Jim Flom wrote:

I borrowed a friend's canoe for an eight day canoe trip (Bowron Lakes, BC --
it was great). Upon returning we discovered a nickel-sized crack/hole on
one end (above water line). I told the guy beforehand and I mean it that I
would accept responsibility for any damage.

We both know a guy who does fiberglass work who says he can fix it up just
fine.
However, the owner of the canoe wants to return it to the manufacturer (less
than an hour away) and get it professionally done, sanded, painted,
rebuffed, etc., to the tune of $220 or so. The canoe is at least ten years
old, and is in good shape but hardly pristine. He got it for free.

I'm having a hard time reconciling to covering such an expensive repair on
an older canoe in this situation. What's the right thing to do here?

He did offer to sell it before we even left for $800 Canadian. It's a 16'
fiberglass Clipper Ranger. I haven't done the work yet to see if that's a
good price, but it seems on the high side. New ones can be had for $1180
(CAD).

What do people think?

JF

This is what makes borrowing from friends so difficult. Money often changes the
dynamic between people. So does busted property.

One approach is to ask what is the value of the friendship. But that ignores
that fact that structure of the friendship got modified. You will feel you are
being taken advantage of if you go for the factory repair. He will feel he is
being asked to make an unwarranted sacrifice if he has to settle for anything
less. After all, the canoe was whole before you borrowed it.

If you pay the $ 220 and call it an expensive lesson, you will not feel the same
about the relationship. Unless you are very forgiving, you will feel some
resentment. In addition to being out $ 220, you will in effect distance
yourself from this person and lose the friendship.

If you decide to pay nothing, you will immediately lose the friendship. You
save $ 220 bucks, but now will have earned a less than noble reputation for not
honoring your commitments, something that an extra $ 220 could never buy back.

The issue is the amount of the money. If you both focus on the money, then it
will be hard to reach an equitable solution. He really does need to feel good
about the quality of repair on his canoe. You think that is too expensive a
solution.

Solutions:

1) You might be able to negogiate a better price with the manufacturer for the
repair. Do all of the transportation yourself, etc. Maybe barter a skill (Set
up PC's, unload trucks for a day, etc).

2) Explain to him the quandry you find yourself in. Tell him you value the
friendship. Propose the non factory repair and then ask if there is anything you
could do for him to help make up the difference. (Help him re-shingle his roof,
etc)

3) Offer to buy the canoe for $ 800 less the $ 220 price of the repair (then
have the fiberglass guy do the repair). Even though the economic logic here is
flawed, it is workable because it addresses more than monetary issues. The
canoe has less perceived value. And you eliminate the aggravation factor: You
save him from being reminded of his mistake in judgement every time he looks at
the canoe. You just have to want a canoe, have an extra $580 , which if you
follow the logic, is not the case, because you borrowed a canoe in the first
place.

I would go for #1. If that is not possible, then pay the $ 220 and do the
factor repair (you still do the legwork), and accept that fact that you made a
costly decision which lost you a friend.

Blakely

---
Blakely LaCroix
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
r.b.p clique # 86.

"The best adventure is yet to come"