Bad deal on boat transport
 

Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet, although it was secured well
in three places. Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the highway. More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about. Hanging nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat. American Boat refuses to accept responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket. There are many reputable boat transporters. I just picked a bad one.

Sherwin D.

It begs the question: why wasn't the o/b removed and stowed prior to
shipment? I would think that would be mandatory and should have been noticed
by the shipper.
E
"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using
American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet, although
it was secured well
in three places. Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the
highway. More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about. Hanging
nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was
cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat. American Boat refuses to accept
responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket. There are many reputable boat transporters. I just picked
a bad one.

Sherwin D.

Dave wrote:
On Tue, 3 May 2005 21:25:58 -0400, "Eric" said:


It begs the question:


http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/begs.html

"If you’re not comfortable with formal terms of logic, it’s best to stay
away from this phrase, or risk embarrassing yourself."
curious -considering the ass-kicking you've taken in tonight's earlier
rounds- that you would raise the one point that illuminates the central
and critical failure in your "argumentation"
go do something useful with yourself
don't you have a gun to clean somewhere?

I guess if the truck had slammed into another vehicle you would be happier.
At least you would have gotten a chunk of change from the insurance company.
Sounds like the boat was not well prepared for transport. Sudden stops are a
part of life when on the road. Have to wonder how well prepared it is for
sailing?


"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using
American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet, although
it was secured well
in three places. Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the
highway. More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about. Hanging
nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was
cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat. American Boat refuses to accept
responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket. There are many reputable boat transporters. I just picked
a bad one.

Sherwin D.

Reply All,
The boat was in fact very well prepared for transport. What was I to do with a
100 outboard engine, put it in the cockpit or on the deck? That sound like a formula
for disaster. Amazing how everyone jumped to the defense of this poor trucker.
Am I supposed to be grateful that they didn't total my boat. Some of these trucking
companies go under the assumption that you have to expect some damage. I don't
buy that. If I were a large company shipping my 500000 dollar yacht, you can be sure they would
have taken care of any damage. This cowboy trucker was probably
driving too close to the vehicle ahead, or fell asleep at the wheel. They are only supposed to
drive 8 hours a day, but he made the trip in just over 1 1/2 days, as the
only driver. Well, if nobody complains, these companies will continue their bad
practices. Seems like nobody cares, and thank goodness, I don't plan any future
transports.

Sherwin D.


Doug Dotson wrote:

I guess if the truck had slammed into another vehicle you would be happier.
At least you would have gotten a chunk of change from the insurance company.
Sounds like the boat was not well prepared for transport. Sudden stops are a
part of life when on the road. Have to wonder how well prepared it is for
sailing?

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using
American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet, although
it was secured well
in three places. Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the
highway. More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about. Hanging
nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was
cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat. American Boat refuses to accept
responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket. There are many reputable boat transporters. I just picked
a bad one.

Sherwin D.

Sorry Sherwin: When you had mentioned a mast, I just thought that (as I have
one) it was a normal sized sailboat. As it appears now to be an extra large
sailboat housing a 100 hp outboard motor (can't say that I have seen one of
those) I guess I jumped the gun. Perhaps lessons learned here - choose your
transport company well (get recommendations/endorsements), be there to
ensure it is loaded properly, take pictures, and document (and have the
driver sign) any observed anomalies. And, not that we can all do this, but
if possible, travel behind the transport vehicle keeping your camera at the
ready. Is hiring a lawyer to fight your claim out of the question? It has
been a wakeup call for me (and perhaps other readers) who plans on having
his 5500 pound sailboat transported next year. Thanks for posting. Good
luck.
E

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Reply All,
The boat was in fact very well prepared for transport. What was I to do
with a
100 outboard engine, put it in the cockpit or on the deck? That sound
like a formula
for disaster. Amazing how everyone jumped to the defense of this poor
trucker.
Am I supposed to be grateful that they didn't total my boat. Some of
these trucking
companies go under the assumption that you have to expect some damage. I
don't
buy that. If I were a large company shipping my 500000 dollar yacht, you
can be sure they would
have taken care of any damage. This cowboy trucker was probably
driving too close to the vehicle ahead, or fell asleep at the wheel. They
are only supposed to
drive 8 hours a day, but he made the trip in just over 1 1/2 days, as the
only driver. Well, if nobody complains, these companies will continue
their bad
practices. Seems like nobody cares, and thank goodness, I don't plan any
future
transports.

Sherwin D.


