Marina Key

Unbelievable!
A Cat just came in at high speed, racing for a mooring, then decided to anchor ON THE REEF, despite open moorings. As an owner, and as a sailor, I am without words. If the wind changes tonight, he will be hard aground.

Kevin

Kevin ... Agree, unbelievable! There should be a common sense exam captains have to pass before chartering ... Assume this was a charter vessel?

The correct thing to do would be to dinghy over with some beers and have a friendly conversation.

I'd report them to the charter company if its a bareboat charter. Other than talking to them, not much else you can really do.

Get the name of the boat and the company, if there is one.

I agree with the 3 last posts, guaranteed bottom damage. Can you take a picture and post in the morning?

1. Common Sense Exam...excellent idea!
2. Dinghy over with beers...great idea - all but gone in this text msg age
3. "not much else you can do"...True, unless you're a pirate and then a plank would be good. A plank for them walking off of or you pummeling them with!
Seriously, how in the world do you not know that... a) It's questionable/wrong to anchor near/on a reef!? and b) That the reef is there!?

Oh dear...precisely the reason we co own an old boat and can not bring ourselves to buy a new one in charter ....my heart aches for the owners of this vessel.

Is there any further update ?

What happened? Did you get the boat name? I know all the boats at BVIYC - they don't put the company name on theirs....

I am hoping that soon they will require some form of certification for these bareboat charters. I know it will hurt the industry financially, but it will keep things safer. It is required in so many other places in the world. At least one person aboard should be qualified and licensed to operate the vessel of its size, and tonnage.

Just last week, a brand new 45' beneteau from Moorings tried to anchor in Norman Island, right up the front of course... dragged, and was way too close to 2 different boats, (including mine). They had also jammed the windlass, and had no idea what they were doing. (at all)
I took pity and I offered to help them, which they quickly accepted. Moved them out to the end, far away from anyone else, anchored, and left them be. (No buoys left) In talking to them, only one person had any experience, which involved day sailing on a Catalina 27, about 15 years ago, for one summer.

But hey, it is only a $500 deductable, if anything happens... Hence the term, "Credit Card Captains"

Don't get me started about drinking and driving on the water....

It was a Festiva Charters boat. Left early in the morning.
Did not get the name. He made it thru the night without grounding, but was about 10 yds fro brown coral.I am now at Cooper. Big seas and wind for next 24 hours. Home Wed.

KFQ

Festiva. So, it was a "professional" captain. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

That is exactly what I was thinking, Chris....

Frankie2 - what is Cooper like right now? I'm tucked into Prickly Pear in the North Sound and the big gusts just came through, whipping the tops of the little wavelets in the Sound. I can't imagine that Cooper is any good today. I'm waiting here until my Tuesday weather window opens for St. Martin.

Hello Zanshin!

Cooper is actually OK. A little bumpy outside near the Drake. As usual, full by 1 PM. Tuesday and Wednesday look better on Windguru for your St. Martin passage. Have fun.

Kevin

If it was a Festiva boat the captain may have known exactly what he/she was doing? Sounds like it was a non event? Or did I miss something? Assuming the anchor was in sand not on the reef.

Uhhmm....$500 deductible ?
Are you kidding?
My house has a $5000 deductible - and it doesn't move, and in storm-free Canada

$500 deductible... on a ($300,000???) moving battering-ram....lol

letsgosailing, what type of licensing are you talking about? Getting a Capt's license requires logging 360 days at sea, how many charter guests qualify? I am sure some could pass the written tests, however there is nothing in between except ASA. My deductible is $2500 and $5000 in a named storm, which is common with Caribbean insurance.

Charter companies charge for insurance - this is what gives the lower deductible. As an owner in moorings, I opt out if it which means we are on the hook for the normal deductible which is typically 1% of the hull value.

Wow.. still - would you wanna play insurance company ?

40 yrs ago, when money was super-tight
I remember my brother saying to me...
"Hey - insurance is cheap. Don't skimp in this area"

1% deductible - on a ship - wow...

Curiosity - what percentage of the protected 99% does insurance cost ?

1/2 million dollar cat will have a $5000 deductible, seems reasonable

I never take the supplemental insurance either.
Insurance isn't cheap - it returns an average of "pennies on the dollar".

My attitude towards insurance is to only insure against truly unendurable losses. My new cars are insured for liability only.

Declining insurance is the only form of "gambling" I engage in, because the return is statistically above parity, and gets even better if you exercise caution and judgment to put you above actuarial averages.

As far as I am aware, when you rent a yacht from Sunsail, there is a $500 damage deductible. ($6500 for racing, $500 for cruising)

I have done 8 Heineken Regattas on the Sunsail program,

I am not sure what their insurace companies charge, but this is what the renter is charged.

You ding the boat, or you sink the boat...

Last time I rented from Sunsail was 2 eyars ago, so it may have changed.

No experience required (Send them your sailing resume, which people embellish..)

Your "Named Storm Deductible" is for damage from a hurricane, not a simple collision with another boat or reef, on a sunny day in January.

I am talking about the Sunsail policy, not the Insurance Company policy. Very different thing.

No point arguing... Call Sunsail and ask!

AS for qualifications... You need qualifications to drive a car, ride a motorbike, why not a Half million dollar yacht? At a bare minimum, basic understanding of Cardinal markers, right of way, VHF usage and protocol,

In the BVI, you can drink all day while driving the boat, and have NO idea what you are doing... and it is acceptable. Just Sayin.

The Yacht Damage Waiver is supplemental insurance that brings the deductible down to $500. It's usually optional and the only time I've done it was on flotilla where it's mandatory.

The Yacht Damage Waiver is not available when racing, that's why the deductible is higher there.

I must have missed the turn. I thought this thread was about anchoring on a reef at Marina Cay?

Real captains don't drive a boat. They sail or operate a boat. That's how you can tell the difference between a captain who has obtained a license from a recognized four year training program and one who has not.

4 year training program? more like one week at Captain's school. The hardest part is logging the necessary hours.

The “Captains School” short course usually teaches to the test. About the only useful part of the test to a charterer is “The Rules of the Road”.
Sea time : The 360 day’s for an OUPV “aka 6Pack” can be documented in a canoe and also for the Masters 720 days, 50 tons and up if one wants to be creative.
Twice on charter and twice on deliveries I’ve had “Captain certified” crew scare the hell out of me with their lack of knowledge. Maybe they forgot what they learned or answer “C” wasn’t relevant.

Hmm. And here I thought you coowned an old boat because of the incredibly talented and ridiculously handsome partners.

Yes...that's what Kim says all the time!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Haha...of course... that's reason number one <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />