cardude01
Guru
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2012
- Messages
- 5,290
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Bijou
- Vessel Make
- 2008 Island Packet PY/SP
So far I’ve still been unable to get to GTC to check on my boat. I had a flight arranged Saturday the 14th with a seat on a charter plane that would have given me about 5 hours to check on the boat, but that was when then TS Humberto was due to hit the area and I didn’t feel like flying into that, and even if we could land I didn’t know if I could get a boat ride over from Treasure Cay (where the mostly destroyed airport is) to GTC, where the boat is and back in 5 hours.
I did get an “on the ground” report that the boat is still upright on its stands in the yard, but the mast is broken, solar panels are blown off, and I’m sure some other damage I don’t know about. With the mast damaged so badly I’m now wondering if the boat has filled full of rain water leaking past the mast boot. I also still don’t know if sea water got into the boat. If water did in fact get inside, I can’t imagine how bad the interior is now after going on almost three weeks of hot muggy weather. I talked to the insurance company agent yesterday (not the adjuster) and she said I should prepare myself for it to be totaled. The adjuster is still trying to get a surveyor there to take a look at the boat, but he has also had trouble getting there obviously.
I have secured a berth on a sailboat leaving Florida later this month, or as soon as the weather looks clear enough to make it there and back. It would be a two day trip to get there, and they are planning to stay three days and deliver some supplies. The boat owners have been to GTC and other Bahamas islands many times over the years so they are experienced, and their boat/home seems up to the task from pictures and description. It’s a 48’ pilothouse ketch.
However now, after the insurance agent said that, I’m starting to wonder why I’m going over there. My wife thinks a 7 day cruise with some folks I don’t know is a little crazy (she doesn’t want to go). I didn’t really think so, but maybe I’m being too emotional and ignoring the crazy. My initial reason for wanting to go was to rig up and aux solar panel I have in the boat to keep the batteries from being discharged, but it’s been so long now that may have already happened? Also, I wanted to get a few things off the boat (some small electronics like VHF handheld, Garmin Inreach, my drone, GoPro, etc). I also have a new life raft inside the pilothouse in its soft case I could salvage, along with my outboard (if still there) and nice Rocna anchor since I’m going over by sailboat (if they have room for all that big stuff). So maybe $5000-6000 worth of stuff I could get off the boat. Is that worth it? Suppose I could claim some of that on insurance however.
What say you folks? Should I stay or should I go now? I need to make an unemotional decision.
I did get an “on the ground” report that the boat is still upright on its stands in the yard, but the mast is broken, solar panels are blown off, and I’m sure some other damage I don’t know about. With the mast damaged so badly I’m now wondering if the boat has filled full of rain water leaking past the mast boot. I also still don’t know if sea water got into the boat. If water did in fact get inside, I can’t imagine how bad the interior is now after going on almost three weeks of hot muggy weather. I talked to the insurance company agent yesterday (not the adjuster) and she said I should prepare myself for it to be totaled. The adjuster is still trying to get a surveyor there to take a look at the boat, but he has also had trouble getting there obviously.
I have secured a berth on a sailboat leaving Florida later this month, or as soon as the weather looks clear enough to make it there and back. It would be a two day trip to get there, and they are planning to stay three days and deliver some supplies. The boat owners have been to GTC and other Bahamas islands many times over the years so they are experienced, and their boat/home seems up to the task from pictures and description. It’s a 48’ pilothouse ketch.
However now, after the insurance agent said that, I’m starting to wonder why I’m going over there. My wife thinks a 7 day cruise with some folks I don’t know is a little crazy (she doesn’t want to go). I didn’t really think so, but maybe I’m being too emotional and ignoring the crazy. My initial reason for wanting to go was to rig up and aux solar panel I have in the boat to keep the batteries from being discharged, but it’s been so long now that may have already happened? Also, I wanted to get a few things off the boat (some small electronics like VHF handheld, Garmin Inreach, my drone, GoPro, etc). I also have a new life raft inside the pilothouse in its soft case I could salvage, along with my outboard (if still there) and nice Rocna anchor since I’m going over by sailboat (if they have room for all that big stuff). So maybe $5000-6000 worth of stuff I could get off the boat. Is that worth it? Suppose I could claim some of that on insurance however.
What say you folks? Should I stay or should I go now? I need to make an unemotional decision.
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