Walther
Member
My reading of the original Post was that the other skipper wasn't prepared to discuss the incident.
It's difficult to tell from the original post.
He said that he was "shocked by the arrogance and rudeness of the skipper", but offered few details about their discussion. All we've been told is that he "asked why (the other yacht) had no fenders out when manoeuvring so badly in close quarters", and received an offhand reply.
The OP also said that the other skipper "made no apology, and did not offer to give me any ownership or insurance details ... he then left without speaking to me, despite my concern that we may have sustained damage not yet seen." What is not stated is whether the OP actually expressed such concern, or requested ownership and insurance information.
It seems possible that the bump the OP felt was actually trifling, so much so that the other skipper didn't even know it had occurred (no doubt it felt like a heavy blow to the OP, asleep as he was in his boat's aft cabin, but that was only one perspective).
If the OP didn't actually verbalize his concern about possible damage and request insurance information, it's unsurprising that the other fellow didn't provide it: he can't be expected to be a mindreader. Not volunteering information is not the same as refusing a request for it.
Too, if the OP ran on deck blazing with anger and making accusations of poor seamanship, he shouldn't be surprised if the other fellow declined to engage in a debate and left without apology or offering compensation. Few people welcome an argument with a hothead.
I don't mean to be an apologist for the other skipper, or to attack the OP. I don't know either of them, what really happened, or who said what to whom: I wasn't there. But I do know that the other boat has been 'named and shamed' on the basis of scanty, anonymous and one-sided information; further attacking it with a complaint to the sponsor, marina operator, police or insurer appears unwarranted. And if no physical damage was actually sustained (?), frankly I can't see those people being much interested.
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