Doug Dotson wrote:

I guess if the truck had slammed into another vehicle you would be
happier.
At least you would have gotten a chunk of change from the insurance
company.
Sounds like the boat was not well prepared for transport. Sudden stops
are a
part of life when on the road. Have to wonder how well prepared it is for
sailing?

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using
American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet,
although
it was secured well
in three places. Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the
highway. More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about.
Hanging
nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was
cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat. American Boat refuses to accept
responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket. There are many reputable boat transporters. I just
picked
a bad one.

Sherwin D.

On Tue, 03 May 2005 18:03:06 -0500, sherwindu wrote:

Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet, although it was secured well
in three places. Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the highway. More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about. Hanging nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat. American Boat refuses to accept responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket. There are many reputable boat transporters. I just picked a bad one.

Sherwin D.

Why are you crossposting? Why did you leave the outboard on the bracket? Why
didn't you just put the outboard in your trunk? Doesn't sound like good
preparation to me.
--
John H

"All decisions are the result of binary thinking."

100 HP outboard on a sailboat?

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Reply All,
The boat was in fact very well prepared for transport. What was I to do
with a
100 outboard engine, put it in the cockpit or on the deck? That sound
like a formula
for disaster. Amazing how everyone jumped to the defense of this poor
trucker.
Am I supposed to be grateful that they didn't total my boat. Some of
these trucking
companies go under the assumption that you have to expect some damage. I
don't
buy that. If I were a large company shipping my 500000 dollar yacht, you
can be sure they would
have taken care of any damage. This cowboy trucker was probably
driving too close to the vehicle ahead, or fell asleep at the wheel. They
are only supposed to
drive 8 hours a day, but he made the trip in just over 1 1/2 days, as the
only driver. Well, if nobody complains, these companies will continue
their bad
practices. Seems like nobody cares, and thank goodness, I don't plan any
future
transports.

Sherwin D.


Doug Dotson wrote:

I guess if the truck had slammed into another vehicle you would be
happier.
At least you would have gotten a chunk of change from the insurance
company.
Sounds like the boat was not well prepared for transport. Sudden stops
are a
part of life when on the road. Have to wonder how well prepared it is for
sailing?

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using
American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet,
although
it was secured well
in three places. Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the
highway. More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about.
Hanging
nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was
cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat. American Boat refuses to accept
responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket. There are many reputable boat transporters. I just
picked
a bad one.

Sherwin D.

I've shipped several boats, 6 to 13 ton (33 to 38ft) and the hauler always
preferred and recommended that the mast (or dingy) be transported on the
trailer. They just don't like anything on deck and the trailer is easier to
monitor..

The owner is always responsible for securing all gear remaining mounted or
in the interior. I learned from others, much like yourself, the all gear
inside needs to be lashed and secured for the worst of conditions. There is
a lot of vibration and severe motion when these haulers are doing highway
speeds (or more) and braking for stops and turns.

I always shutter when I see a boat owner transporting any outboard motor on
a bracket, even on his own trailer. Hell of a strain on the hardware or the
transom. All it takes is a speed bump to break something, not to mention a
cross country trip.

Sorry I don't have much simpathy and hope you learn from this experience.


--
My experience and opinion, FWIW
--
Steve
s/v Good Intentions

My apologies for lack of clarity. I meant to say 100 pounds weight. Seems
like people are overlooking the fact that this truck did a panic stop. All the preparation
possible would not prevent some sort of damage. I flew down to Florida especially to
pack up the boat, so I couldn't take the engine back as extra luggage. There was no
room inside the boat for this engine, crammed full with dinghy engine, collapsed dinghy,
boom, etc. Had the engine been inside or in the cockpit, I'm afraid even worse damage would have
been incurred. It's easy to blame the owner for improper packing of the boat, but there is no
excuse for bad driving. I have made the trip to Florida dozens of time by auto, and never had to
make any kind of panic stop because
I kept a safe distance from other vehicles. I would expect professional truck drivers
to do the same. This driver was either half asleep after making the trip in under 2 days, or he was
spaced out on something.

Sherwin D.

Steve wrote:

I've shipped several boats, 6 to 13 ton (33 to 38ft) and the hauler always
preferred and recommended that the mast (or dingy) be transported on the
trailer. They just don't like anything on deck and the trailer is easier to
monitor..

The owner is always responsible for securing all gear remaining mounted or
in the interior. I learned from others, much like yourself, the all gear
inside needs to be lashed and secured for the worst of conditions. There is
a lot of vibration and severe motion when these haulers are doing highway
speeds (or more) and braking for stops and turns.

