Fire at East Cowes Marina

I apologise if I have ruffled some feathers, but when all is said and done this was a replaceable consumer item. I had a JCB Fastrack catch fire and burn out a year or two back when I was driving it. An expensive tractor which I was very fond of, but it was insured and so could be replaced.

A boat is a lot different to a tractor, in that people keep personal possessions on a boat, sometimes sleep on the boat, and will often have "emotional capital" invested in it. Rather like when a house burns down, it's not about the smoking ruins or whether the style of the house was agreeable, but the effect on people: shock for the owner, the "what if" family or others had been onboard, loss of personal possessions, worry for others nearby if the fire had spread, and whether the owner will ever be able to disassociate the words "boat" and "fire" in the future.
 
A boat is a lot different to a tractor, in that people keep personal possessions on a boat, sometimes sleep on the boat, and will often have "emotional capital" invested in it. Rather like when a house burns down, it's not about the smoking ruins or whether the style of the house was agreeable, but the effect on people: shock for the owner, the "what if" family or others had been onboard, loss of personal possessions, worry for others nearby if the fire had spread, and whether the owner will ever be able to disassociate the words "boat" and "fire" in the future.

+1 well said.
 
A number of Forum Members will remember the fire on board a Phantom 43 in Chichester about 7 years ago caused by a faulty dehumidifier. When the fire was finally put out, what was left of her was lifted out, I was stood there and someone turned to the owner and said "at least you have got the insurance money" to which the owner said " I would rather have the boat"

Just because this boat was for sale, the owner would have out a huge amount of time and effort in having her built as these are not off the shelf stock boats and maybe he was selling her to build another - some of us actually enjoy the new boat challenge of making her perfect - I would hope that the 15 boats I have owned were better after my ownership. Look at JFM and how amazing his boats are.

So lets be grateful that no one was hurt and not assume that the insurance payout is the best outcome for his owner.


Andrew
 
You seem to imply that those of us who don't are less caring?!?

I read this thread with interest and having been involved with yacht repairs, salvage and insurance claims for a good part of my working life, I was going to make some practical comments on what happens next but having seen how other newbies to this forum are treated after making quite reasonable comments, I won't now bother and I'll leave it to those who have nowt better to do than to criticise.
 
It would be very unusual to have a marine policy that stipulated a replacement would be sort. It is likely the boat was insured for either market value or quite possibly an agreed value. Either way, the owner, assuming it is a total loss and a genuine claimable event, with receive a bloody great cheque which which he can do as he pleases.

No brokers
No viewing
No haggling
And *possibly* realising a better value than if it was to sell in what must be a limited market. Being so new I suspect he will get the cost of a new replacement, less the excess and any finance interest of course

It would be very unusual to have a marine policy that stipulated a replacement would be sort. It is likely the boat was insured for either market value or quite possibly an agreed value. Either way, the owner, assuming it is a total loss and a genuine claimable event, with receive a bloody great cheque which which he can do as he pleases.

No brokers
No viewing
No haggling
And *possibly* realising a better value than if it was to sell in what must be a limited market. Being so new I suspect he will get the cost of a new replacement, less the excess and any finance interest of course

BC also had that in his mind, for what it is worth I received a very pleasant pm from BC who obviously is not a troll.

A few on this thread would have us all in tears picturing a family stool on the pontoon with no where to go having lost their life times memories in smoke,

Does anyone know if this boat is actually owned by a family .
Out of interest does anyone know where this boat went in its short life to attain this life time of memories , perhaps we can have a few photos in order to put together a fitting memorial service thread .
 
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It would be very unusual to have a marine policy that stipulated a replacement would be sort. It is likely the boat was insured for either market value or quite possibly an agreed value. Either way, the owner, assuming it is a total loss and a genuine claimable event, with receive a bloody great cheque which which he can do as he pleases.

No brokers
No viewing
No haggling
And *possibly* realising a better value than if it was to sell in what must be a limited market. Being so new I suspect he will get the cost of a new replacement, less the excess and any finance interest of course
How many people would complain too much if their boat burnt to the ground and they received a fat cheque for the insured value in the present market? I'm not sure I'd complain too much so if anyone feels like torching my boat, feel free! And does anyone keep items of value or cherished personal items on their boat? A boat is so insecure that it would be the last place I'd think of keeping anything valuable. The most we'd lose if our boat burnt to the ground is SWMBO's stock of shoes, some tins of tuna and bottles of lousy Croatian wine and a few scatter cushions, none of which I'd lose any sleep over.
 
oi Mr Daka, at least leave your posts up long enough for Richard to make a cuppa and think of a reply lols :)

Sorry Gary, its back ;)

I could tell a few were actually close to tears over their mass sense of loss so decided to delete the bit accusing the distraught soles of trolling, will someone please think about the children .
 
BC also had that in his mind, for what it is worth I received a very pleasant pm from BC who obviously is not a troll.

A few on this thread would have us all in tears picturing a family stool on the pontoon with no where to go having lost their life times memories in smoke,

Does anyone know if this boat is actually owned by a family or is it owned by a company whos MD had already made the decision to get rid anyway.

Out of interest does anyone know where this boat went in its short life to attain this life time of memories , perhaps we can have a few photos in order to put together a fitting memorial service thread .


