best,
I remember the post. I did not remember the 3-400 estimate. I would still approach the guy and offer to
repair it at your cost (what the f*** does he care what your cost is?) to his satisfaction. You can have it done three times for the difference in price!
The problem with a certain type of people is, when it's somebody else's money and responsibility, the boat suddenly becomes a "yacht", as in Her Mafesty's Royal Yacht. If he insists on having his guy do the work, at an outrageous price, then he should be willing to sign a release stating that your payment of the estimated price releases you of any further obligation. If he will allow your guy to
repair it, you might consider how you can involve a third party to be an impartial arbiter of the effectiveness of the
repair. Or, you can just take a chance the guy is basically reasonable and tell him you will
repair it to his satisfaction, have your guy do it, and hope the guy doesn't nit pick over the seagull droppings that occured while the repair was being done.
I hate having to deal with people spending other people's money. When it's their own money they get real reasonable in a hurry. Don't beat yourself up over this, it's a boat manoeuvering in close quarters. People in cars don't do any better, although you'd think they should. At the end of the day, docking is a controlled collision. I once went through a relatively normal tie-up only to have the Third Mate observe we'd punched a hole in the hull from a dockside
shackle. This was on a 50,000 ton freighter. The hole was in a "wing"
fuel oil tank. Imagine my relief when I discovered the tank was not pressed up, that is, slack, and no
fuel leaked to the harbor! Still was a pain in the butt to
pump it down, inert, and weld. But that beat a $10,000 fine and proceedings against license!
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I got an estimate for 300-400 bucks and then contacted the guy. He wanted to get his own estimate, so I said go ahead. He went to the most expensive yard. So, I am getting more estimates. I agree about not contacting insurance. And it wasn't "ramming speed"
(but I do accept the D-day of boating nickname) We were barely moving, docking in a slip that really should only be for 30 footers (his boat), and a gust came up and pushed us over. The admiral was waiting to jump off the bow and by the time she got over to the other side to fend off, it was too late. We hit very lightly, but the wind pushed my stern around and we rolled off the transom lip, bending and cracking it. Its the age old debate. If you come in slow, you will do less damage when you hit something, but if you come in too slow, you are susceptible to wind and current and may still hit something.