I always shutter when I see a boat owner transporting any outboard motor on
a bracket, even on his own trailer. Hell of a strain on the hardware or the
transom. All it takes is a speed bump to break something, not to mention a
cross country trip.

Sorry I don't have much simpathy and hope you learn from this experience.

--
My experience and opinion, FWIW
--
Steve
s/v Good Intentions

I'm not sure that you can generalize and say that all panic stops
are the fault of the driver. Just the other day I was coming up to
a light at a safe distance from the car in front of me. At the last second
a car cut in front of me so I had to brake hard. My fault? I suspect
that if the driver of your truck had slammed into another vehicle that
would be OK. Sorry, panic stops happen. The motor should have been
safely secured so that a sudden stop would not be a big deal. The mast
should have been secured such that a sudden stop would not have been a
problem either. I think you have to accept some of the blame and the rest
is just a bit of bad luck. Blaming the driver of bad driving without
witnessing
the incident is silly.

Doug

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
My apologies for lack of clarity. I meant to say 100 pounds weight.
Seems
like people are overlooking the fact that this truck did a panic stop.
All the preparation
possible would not prevent some sort of damage. I flew down to Florida
especially to
pack up the boat, so I couldn't take the engine back as extra luggage.
There was no
room inside the boat for this engine, crammed full with dinghy engine,
collapsed dinghy,
boom, etc. Had the engine been inside or in the cockpit, I'm afraid even
worse damage would have
been incurred. It's easy to blame the owner for improper packing of the
boat, but there is no
excuse for bad driving. I have made the trip to Florida dozens of time by
auto, and never had to
make any kind of panic stop because
I kept a safe distance from other vehicles. I would expect professional
truck drivers
to do the same. This driver was either half asleep after making the trip
in under 2 days, or he was
spaced out on something.

Sherwin D.

Steve wrote:

I've shipped several boats, 6 to 13 ton (33 to 38ft) and the hauler
always
preferred and recommended that the mast (or dingy) be transported on the
trailer. They just don't like anything on deck and the trailer is easier
to
monitor..

The owner is always responsible for securing all gear remaining mounted
or
in the interior. I learned from others, much like yourself, the all gear
inside needs to be lashed and secured for the worst of conditions. There
is
a lot of vibration and severe motion when these haulers are doing highway
speeds (or more) and braking for stops and turns.

I always shutter when I see a boat owner transporting any outboard motor
on
a bracket, even on his own trailer. Hell of a strain on the hardware or
the
transom. All it takes is a speed bump to break something, not to mention
a
cross country trip.

Sorry I don't have much simpathy and hope you learn from this experience.

--
My experience and opinion, FWIW
--
Steve
s/v Good Intentions

I'll jump on the bandwagon:

sherwindu wrote:
My apologies for lack of clarity. I meant to say 100 pounds weight. Seems
like people are overlooking the fact that this truck did a panic stop.

So its the driver's fault because he possibly avoided some other
reckless driver?

All the preparation
possible would not prevent some sort of damage.

Wrong. The criterion for proper preparation is that there would be no
damage in a panic stop.

I flew down to Florida especially to
pack up the boat, so I couldn't take the engine back as extra luggage. There was no
room inside the boat for this engine, crammed full with dinghy engine, collapsed dinghy,
boom, etc. Had the engine been inside or in the cockpit, I'm afraid even worse damage would have
been incurred. It's easy to blame the owner for improper packing of the boat, but there is no
excuse for bad driving.

So why do you think it was bad driving? Its possible it was superb
driving! Right now, the driver could be receiving a medal for
avoiding a bus full of nuns and orphans that suddenly served into his
lane.

I have made the trip to Florida dozens of time by auto, and never had to
make any kind of panic stop because
I kept a safe distance from other vehicles.

Now I understand. You're perfect so anything that goes wrong must be
someone else's fault!

I would expect professional truck drivers
to do the same. This driver was either half asleep after making the trip in under 2 days, or he was
spaced out on something.

There's certainly one delusional person here. The person you should
blame is the packer. For instance, he claimed the mast was "was
secured well in three places" and yet it "shifted foward about 2
feet." There is absolutely no excuse for this; the mast has plenty
of positive attachment points, so does the boat. Its pretty clear the
packer didn't know his business.

Jeff,
Those damn nuns and orphans, they keep doing that. One of these
days...... :-)
Paul


Jeff wrote:


So why do you think it was bad driving? Its possible it was superb
driving! Right now, the driver could be receiving a medal for avoiding
a bus full of nuns and orphans that suddenly served into his lane.

Jeff wrote:

I'll jump on the bandwagon:

sherwindu wrote:
My apologies for lack of clarity. I meant to say 100 pounds weight. Seems
like people are overlooking the fact that this truck did a panic stop.

