PDA

View Full Version : Arggghh - Got T-boned by a SeaDoo today



DKJBama92Mariah
07-02-2005, 09:54 PM
Sorry folks, gotta vent to someone.

This STUPID MORON rammed by boat today with a seadoo. I was at a lake party at a friends house that we were having for some US Marines that just got back from the war. It was just my boat and my friend's seadoo. I was tied up at the dock with about 3 ft of the stern protruding from the end of the pier.

The moron that hit me (not my friend that owned the ski) apparently didnt understand that you cant steer without giving the seadoo throttle. Not to mention he was coming in waaay to fast, probably about 10-12 mph. To make a long story short, he rammed my baby about 4 inches below the rubrail about 1.5 feet from the stern.

It didnt crack the fiberglass that i can see, but for an length of about 2 feet, the lower portion of the hull is separated from the joint with the upper part at the rubrail. It is pushed in about 1.5 inches and is being held in by one of the screws that secures the fuel filler port. By the time i got home, the gelcoat has already started to spiderweb. ANGRY IS NOT THE WORD. I didnt lose my cool, but i am definitely not pleased.

For sure I am grateful that no one was hurt. After all, it could have been alot worse had someone been sitting there or had someone been in the water.

I know my boat is 13 years old and there are a whole lot nicer boats on the water. But i take alot of pride in her and try to keep her in the best shape i can. I would put it up against any 13 year old boat on my lake as far as condition is concerned. It just makes me so sick that some careless jacka$$ could have so little respect for other people's belongings.

The owner of the ski offered to pay for the damage, which i really appreciated; but it is just the principle of the matter. I had a prisine condition '92 boat, and now i have one that has been wrecked, and i know a gelcoat repair will never be the same; either in looks or durability.

I'll post pics tomorrow night. I cant do it now b/c i dont have the cable for my digicam.

OK, sorry yall had to listen to that.

Cheers and have a happy (AND SAFE) 4th of July,
DKJ

DKJBama92Mariah
07-02-2005, 10:28 PM
One other thing. The guy who hit me had been drinking. A PERFECT EXAMPLE of how alcohol and water DO NOT MIX.

02LaunchSSV
07-03-2005, 10:06 PM
I sympathize for you and hope you do find a good gelcoat man, but your right, IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. I for one have sent multiple emails to my local rep, congressman, and Dept of Natural Resources calling for mandated PWC testing of every individual who purchases one. It's required for all persons under the age of 16 in SC but most of the idiots are not those 16 and under, its the DAMN ADULTS who think they know everything, race around zig zagging up and down the waterway literally ruining any chance most of have for skiing and wakeboarding. They drive way too close to other skiers, boats and docks and generally have little to no respect for others. My personal opinion of JET SKI's is they make good bream beds for fisherman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DKJBama92Mariah
07-04-2005, 02:58 PM
OK folks, here's some pics of the damage. Please pardon the large image size.

After really looking at it, i cant help but be inpressed with how well the supra fiberglass held up. The fiberglass must have been laid down very well to sustain that type of impact without splitting wide open. I guess I have Supra to thank b/c if it had broken the fiberglass and the boat sank, i could quite possibily be in jail for assault. :-) Just kidding of course.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/dkjpika/Boat/IMG_0589.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/dkjpika/Boat/IMG_0588.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/dkjpika/Boat/IMG_0587.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/dkjpika/Boat/IMG_0586.jpg

crnsuperduty
07-05-2005, 11:12 AM
OK, lets think about this a minute before we fire bomb everyone that rides a "jet ski". I for one am an avid water skiier, and have a classic supra myself. I also enjoy riding jet ski's. I get just as angry with the people that ride that way also, but there are several major problems with this situation. (1) The Sea doo was borrowed!!! (2) The Owner probably didn't give directions, other than "here's the gas". (3) Alcohol. I also have seen people in boats act just as stupid as people on pwc's, so maybe we should look at the real problems before we just blame sea doo or jet ski for these problems.
Sorry about your boat man, I'd be pretty p.o'd too, but I've seen the same thing happen a million times. People need more education, not just money to buy them with, or borrow them.

Salty87
07-05-2005, 05:22 PM
that sucks, in so many different ways. but i agree with CRN. besides, legislation is nothing without enforcement and there's no money for that.

i'd be pissed if it was mine too, no doubt. the pics don't look that bad, i'm sure it looks worse in person.

