Anybody here know much about travel hoists?

[Refueler]

At the risk of repeating myself, the hoist (with it's strops angled away from the hull) is the correct tool for that job

Not that single point crane .....

If that was my boat - I would shouting the house down telling them to GTFA from my boat !!

 

[Refueler]

I've now heard that boats have been moved without permission, causing further damage.

Might be time to contact the yard and make sure they know I do not want this salvage company anywhere near my boat.


And a question: I've actually got one of those giant inflatable fenders, the ones superyachts use. No idea of the specs on it, but it connects to the SUP pump so we could get a fair amount of pressure in it.
Presumably I could use this as a lifting bag? The problem might lie in sourcing suitable materials to build temporary platforms as I inch the boat up a bit at a time.

Time to get together and call that Lawyer ..............

Most yards have clause in contracts that allows them to move boats whether in or out of water ...

But here its not yard - but a '3rd party' doing the lifts.

 

[dunedin]

Time to get together and call that Lawyer ..............

Most yards have clause in contracts that allows them to move boats whether in or out of water ...

But here its not yard - but a '3rd party' doing the lifts.

Engaging lawyers, particularly in a foreign country, is rarely a good plan for any private individual. The 10k salvage fee could rapidly look cheap compared to legal fees.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

… But here its not yard - but a '3rd party' doing the lifts.

Unless subcontracted by the yard to perform the service, then it is the yard’s liability, It could still be yards liability if the salvage company move a boat that they are not contracted by the owner to move, as yard have control of yard work. If this is the case it could be awkward to assign liability to damaged if yard states, they did not instruct salvor to move other boats. Then it might need a judgment to be made in court who is responsible, without a third party contract.

 

[Refueler]

Engaging lawyers, particularly in a foreign country, is rarely a good plan for any private individual. The 10k salvage fee could rapidly look cheap compared to legal fees.

I was not talking individually ... but owners to get together.

If its USVI .. then they probably have a US style No Fee without success guy somewhere ... or just pay for a Letter to Yard from a Legal Person saying that recourse to Legal proceedings is under consideration if actions do not stop.

 

[Refueler]

10K fee looking cheap - maybe - BEFORE the damage salvage co does to boat ... what cost damage then ?

 

[ghostlymoron2]

I'm asking this in relation to the recovery of my boat which fell over during hurricane Beryl.

Can a travel hoist lift and lower each side independently? I am assuming they can, to at least a limited degree, to account for any gradient in the yard and to get boats exactly level.

Would it be reasonable to expect a yard to be able to use its travel hoist to lift and right a fin keel yacht?

Things are starting to get a bit ugly with relations between the boat owners, the yard, and the salvage contractor, so it would be nice to get some objective input on what's technically feasible.

Thanks!

That sounds like an expensive operation so I'd get a specialist boat lifting firm to do it. You should contact your insurers, they may be able to recommend someone.

 

[Tranona]

That sounds like an expensive operation so I'd get a specialist boat lifting firm to do it. You should contact your insurers, they may be able to recommend someone.

Suggest you actually read the thread. It explains why your suggestion is inappropriate.

 

[Metalicmike]

I cant see a problem with the lift, it will try to right itself in the slings and you may have to lower it onto supports a few times to get it to sit upright. If the lift has four independent hoists and not two and the lift straps are long enough, they will be able to roll the hull in the slings and right it in one lift.

 

[Sea Change]

Engaging lawyers, particularly in a foreign country, is rarely a good plan for any private individual. The 10k salvage fee could rapidly look cheap compared to legal fees.

The damage is being done by the company charging $10k. It's not an either/or situation

 

[Deleted member 478]

@Sea Change have you made any progress in the last two weeks?

 

[Sea Change]

There's been some progress, not much of it good.
Communications from the yard are increasingly unpleasant and unreasonable.
Boat owners are being asked to do things that are impossible, like removing their yachts immediately, whilst being denied the ability to appoint a contractor to do that. Or in one case, told to obtain retrospective named storms insurance cover!

I've been told that I must agree to have my boat put upright immediately, using the extortionate salvage company, despite not being in anybody's way. I patiently explained that if I do that, she will start filling with rain water, and will be at risk from future storms. No explanation has been given as to why the boat is considered safer on the (demonstrably inadequate) stands than she is on the ground.

