Help needed damage to mast when boat lifted

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tomdmx

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Hi all
My yacht has been lifted out of the water 4 days ago and it all appeared to go ok...though when they started to move the yacht the back stay got caught on the crane (it is a stationary type) and pulled the mast a bit...again it seemed fine as its a wooden mast so it flexed a bit...

We got on board yesterday and working through today taking deck fittings off...today I noted that the mast base had a splint in it from the base about a foot long shooting up...it's a fresh crack so it appears that when the back stay was caught it put pressure on the mast and it cracked...

So I am not sure if the marina can fix it or what is the recommended course of action...I will give them a call tomorrow but wanted to find out if it is fixable (we are intending to cross the Atlantic) or not..it's a wooden hollow mast on a steel cutter
 
Whenever I've had a boat craned out or in they have asked for the backstay to be slackened right off or disconnected because of the risk. Sorry to hear of your woes - I would lay them at the door of the marina or crane operator.
 
I;m really sorry to hear that. What a flippin' pain!

I, like you, do not know the answer. Get professional advice and contact your insurers.

Atlantic crossing means you need A1 gear, this needs to be done properly.

Survey by knowed surveyor a must I would suggest.

Hey, wait a minute, someone is bound to come along and say it can be fixed with cascamite and lashing or three... ...that;s the glory of wood. repairable, even by a DIYer.:)
 
Masthead rig? Always take off the backstay to give the cran gib a chance. Sounds like Marina,s error.

Sorry to hear the news but in truth its got more chance to be repaired if in wood.
 
Thank you all..yes it is quite disappointing...the actual lift was fine...it was when they placed the yacht on a cradle to be moved by a tractor to the yard the backstay got caught...my main reason for keeping the wooden mast is that I could repair myself for most part....but this damage is at base which means stepping the mast to repair for which the marina would obviously want to charge....should I be asking the marina to repair professionally covering stepping costs?
 
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC said:
The Marina are responsible for the damage and they should undertake repairs based on a report by a surveyor. The Marina will in turn make a claim from their own insurance.
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Captain Fantastic speaks good words; stick by them no matter what the marina people may say, it's down to THEIR insurance, don't put up with anything less than A1, your or a surveyors' standards, not theirs !

I do think you need to get a surveyor in on this asap, try word of mouth for a decent guy if member of a club, if not, on these forums !
 
Seajet said:
Captain Fantastic speaks good words; stick by them no matter what the marina people may say, it's down to THEIR insurance, don't put up with anything less than A1, your or a surveyors' standards, not theirs !

I do think you need to get a surveyor in on this asap, try word of mouth for a decent guy if member of a club, if not, on these forums !
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+1. Do not let the marina try to wriggle of this. It is their fault and theirs alone. You should notify them of the problem in writing, get in a surveyour and then ask them to arrange to have it fixed in accordance with the surveyours report. Don't forget to add your costs to the overall bill - surveyour, time and travel for example.
 
Thanks again, I think the formal (writing) method is good also...I spoke to them this mornign and after initial denial the chap 'remembered' that when boat was moved with the tractor, backstay caught onto the crane...but its all verbal at the moment...
He said he will talk to the other chap (the dockmaster) and they will come back with a plan of attack...I guess its fair to wait for what they propose first or should I be organising a surveyor anyway?
 
tomdmx said:
Thanks again, I think the formal (writing) method is good also...I spoke to them this mornign and after initial denial the chap 'remembered' that when boat was moved with the tractor, backstay caught onto the crane...but its all verbal at the moment...
He said he will talk to the other chap (the dockmaster) and they will come back with a plan of attack...I guess its fair to wait for what they propose first or should I be organising a surveyor anyway?
Click to expand...

I would certainly be writing to them now confirming the conversation you had with them earlier and it's contents.
 
tomdmx said:
Thanks again, I think the formal (writing) method is good also...I spoke to them this mornign and after initial denial the chap 'remembered' that when boat was moved with the tractor, backstay caught onto the crane...but its all verbal at the moment...
He said he will talk to the other chap (the dockmaster) and they will come back with a plan of attack...I guess its fair to wait for what they propose first or should I be organising a surveyor anyway?
Click to expand...

A surveyor definitely... You want satisfaction that it is done properly if yoru going to be crossing the Atlantic..
They are definitely responsible, Id be most upset.
It disgusts me that marina employees on such low wages not skilled at much in way of boats are hauling around excessive amounts of money swinging in the air. With little care etc.
 
Ok emailed the marina formally and seeking a surveyor who knows wooden masts...any recommendations anyone?
 
Hi, bit of an update I have formally written to the marina (via work email) basically describing the incident in detail, their verbal acceptance of the incident etc and seeking urgent resolution to the damage post which I will hire a surveyor to assess repair (I also stated that we're off across the Atlantic so it must be repaired to the quality needed)

This was done on Monday (2nd Apr) and with two follow up calls I am told that they have escalated the matter to the marina manager (that was on Wednesday)...so not sure how much time I need to give them..she is paid for another two weeks on the hard by which time I expect all works to be completed for her (our works that is not the damage)

Is it reasonable to expect them to resolve this matter over the course of these 2 weeks and if not then for them to pay for the storage until such time it is resolved (as we intended to sail down to south coast from where she is then)...

Also, I only have 3rd party insurance by the way so I guess this would not be covered...
 
your out of pocket $s...

sounds as though they owe you a cost-free de-masting for inspection and repair of your mast, a cost free fix by a reputable trademan to fix and make your mast as good as it was before the accident, a cost-free mast haulup, and credit for all the time you are spending on the hard waiting for the mast to be satisfactorily fixed. and the surveyor costs too ...?
 
The marina does not want to accept liability...they had someone from Port of London authority do a report and I think I know what they are trying to do..

I was advised today by the marina manager that they do not accept liability at this stage and that I should put my inner stays back on asap as they could cause more damage...the stays have been removed just before the lift by the marina operators and not put back on (I never thought of putting them back on) and I think they are trying to say that the damage occurred as a result of this and not the pull on the backstay. (when it got caught on the crane)..this is a possibility I guess but I think it was their responsibility to put the side stays on after the lift right?

I only have 3rd party insurance so cant really use the legal cover for this...I have asked them to reconsider as I believe its negligence on their part...so beyond this (if they persist in not accepting liability)...what are my options..whom can I talk to...by the way the marina in question is South Dock (owned and operated by Southwark council)

Any help/direction would be greatly appreciated :)
 
Don't hang about; get a surveyor who is used to wooden boats to survey it; put things in writing (if you email, back it up with a letter); be prepared to see a soilicitor.

Leave the marina in no doubt that they have a problem which is not going to go away.
 
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