DKJ, you can probably get that fixed up and back in shape. have you had it since '92? i can tell where previous owners did some goofy stuff with my boat, i don't want to hear the stories. these boats are tough, it's just a flesh wound!...and a good story, tell them the next one to do that dies.

there are nicer boats out there but they always seem to have those nasty payments associated with them.

good luck with her!!

02LaunchSSV
07-05-2005, 09:53 PM
Well both of you are right and only prove my point which involves instruction from an owner, dealership, whatever!!!!!!!! IT IS A LAW IN SOUTH CAROLINA IF UNDER THE AGE OF 16 so why not everybody? The legislators piss enough money away on new desks every 2-3 years and a damn rebel flag issue that never goes away so why not push the issue with them. My vote counts every 2 years and I will continue to harass whoever I can. As of today, the local police (SCDNR) issued 3 tickets at my dock alone to persons on PWC's, all of whom were riding within the restricted 50' buffer zone. Glad to know my harassment is paying off and laughed every time someone was stopped and none of which were teeenagers. Hell, I own a Polaris we wakeskate behind but have sense enough to stay away from areas including docks, other boats and skiers. It's really common sense but DAMMIT, most of the people riding them leave it at the dock as they drive off!

DKJBama92Mariah
07-05-2005, 10:48 PM
Well I seem to have unintentionally started a debate on the subject of PWCs. I don't really hate them. I used to ride (and still own) a '96 XP. Before I was old enough to use our boat, i went EVERYWHERE on that thing. I was raised around boats and my father taught me the "rules of the road" and made sure i knew what i was doing before he turned me loose on it.

It all really comes down to the responsibility of the owner of the ski. They have a duty to make sure that anyone they let ride their machine is familiar with how to operate it. As much as i hate it, it was my friend who breached this duty, and her insurance will pay for that mistake.

In Alabama the law is that no one under 12 can ride alone, and ANY person over 12 must have their boater's license. The written exam isnt hard, but it also isnt exactly easy. However, i have still seen many inept licensed boaters. No license can replace instruction on how to operate your machine. People seem to think that since they are on the water, they are invincible. Could you imagine letting someone with no motorcycle experience hop on a 1100cc crotch-rocket and barreling through traffic at 100mph, i think not? Or how about turning 15 year old loose in a car with no driving experience and no supervision (I thought of that one b/c i was in an accident in 2000 where the driver at fault was 15 with no parent in the car)?

Any hunk of metal or fiberglass capable of propelling itself to upwards of 60mph can be dangerous, and PWCs are no exception. The problem is, for some reason, people think PWCs are an exception.

I really have no one to blame here. I really cant fault the driver (it turns out he had only had 1 beer) because he was just trying to have a good time. I also have a hard time finding fault in my friend that owns the seadoo. She was only trying to be a good host.

However, in the end, the blame falls on her shoulders for not properly instructing this guy on how to drive the ski. Her failure to act was not wilfull or intentional, it was just negligent. I think it is fair to say that we are all at least a little guilty of negligence at least once a day (cell phones, makeup, or screaming kids in the SUV). Thats why we have insurance, to cover our a$$es when our negligence ends up hurting someone else.

In the end, the boat will get fixed. It is just a material possession. I would rather it have sank to the bottom of the lake than for someone to get hurt. No one was hurt, the boat will be fixed, and all the parties learned a valuable lesson: the driver leared you have to use the gas to steer, the owner learned not to loan her PWC to inexperienced riders, and I learned two things: to watch out for morons on the water and also how to file an accident report.

I'll said it too many times, but i'll say it once more. It could have been a lot worse, and i'm just thankful that no one was hurt, maimed, or killed. That doesnt mean i'm not upset about the damage to my boat, because i am; but fiberglass and gelcoat can be fixed; life cannot be brought back.

Enjoy the watersports. Looks like i'm gonna be taking up fishing again. Cruising in style in my 12' green flatbottom with a 3HP yamaha outboard. :-)

Cheers,
DKJ

crnsuperduty
07-06-2005, 08:40 AM
Very, very well put! I absolutely agree.

DKJBama92Mariah
11-14-2005, 08:38 PM
Just thought i'd post the pics from after the repair. It was covered by the seadoo owners insurance, and it turned out pretty well. I cant complain.

DKJ

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/dkjpika/Boat/IMG_0685.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/dkjpika/Boat/IMG_0686.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/dkjpika/Boat/IMG_0687.jpg

Now, if could only find an inexpensive way to make the trailer look as good as the boat!