A few things now seem indisputable. The yard are getting a cut from the salvage company.
The salvage company have leased a crane from a local, who is offering to lift boats for a sixth of the price once he has the crane back
So it's a waiting game. The salvage company are trying to extract as much money as possible, from unquestioning insurance companies, before they pack up and go home.

A welcome bit of news today is that some insurance companies are baulking at the prices. If they refuse to pay these inflated prices, that's good news for the uninsured.

In other news, we're exploring legal avenues, but it's obviously a risky move. Initial feedback is that we have a pretty solid case. The yard are effectively committing fraud against the insurers by presenting these prices, in which they have a cut. By denying us their usual services and rates are breaching their own contract with us.

So it's all fun and games really. I'm mentally ready to walk away from the boat completely, which would be a shame but at some point you have to move on. Dealing with this man-made disaster is far worse than the hurricane itself.

 

[Refueler]

I know it does not help you - but I and many others 'feel your pain' and hope a better conclusion results for you and your fellow owners ...

 

[Bouba]

Unless subcontracted by the yard to perform the service, then it is the yard’s liability, It could still be yards liability if the salvage company move a boat that they are not contracted by the owner to move, as yard have control of yard work. If this is the case it could be awkward to assign liability to damaged if yard states, they did not instruct salvor to move other boats. Then it might need a judgment to be made in court who is responsible, without a third party contract.

In my (limited) experience…the contract you enter into when getting a place in a port or yard,,,exposes the yard/port to very little liability

 

[Sea Change]

In my (limited) experience…the contract you enter into when getting a place in a port or yard,,,exposes the yard/port to very little liability

The good thing is that when it comes to the yard owner, we are clearly not dealing with an astute legal mind. If the best threat he can come up with is to demand back-dated insurance cover, which is impossible without time travel, then I'm not too worried about losing against him if we have to get lawyers involved.

 

[Daydream believer]

I'm a trained crane and telehandler operator, by the way. Give me the right equipment and I'll happily do this job for free.

Then go and hire a telehandler and do it one evening when the staff have all gone home. Get a few acrow props so the boat is propped near enough upright & the yard can finish it off in the morning

 

[geem]

.....

Then go and hire a telehandler fand do it one evening when the staff have all gone home. Get a few acrow props so the boat is near enoug upright & the yard can finish it off in the morning

There is probably only 3 cranes on the whole island. All the locals know each other. It would be impossible to hire anything or do anything without the yard knowing. This is a small sister island to a larger main island of Grenada. Its the 3rd world where such stuff as hire shops and stuff we take for granted in the UK don't exist

 

[Zing]

I've now heard that boats have been moved without permission, causing further damage.

Might be time to contact the yard and make sure they know I do not want this salvage company anywhere near my boat.


And a question: I've actually got one of those giant inflatable fenders, the ones superyachts use. No idea of the specs on it, but it connects to the SUP pump so we could get a fair amount of pressure in it.
Presumably I could use this as a lifting bag? The problem might lie in sourcing suitable materials to build temporary platforms as I inch the boat up a bit at a time.

Don’t re-invent the wheel. The pros do it like this routinely and they are turning three times as far and with new mega bucks boats, so they’d better get it right.

 

[Sea Change]

Then go and hire a telehandler and do it one evening when the staff have all gone home. Get a few acrow props so the boat is propped near enough upright & the yard can finish it off in the morning

If there was any way it doing that, I would like nothing better. It's frustrating to go from a day job driving this kind of equipment to finding myself beholden to crooks charging exorbitant rates to do something I could do myself in a few hours.

 

[dunedin]

.....
There is probably only 3 cranes on the whole island. All the locals know each other. It would be impossible to hire anything or do anything without the yard knowing. This is a small sister island to a larger main island of Grenada. Its the 3rd world where such stuff as hire shops and stuff we take for granted in the UK don't exist

Yes, that will be the reality of the situation. It’s not the UK but a small Caribbean island where everything a remote /incomer does is known to everybody. Tricky.
And trying a legal approach could be tricky to find an independent party - unless handled from mainland Granada.