Lobster Boat vs. 2520

[Kendall Brown]

Last year in October my boat was sitting at the dock during a week day morning gently riding on her dock lines. It was one of those beautiful fall days where the air was crisp and the sun was warm on your face.... too bad I was at work!

I had three voice mails waiting on the cell phone by 9:00 am; one from my brother (keep the boat at his dock), a Lobsterman and his insurance company, all telling me my boat had been struck!
Apparently the Lobsterman was heading out for the morning run and left the helm unattended in the narrow channel for a few moments and an eddy redirected his path of travel right at my fiberglass dock queen, whereupon she was mauled by the 38 footers hauler. (See Photo).

Damage was as follows: Scratch on pilot house window frame, Damage to gel coat on pilot house, pilot house seperated from deck flange by about an inch, deck railing bent and popped from the deck in several places, gel coat damage on deck just above rub rail, rub rail tore up. One stringer board on the float was cracked. (See Photo's).

My dock/fender configuration: Small mooring ball as the bow fender, tied even with the main steering wheel, large cylindrical fender on the midship cleat and another on the stern cleat, the float with a rub rail on it. On the other side are two large pilings driven into mud (free standing) with chains/pvc pipe sections around them to keep the float from going anywhere and then the gangway wheels have guides on either side to counter lateral movement from the tide changes. Lots of "give" at impact.

Attached are some photo's of the dock and channel.

Took the boat back to the dealer and had all the work done there over last winter, they did a pretty nice job on her. The deck rail is higher than the old one and larger diameter tubing as well.

I give the Lobsterman credit, he did stop and reported it right away... didn't have to go looking for him.

Kendall

 

[gerg]

Wow, in that location your boat is practically a hazard to navigation just sitting at the dock. If not a lobster boat, I can imagine you get waked quite a bit.

Sorry about the damage, that can really leave a pit in your stomach for a long, long time. At least alls well that ends well.

 

[Kendall Brown]

We get waked now and then by some of the visiters to the restaurant up the river from us; NH law requires headway speed at less than 150ft from any other boat, structure or shorline.

With our limited shoreline ~18 miles, they pack the boats in tight. The wait list for a mooring in Little Harbor, just down the river from me is at 16 years.

The guys just down from me that have the moorings are really hanging out there during the slack tide and are tough to see at night. The dock I'm at and the one above it are required to burn a white light at the end of the pier from sun down to sun up.

It's a fun place just to hangout and watch the traffic on a busy day, especially when the floatilla's of rental kayaker's are trying to get back against the tide. I've brought a few back in the RIB.

Kendall

 

[MaxOut]

Maybe you can move your boat up the pier instead of at the tee bulkhead?

 

[Bryan 2530]

Doesn't look like there is enough water inside.

 

[bdgrbu]

That sucks ... but oh well, stuff happens. At least it got resolved.