' in the equation with it being a hurricane rather than an everyday boatyard shambles?
Knowing the local laws and systems might help.

 

[ribdriver]

I know a bit about hoists....I'm the Roodberg agent and the Boat Lift agent for the UK....
It's always difficult to say 100% as there are variances between machines from different manufacturers, but broadly speaking a 150T machine will split that capacity between the number of winches. So 4 x winches = 37.5T per winch. 6 winches = 25T per winch. They do also need to factor in the sling positions fore and aft though on the hoist itself.

It's not massively complicated to right most boats, just takes time and planning - and the right equipment. Always wise to tie the slings together as peace of mind as when the boat 'rolls' upright things may move.

Cranes with a single hook are good in the respect that they have all the weight in one place - on the hook (even if it's unbalanced). But the rolling it upright bit is considerably harder.

 

[Sea Change]

What's strange is that the quotes are all the same rate- regardless of whether it's a cat, mono, or mono, or whether the boat is trapped between others or on its own.

I am hoping that the Grenadian government will be just as unhappy about this as we are, because the reputation of one of their boatyards is rapidly going down the plughole while a foreign company is trying to pocket all the money.

I don't know much about Grenada law other than it having its roots in English law. I studied Scots Law at university so I have a basic understanding of what a contract is, and I do not have a contract with the salvage company. They have said themselves that they will not touch any boats without being paid first.

 

[Sandy]

So you wouldn't be demanding specialist equipment and charging me $9,700US?

You have insurance?

 

[Sandy]

What's strange is that the quotes are all the same rate- regardless of whether it's a cat, mono, or mono, or whether the boat is trapped between others or on its own.

I am hoping that the Grenadian government will be just as unhappy about this as we are, because the reputation of one of their boatyards is rapidly going down the plughole while a foreign company is trying to pocket all the money.

I don't know much about Grenada law other than it having its roots in English law. I studied Scots Law at university so I have a basic understanding of what a contract is, and I do not have a contract with the salvage company. They have said themselves that they will not touch any boats without being paid first.

You are paying for time, use of equipment and expertise. Not just a lift!

If you are that fussed then a few chaps some ropes and some timber will get the job done, easy peasy.

 

[Sea Change]

You have insurance?

No. And neither do many of the boats. Even those with insurance are very concerned that it won't pay out.

 

[Sea Change]

You are paying for time, use of equipment and expertise. Not just a lift!

If you are that fussed then a few chaps some ropes and some timber will get the job done, easy peasy.

If they were doing this properly, we would have bespoke quotes explaining the costs. I shouldn't need somebody on an internet forum to fight their corner.

Instead, we have a flat rate with no breakdown, which suggests that they are simply sharks trying to get as much money out of this situation as possible.

 

[B27]

It doesn't look like the sort of place insurers would want to cover in the hurricane season.

 

[lustyd]

which suggests that they are simply sharks trying to get as much money out of this situation as possible.

But potentially homeless sharks trying to recover after a hurricane. It's easy to forget they're in this too and may be a bit desperate or may be working with limited capacity to do better.

 

[Sea Change]

But potentially homeless sharks trying to recover after a hurricane. It's easy to forget they're in this too and may be a bit desperate or may be working with limited capacity to do better.

No they're not, these guys are based in the BVI, hundreds of miles away.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

You don’t have a contract with the salvage company, and the boat yard may very well claim force majeure. However, they will want the yard cleared to start business again. That is what you are facing. The tourist thing and interjection with the government may give you leverage. Rumour if backhanders is pointless and will do nothing to help except antagonise. Your over a barrel.

 

[Sea Change]

they will want the yard cleared to start business again.

If they carry on like this, they will not have a business to run.
The cruising community is pretty small and word is spreading.
And if we are all forced to walk away, they will spend years just getting rid of all the boats.

It's a shame, because much if it is completely avoidable. There was certainly no need to send machinery hundreds of miles when what was actually needed was surveyors.

 

[B27]

What was actually needed was a yard not hopelessly exposed to hurricanes and using Mickey Mouse supports.
It looks like it would never have survived a poor Summer in Cornwall.

 

[Sea Change]

What was actually needed was a yard not hopelessly exposed to hurricanes and using Mickey Mouse supports.
It looks like it would never have survived a poor Summer in Cornwall.

Well that's easy to say in hindsight, we are where we are and there's no point in racking up even more expense at this point.

My working hypothesis is that the BVI based salvage company were very keen to do the job, based on lucrative previous experience with Irma and Maria, and figured that by being first on the scene they would get the job. Hence the almost immediate mobilisation of lifting gear to right yachts which won't actually be looking to launch any time soon anyway. Pretty disgusting when there are homes, hospitals, schools etc missing their roofs. Any heavy equipment on the island should be doing those jobs first. The yacht owners haven't asked for this priority treatment. The salvage company are moving faster than the insurance companies, so are now standing around idle waiting on approval to start work, and we are being threatened with higher bills if we don't immediately agree to their terms.

But for those of you who feel they have to play devil's advocate and fight the salvage company's corner, fine, I guess that's what the internet is for. I didn't come here looking for sympathy!