Daka - You have far too much free time on your hands :confused: - Perhaps you should personally email the owner a sincere letter of regret to hear of his misfortune...

BTW some fellow forumites on this thread are aware of the answers to your questions but I feel they will not reply to your request as they know the owner personally and would like others on here not want other forumites who will remain nameless {you know who you are} to gloat on the owners misfortune.

Terry :cool:
 
does anyone keep items of value or cherished personal items on their boat?

Yes Mike I do, a few years ago while cruising the Seine a mate thought it would be 'nice' to go to Le Jules Verne for dinner so I booked us in, he then dropped the bomb shell that I would have to wear a tie ON HOLIDAY !
I bought the most hideous tie possible in protest , it's kept on the boat along with my best blazer .
 
My reply was also to correct a few wrongs in the fact that these boats can and do cross oceans and are not the first choice of your average bling wide boy who marches up to a well lit stand at London and parts with several hundred K just for fun.

I suspect this boat was long thought out over many years, the owner was not looking for vulgar bling and ultimately chose a boat that was overflowing with craftsmanship.....

As for a Jelly mould....I would settle for a jelly mould like this, all I ever got was jelly that resembled zebedee for my birthday....
 
Daka - You have far too much free time on your hands :confused: - Perhaps you should personally email the owner a sincere letter of regret to hear of his misfortune...

BTW some fellow forumites on this thread are aware of the answers to your questions but I feel they will not reply to your request as they know the owner personally and would like others on here not want other forumites who will remain nameless {you know who you are} to gloat on the owners misfortune.

Terry :cool:

I haven't seen any gloating Terry although understand your overall sentiment.

I dont see this as a gloating issue , it is two camps

camp a) see this a as tragedy without any fortune.

camp b) see this as a tragic accident cushioned with the convenience of avoiding significant Yacht Broker fees .

As I have already stated I do have a great deal of sympathy for the owners, they may have avoided significant Yacht Broker fees but they have exchanged the hassle of a sale for the hassle to extract the total loss cheque from their insurers.

sincerely

Pete
 
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there is another way of approaching this Daka and that is not to post potentially upsetting supposition until the facts are known i.e. for all you know it may be owned by an individual.

p.s. glad to hear BC is a nice fella in PM's, shame he didn't come across as such in the open forum with his initial posts.
 
there is another way of approaching this Daka and that is not to post potentially upsetting supposition until the facts are known i.e. for all you know it may be owned by an individual.

p.s. glad to hear BC is a nice fella in PM's, shame he didn't come across as such in the open forum with his initial posts.

Accepted gary, you modified one of your posts so I will reciprocate.
Based on the fact that most boats over £500 000 are not owned by individuals it appeared others were making incorrect assumptions, we will see if they decide to modify their posts until we know .

BC wasnt the first post which could have attracted attention and certainly not the last.

Read it from the top .

edit

I've deleted the bits you appeared to object to , if anyone else wants anything deleting just send me a pm with the bit copy pasted in red, I 'm always happy to delete posts although feel its crazy for anyone to bother to read a forum which is only populated with 'the bits you like' , where does the reality fit in ?
 
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It would be very unusual to have a marine policy that stipulated a replacement would be sort. It is likely the boat was insured for either market value or quite possibly an agreed value. Either way, the owner, assuming it is a total loss and a genuine claimable event, with receive a bloody great cheque which which he can do as he pleases.

No brokers
No viewing
No haggling
And *possibly* realising a better value than if it was to sell in what must be a limited market. Being so new I suspect he will get the cost of a new replacement, less the excess and any finance interest of course

Some policy wordings allow the insurer to choose to replace the vessel on a total loss.

This, from Zurich, for example:

"Total Loss, we will either pay the Agreed
Value of the Vessel or provide a replacement"
Vessel of a similar size and type.
 
I read this thread with interest and having been involved with yacht repairs, salvage and insurance claims for a good part of my working life, I was going to make some practical comments on what happens next but having seen how other newbies to this forum are treated after making quite reasonable comments, I won't now bother and I'll leave it to those who have nowt better to do than to criticise.

That's a useful contribution! :confused: Nothing at all to do with number of posts made, it's the content of the post that matters.
 
I read this thread with interest and having been involved with yacht repairs, salvage and insurance claims for a good part of my working life, I was going to make some practical comments on what happens next but having seen how other newbies to this forum are treated after making quite reasonable comments, I won't now bother and I'll leave it to those who have nowt better to do than to criticise.
I'm puzzled by the fact that you posted this comment in reply to my previous question to colhel.
In which way you think I was treating newbies unpolitely, exactly?!?
 
I read this thread with interest and having been involved with yacht repairs, salvage and insurance claims for a good part of my working life, I was going to make some practical comments on what happens next but having seen how other newbies to this forum are treated after making quite reasonable comments, I won't now bother and I'll leave it to those who have nowt better to do than to criticise.

please do contribute as it sounds like you have a wealth of experience to add value to the thread and as said, please don't associate the response to BC as him being 'new', the response was purely associated with the content of his posts whether he be new to the forum or here since its inception, he'd have got the same response (from me at least). Again, please do reconsider

many thanks Gary
 
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