Damage by boat yard - need advice

[coolbop]

Hi,

I've just returned to my boat after an absense of a couple of months to find it has been moved by the boat yard. The problem is that in placing it back in the cradle, the boat has been stood too far back. This has resulted in the nose being too far down, and it even looks like it has slipped at some point as there are scrape marks by the pads.

Even worse, it now looks like there's a lot of weight on the front pads as the hull has been deformed inwards. One side is flat, and the other even bows inwards.

Firstly, is this likely to have damaged the hull? If the epoxy has been crazed will this cause problems with osmosis in years to come?

Secondly, what should I do now? The boat yard have said they will reseat the boat to remove the weight. Should I get a surveyor to look at it? Contact my insurance company? Should I get the boatyard to leave it where it is for the time being?

Would appreciate any advice you can give.

Ian


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[Talbot]

if it looks like it might possibly be damaged, get your own surveyor now immediately to check the boat as she sits at the moment, and take photos before they move her.

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[oldharry]

Contact your insurance company. They will take matters forward with their own surveyor and are in a much stronger negotiating position than you as an individual.

This is what you pay your premiums for - if there is no damage then it will not have cost you anything, and if there is, then the two companies - yours and theirs will fight out who is laible for what.

I would also strongly suggest you change yards to one which will treat your boat with a reasonable amount of care. There is no excuse for such carelessness, and you could reasonably raise merry hell with them for acting so unprofessionally quite apart from claiming for any damage they may have done.

They certainly are responsible for making good any damage they have done, and if the epoxy coat is crazed as you fear, then its integrity will have been compromised - undoubtedly a source of concern for the future, and also something a surveyor will pick up on when you come to sell - to the detriment of the selling price!



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[Trevor_swfyc]

Did the boat yard not have your telephone number to inform you they wanted to move the boat. If the weight is being taken by the cradle I would want it sorted pronto before the damage gets worse. As said get photographs of any damage caused and put in a claim, if you do not immediatly allow for the error to be corrected it could be claimed that your refusal to allow this resulted in more damage than would otherwise have been the case.
A boat yard that cannot place a boat in a cradle without causing damage sounds like one to avoid. If the boat was moved with the cradle this should not have happened and if the cradle shifted from its position on the hull it should have been re-setup.

Trevor

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[jonjo]

Early morning or evening light is good for picking up hull contours in a photo, alternatively some blue masking tape might illustrate the problem. Take a ruler to provide perspective.

I would get down there tomorrow pronto before they reposition the yacht. Remember they might be firing up the travel hoist at 8am.

Make sure the yacht is moved before the next blow comes in (about 6 days from now). Is the mast up?

Has any internal furniture moved in sympathy?

Wait at least 3 months before agreeing with the yard about the scope of gel coat crazing that needs to be repaired because it creeps out over time (says he who suffered a few racing clonks).



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[oldharry]

A surveying dodge when looking for hull defects is to get your eye level below the suspect area, and look up at it against the light. Defects will be much more apparent that way - even if it means standing on your head to do it!

..... or take a decent mirror along with you!

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[coolbop]

Hey,

Thanks for all your advice everyone.

Got on to the insurance company first thing this morning and they are sending a surveyor round today. Then rang the boat yard and told them not to move it.

Luckily, I took some photos yesterday so the evidence is undestroyable

I'm moving to France soon so a change of boat yard imminent! Good thing too as the only other marina local to us has an even worse reputation for damaging boats - we get quite a few refugees from there with some horrendous stories.

Thanks again,
Ian

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[Guest]

Mke clear to yard that you wish a joint inspection of boat by Surveyor - pending claim. This means that boat should not be moved till witnessed by all parties including Surveyor.

Preferably have the proceedings subject to written agreement. Should Yard refuse then call in Insurance Co. and there advise.

Yards are covered by insurance - BUT check carefully the print - as there may be a clause where boat is owners risk and yard has free-hand to move etc.

If the boat is moived BEFORE all parties cleraly see problem and state at that time - then you will be in difficult position to prove or not ......

Do it as soon as possible before other situation may develop - such as Yard taking action to clear etc.

<hr width=100% size=1>Cheers Nigel http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/searider/

 

[coolbop]

Well, it looks like it's good news!

The surveyor has taken a look and it appears we got away without any damage. The bulkhead is still sound and there appears to be no cracking of the epoxy.

They're going to move the boat now and the surveyor will carry out another inspection with the weight removed to make sure that doesn't uncover anything.

The surveyor said the strength of the build (boat built in the early 70s) probably saved it

Phew!

Cheers
Ian


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[bob_tyler]

What boat is it? How about completing your entry on the forum

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[coolbop]

She's a SHE C32 - a Sparkman Stephens design built by South Hants Marine in the mid 70s.

I don't think she was that well thought of in her day but we absolutely love her - will beat most modern boats of her size into the wind.

Ian


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[celandine]

It sounds to me as though your 'cradle' does not have screw adjustment on the support pads. There are quite a few of these so-called cradles about. Most are fairly crude devices used in production/storage. It is a very patient yard that will spend the time juggling with it so that the keel is supported on the ground whilst the support pads line up exactly on the hull. In order to avoid the same problem later I would recommend adding screw adjustment to the support pads.

Mick

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[coolbop]

No - not true

While they can't be adjusted in and out, each arm can be adjusted up and down.

One of the problems with it's position was that, due to the turn of the hull, the pads on each prop had reached the limit of their movement on their ball joints so they weren't sitting flat on the hull.

Also, the pads were sitting on a 'soft' part of the hull. If the boat were sitting in it's correct position, the pad would rest on the area reinforced by the bulkhead. That said, as far as I understand, there shouldn't be a great deal of weight on the pads.

I'm going to take the advice of the surveyor and either mark the hull with 'prop here' labels or mark the position of the keel on the cradle.

Ian







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[suhayley]

Hi Ian

I have just made an offer on a SHE C32 as you have and would be interested to find out more about the boat, your experiences etc. How long have you been an owner? Is there an owners association or anything like that?

I am having my survey done at the end of this week. Whar are the vices or bad points (if any) about the boat?

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