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Vandalism: Total Loss of a PS 34 and the Aftermath

8K views 37 replies 22 participants last post by  hellosailor 
#1 ·
Our Crealock 34 "Neverland" was vandalized while in dry storage at Green Cove Springs Marina in northern Florida in 2015. Vandals cut through a fence, broke into the boat, and left the hatch open. Dozens of boats were broken into in the summer of 2015 at this marina. By the time we discovered the break-in, the open hatch had resulted in about 8" of rainwater accumulating in the boat and mixing with leaking diesel fuel, engine oil and transmission fluid. The boat was also entirely filled with mold and mildew (damage not covered by our or any other insurance policy we've found so far). After 3 months of constant back and forth with the insurance company (GEICO, who has bought Seaworthy and some of BoatUS), we hired an industrial hygienist on our own to assess and report on the high levels of hydrocarbon toxicity and water saturation in the boat. This report resulted in GEICO finally declaring the boat a constructive total loss. We are now moving ahead with the purchase of another Crealock 34, but it's worth reading our story to better understand how hard it is to deal with insurance companies sometimes, and the extent of the losses for which you are at risk even when you think you are well-insured.
I have a blog at blogspot.com but get an error message here when I try to provide the direct link because I don't "have a post count of 10 or greater" . The blog title is "neverland2015-16" to which you add ".blogspot.com". Maybe if I get some responses to this post I'll be able to provide the complete link?
 
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#2 ·
Terrible thing to hear... and to have happen to you.

I hope you have luck finding an equal replacement!
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thank you for adding the direct link to the blog. Much appreciated. If others want to take a look there are photos of the damage in the boat in the first post (December 2015), information about how stunningly unprofessional GEICO was in dealing with our claim in the 2nd post, and the followup in the last post.
 
#6 ·
We met Jim and Cynthia aboard 'Neverland' in Miami in February of 2015 and later that year in George Town, Exuma. 'Neverland' was a well cared for and well equipped shoal keel PSC 34. It is heartbreaking to see her condition in the blog photos, and it is equally distressing to learn how fast that level of damage can occur.

We put so much trust in the people who look after our boats in our absence and in the companies that we pay to accept some of the risks of boat ownership. It hurts when that trust is broken.

When you read their blog, also read the comments.

Bill Murdoch
1988 PSC 34
Irish Eyes
 
#8 ·
I was thinking the same thing about the yard. But that may have required even more legal action. The insurance industry as a whole is a very shady lot. They love taking your premiums, but always play hard ball when you really need them.

So sorry to see what happened to your boat. It has to have been a horrible experience. I'm happy to see that the end result is good. Lucy looks like a great vessel.
 
#9 ·
Be aware that the claims adjuster we dealt with was a BoatUS agent now working for GEICO. And yet, as I said in the blog, no one we dealt with seemed to have any real knowledge of boats. For example, we were denied reimbursement until the very end for even relatively trivial and required expenses such as having the mast unstepped to move the boat by truck. We were told that was unnecessary - the mast could have remained stepped. Really? The surveyor sent by GEICO was not a member of any surveyor's organization. He wrote up a report full of errors, omissions, and deliberately false allegations. In addition, we were entirely on our own to figure out how to find an expert to measure the hydrocarbon toxicity and extent of water saturation inside the boat. Had we not been able to figure this out, or couldn't have paid to have this done, GEICO would have handed us an amount less than half Neverland's agreed value. We would also have been responsible for the boat salvage; none of the charitable organizations I contacted (prior to getting the news from GEICO that they would agree to declare the boat a total loss) would take the boat. We would have lost our home on the water and never been able to replace her.

Your marina will likely have you sign an contract that absolves it of responsibility for a situation like ours. Read your marina contract and insurance policy. We are setting up a contract in future to have someone check on the boat regularly if we need to leave it somewhere, no matter what type of fencing, cameras, locks, policing etc the marina claims to have. In fact with our new insurer, this is a requirement. We will also put a surveillance device inside the boat that will alert us by IPhone in real time, videoing anyone entering the boat.

Lots of friends have asked why we didn't "go after" the marina. Your insurer has first position to subrogate for loss. If you interfere with this process by acting on your own, your policy may be voided. We have been told that generally the marina's contract with the boat owner makes it unlikely that the insurer will subrogate.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Lots of friends have asked why we didn't "go after" the marina. Your insurer has first position to subrogate for loss. If you interfere with this process by acting on your own, your policy may be voided. We have been told that generally the marina's contract with the boat owner makes it unlikely that the insurer will subrogate.
if a Insurance agent told you this unfortunately it was wrong I deal with this kind of claims on a weekly basis (not in boating) also no mater what you may sign you can not sign your rights away you can sign that you agree to binding arbitration but that to can be challenged in court $$$$$$ again I hate that it happened to you and subrogation was probably the best plan
 
#13 ·
I disagree about insurance companies being shady and playing hardball. Luckily I have never had a boat claim but with my cars and houses I have had a few over the years and never had a hint of a problem with any of them.

