boat transport

[goodhobbes]

Why is it that every time I have used a boat transport company I have had a problem with damage of one form or another?
Then, of course, the person responsible never wants to pay for the damage and I am hung out to dry?
Is there any recourse? Are these people not clearly responsible for their cargo and do they not all carry insurance?
This is the second time I have had significant mast damage!
I am sure there must be some reputable companies out there.
Martin

[xort]

didn't they have insurance?
In talking with boat US, they've told me they would cover damage via trucking and then they would go after the truckers insurance

Who prepped the mast? Usually the yard or the owner preps the mast, not the trucker. So that responsibility doesn't seem to lie with the trucker. If you ship something via ups, they aren't responsible if the packaging is substandard. What sort of damage did the mast suffer?

[goodhobbes]

I have been having so much trouble even talking civily to these people. The have been very rude! I would hope they have insurance....they all SAY they carry insurance.
The damage was a deep scratch down to the aluminium from the mast plate to just above the top spreaders. The plate was gouged the mast light broken and the forestay at the rop of the roller furler was bent. This meant the the whole forestay had to be replaced as it was a swaged fitting.
Hinckley at Southwest Harbor, Maine loaded and prepped the boat . They did such a "good" job, that the outboard winch on the mast was exposed to salt and grit all across the northern USA during a winter crossing. It was LOADED with gravel on the inside and would not even turn.
Their reply was it was poorly maintained and I never asked them to cover it!!!! Brilliant people taking care of our boats!
The old addage applies..if you want it done right do it yourself!
My opinion of Hickley's Yard is mud! Very expensive and very sloppy.

[artbyjody]

Take lots of pictures and get your insurance involved (hoping that you have of course).

[Cruisingdad]

I am going to move this to general discussion as it is related to boating. Many members do not come to off topic.

I hesitate even saying this as I do not want this to come across as "Well I always.... etc)..."... but, when packing the boat, I pretty much do it and directly oversee all of it myseslf. WHat I do obviously has no benefit to you right now, but all I can say is that next time if you directly oversee the project, you will not have this issue again.

I buy a LOT of carpet and a lot of wrap - especially for the mast. I do NOT allow anyone to pack down below. I totally do that. As far as Hinkley's yard, they should know better. Masts are especially suceptible to chaffing on a truck. Most people remove their stays and coil them up down below so they do not chafe the mast. I am suprised that they did not. I assume they did not because the roller furling was on there and they did not want to pull it off??? I don't understand why it was on there for shipment.

Here is how we do/have done our masts. Totally, and tightly wrapped with all the stays removed and securely lashed to the truck. Did yours look like this??

[knothead]

[quote=Cruisingdad;306746] As far as Hinkley's yard, they should know better. Masts are especially suceptible to chaffing on a truck. Most people remove their stays and coil them up down below so they do not chafe the mast. I am suprised that they did not. I assume they did not because the roller furling was on there and they did not want to pull it off??? I don't understand why it was on there for shipment.

I am not too surprised. I have seen some strange things happen to sailboats that have come out of yards.
I know of one instance that a headstay with furler was attached to a aluminum spacer at the masthead instead of the actual pin when the boat was recommissioned. You can guess the outcome of that.
My rigging shop is situated in a boat yard and when there are rigging issues that come up on boats that are in the yard for work, the yard manager comes to us. Even if it's just to pull the headstay to get the travel-lift under it. Packing a mast for shipping is a job for a rigger or owner. In the 13 years that I've been in business, I can't remember a problem with a mast that we have prepared. On the other hand, I have commissioned a few new boats that have arrived straight from the factory with mast damage.

[jong0726]

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[eryka]

This may be the record: We know of a yard in Galveston that "prepped" a boat to be trucked AND LEFT THE ROLLER FURLING SAIL ON!!

We prepped our boat ourselves for the move from Lake Michigan to the Chesapeake, using an excess of waste carpeting, cardboard, and line.