Why We Will Never Charter Our Boat...

[Maine Sail]

This is pretty self explanatory. The owners of this LOVELY Hinckley, LARA, entrusted their clients to charter their boat. This is what the poor owner got out of it. I am sure this guy cares about his boat as she was in tip top shape and very well cared for.

The client perhaps did not understand Maine tides. That dock has about 10"-18" of water at low depending upon the tide and they "missed the window"...



As we approached the cove at Frenchboro, after a long hike, I thought it odd that a sail boat would be tied up to a "working dock" and especially one that nearly flats out at low, but then I noticed it was a Hinckley and guessed they had some "clout" on this remote island and were only there temporarily?

Then something funny happened. I noticed the lack of the fully furled head sail, the poorly flaked main and the errant fender up near the bow hitting nothing. I mentioned to my wife "I am going to guess that's a charter, & what a sweet boat to charter!"....


A few hours later I looked up towards the head of the harbor and felt a pit:



I then went in for a closer look..



Please take a close look at the back stay. The darn thing is about 4-5 feet out of column and was slightly bending the mast. A lesser boat may have suffered a failure but this was a Hinckley..


The next time I saw her she was back on a mooring and luckily exhibited minimal to no damage.


It is sad that even an owner of a Hinckly can't qualify their own clients.

If anyone knows the owner of LARA please let them know about this as I would guess this is not what he signed up for when agreeing to charter their boat to these folks...

[WanderingStar]

Ouch! Glad it wasn't worse. Not that there would be a market, but I don't think I could allow anyone to sail my boat without me. I do understand that for some people it is a necessary financial calculation. My solution was saving money and buying a cheaper boat.

[MobiusALilBitTwisted]

Lovely Boat, not the treatment of Her

[imagine2frolic]

Hopefully bene will se this thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........i2f

[PCP]

This season and last season I have charted brand new boats (42fts), boats with only 3 or 4 months of use. Both showed already abuse, the first one on the interior and in the sails, the second one had gearbox problems and problems in the head. They were not mine put give me pain to see how fine boats can be dilapidated in so short time by people that don't know how to use them or just don't care

Regards

Paulo

[mikel1]

If it were mine...... I'd have to shoot somebody!

[Rick486]

Ya know, she may not be a charter at all. There is a large number of mmtbs out there who buy a Hinckley/Morris/Alden/Hood etc because they can and someone tells them they should, but are inexperienced/uncaring/stupid enough to make this kind of mistake. They just pay the yard to repair any damage.

[b40Ibis]

That looks like a competition 41. I know Hinckley charters some boats out of SW Harbor but not that one.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by b40Ibis

That looks like a competition 41. I know Hinckley charters some boats out of SW Harbor but not that one.

It's a 41 but not sure if it is the competition? Apparently the owner is the one who manages his own charters. Still sad...

[jrd22]

That's sad, beautiful boat. We had what I assume was a charter (about 40') come into the fuel float in front of our house the other day. They had the main up, about a 10 knot following wind, boom on stb side. They came in with the float on their port side and threw a bow line to someone on the float, who promptly cleated it off. Then things got interesting.
Nope, don't think I'll charter out our boat.