I just had a small water damage claim on my house - a leaking water line wrecked a basement room They fixed it far better than it originally was without a hint of balking at any aspect of it.

The only time I felt they had been sleazy was a time years ago when I got rear-ended in traffic. I regret not getting a lawyer that one time.

When you think of all the insurance fraud out there you can understand why they are diligent about protecting themselves.
 
#20 ·
I didn't mean to come across sounding like an a-hole but it is the owners responsibility to check on their boat.....not the marina. My boat is dry stored in a fenced area with an 8 foot tall chain link with barb wire on top. They clearly state that they are not responsible for vandals or theft. They are not hiring a 24/7 armed guard. I make a point to take the 60 mile trip to check on it at least once a month....usually twice. Consider that "cancer screening" which is to catch it before it gets worse. If you live 800 miles from your boat then maybe pay someone you know a few bucks that lives close to check on it for you. That's what I would do anyway. It's better than having it being trashed for 6 months then pointing fingers.
 
#21 ·
Sorry to hear this. I live in the area and use/have used GCS Marina. Sorry and frightening to hear this as I planned to use them for a haulout in the future. I don't have anything terribly valuable on my little 24, but having them kick the clapboards in to find out would still be inconvenient.

While they are location convenient for me, if I was doing long term storage I would have tried something further down river if they had availability. Theres five or six centers off of Ortega that have amazing security, if you can get in there.
 
#22 ·
I've had mostly good experiences with insurance companies. We currently have Progressive on all vehicles. My motorcycle insurance premium has been reduced every year, due to no claims.
Last week, my wife had her car hit by another Progressive customer late on Thursday. Friday morning they called each person and got the accident report.They had their own adjuster at the bodyshop Monday morning. Tuesday, a Progressive agent dropped a check off to my wife at her office along with an envelope for her to send in the bills for an xray and chiropractic exam she had gone for.

Several years ago our town was hit by a bad hail storm. My roof had no visible damage but a neighbor recommended that I call my insurance company. The AAA agent came out and got on my 30 year old roof. He lifted the corners of three shingles at random locations and said, "We owe you a new roof. The hail caused these shingles to come unglued on the tabs and, although it looks fine, they could blow off in the next windstorm." He did his own estimate of the cost which matched that of the roofing company and, for the $500 deductible, I got a new roof.
 
#23 ·
My experience with BoatUS prior to the GEICO purchase was very good. The adjuster they sent was a well known surveyor, very familiar with boats and very willing to see to it that everything was done exactly right. In that case the damage was clearly the fault of the yard and they took responsibility, so it was not hard for him to do so. Still, from talking to him, that was the same way he had approached other claims the insurance company was on the hook for.
 
#24 · (Edited)
To those who've had good experiences with your insurance companies, you'd do well to say a prayer of thanks.

Jim and Cynthia's story sounds VERY familiar to us, and echos almost exactly our experience with a recent homeowners claim. .

The original settlement - offered with a strong arm approach - was less than $6K. The final bill was nearly $70K.

It took six months of constant fighting to get our home repaired to where it was before the broken pipe. It was literally a second job. We did not get a single item we were not entitled to.

The tactic is called "Delay, Deny, Defend", and it's become commonplace enough in the industry that major new outlets have done multiple stories on the subject. Delay and deny for nonsensical reasons. Send a parade of deliberately clueless adjusters. Then "managers" for the adjusters. Demand reams of justification. A predictable number of claimants will drop off out of frustration. And these are "name" companies, not fly by night insurers.

Google "Delay, Deny, Defend" and you'll find stories from CNN, NBC, Huffington Post, etc.
 
#26 ·
To those who've had good experiences with your insurance companies, you'd do well to say a prayer of thanks.
So, what was the name of the insurance company? Let's put the names of the worst offenders out there so people will know. Also, if the word gets back to the insurance companies that they're getting a bad rep on social media, that will encourage them to change.
 
#29 ·
I know that this is 'closing the barn door after the horse ran away', but every time our boat is out of the water I pull the knotmeter paddle wheel out of it's hole in the bottom. I tie the ignition keys to the knotmeter wire and leave a sign that says "HOLE IN THE BOTTOM" in the salon. There have been times when a leak has developed, (usually it's a stupid attack), but the water level in the boat can only rise to the level of the hole in the bottom.
 
#32 ·
We hired an industrial Hygienist to inspect the damage, take scientifically verifiable measurements, and report on the hydrocarbon toxicity levels and water saturation in the boat materials below deck. Her report indicated that the entire cabin interior would need to be removed and replaced to make the boat habitable again. Her name is Dr Susan White and she is located in Lewes, DE.
 
#38 ·
I am reminded of a James Bond movie, the one in which he drives a submersible Lotus.
With the little sticker on the window that says "Burglar Protected".

The fellow who tried to enter it, was scattered over quite a large area, along with the rest of the car.

Surely, since the car was submersible, that's something you can buy in West Marine?
 
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