So its the driver's fault because he possibly avoided some other
reckless driver?

You are assuming that's why he stopped suddenly. As I stated earlier, I have made that trip to Florida
dozens of times without having to panic stop. He either
fell asleep at the wheel or was following too close for comfort. Why make all these
excuses for the driver?



All the preparation
possible would not prevent some sort of damage.

Wrong. The criterion for proper preparation is that there would be no
damage in a panic stop.

I flew down to Florida especially to
pack up the boat, so I couldn't take the engine back as extra luggage. There was no
room inside the boat for this engine, crammed full with dinghy engine, collapsed dinghy,
boom, etc. Had the engine been inside or in the cockpit, I'm afraid even worse damage would have
been incurred. It's easy to blame the owner for improper packing of the boat, but there is no
excuse for bad driving.

So why do you think it was bad driving? Its possible it was superb
driving! Right now, the driver could be receiving a medal for
avoiding a bus full of nuns and orphans that suddenly served into his
lane.

Ok. Next time I ship a boat, I'll encase it in concrete so nothing can move about.

Get real. Most accidents are caused by poor driving habits, drunks, drivers falling asleep, etc.



I have made the trip to Florida dozens of time by auto, and never had to
make any kind of panic stop because
I kept a safe distance from other vehicles.

Now I understand. You're perfect so anything that goes wrong must be
someone else's fault!

Excuse me for accusing this poor driver who lied to me about how everything shifted around.



I would expect professional truck drivers
to do the same. This driver was either half asleep after making the trip in under 2 days, or he was
spaced out on something.

There's certainly one delusional person here. The person you should
blame is the packer. For instance, he claimed the mast was "was
secured well in three places" and yet it "shifted foward about 2
feet." There is absolutely no excuse for this; the mast has plenty
of positive attachment points, so does the boat. Its pretty clear the
packer didn't know his business.

No, what is evident is that you probably work for some trucking company.
I have sailed this boat in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean for many
years through lots of storms, and believe me, I know how to lash things down.

I understand that some accidents are unavoidable, although this one might have been.. What is not
avoidable are drivers lying to you about what happened and trucking companies that claim to stand
behind any damages and then back out when something happens.

Sherwin D.

Paul, Schilter, wrote:

Jeff,
Those damn nuns and orphans, they keep doing that. One of these
days...... :-)
Paul

Jeff wrote:


So why do you think it was bad driving? Its possible it was superb
driving! Right now, the driver could be receiving a medal for avoiding
a bus full of nuns and orphans that suddenly served into his lane.

sherwindu wrote:

Jeff wrote:
....

So its the driver's fault because he possibly avoided some other
reckless driver?


You are assuming that's why he stopped suddenly. As I stated earlier, I have made that trip to Florida
dozens of times without having to panic stop. He either
fell asleep at the wheel or was following too close for comfort. Why make all these
excuses for the driver?

This is one of the stupidest arguments I've ever heard on the 'net.
It was probably a driver like you that caused the panic stop!

....


Ok. Next time I ship a boat, I'll encase it in concrete so nothing can move about.

Or, you could pack it properly. A mast shift is clear, undeniably
evidence that you didn't take this task seriously and now you're
trying to blame someone else.



Get real. Most accidents are caused by poor driving habits, drunks, drivers falling asleep, etc.

Perhaps, but many are caused by other peoples' poor driving habits,
etc. And some just happen. And this was seemingly an accident avoided.



Excuse me for accusing this poor driver who lied to me about how everything shifted around.

Now that's a proper example of "begging the argument."

Perhaps the driver was justifiable ****ed at you for endangering his
life by poor packing.


....
No, what is evident is that you probably work for some trucking company.

BWAAHAHAHAHAHA! Now its the conspiracy theory! (Actually, I'm a
retired computer programmer. I've never been involved with a trucking
company.)



I have sailed this boat in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean for many
years through lots of storms, and believe me, I know how to lash things down

The evidence is pretty clear you don't. What possible excuse do you
have for the mast shifting 2 feet?

BTW, I'm guessing the outboard bracket was already fractured, and this
episode probably save you later grief.

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
I understand that some accidents are unavoidable, although this one might
have been..

How do you know, you weren't there!

What is not
avoidable are drivers lying to you about what happened and trucking
companies that claim to stand
behind any damages and then back out when something happens.

Once again, you have no basis to claim the driver was lying! The fact is
that mast was not anchored against sliding forward. The concept of a "spring
line" should be familiar to you.
The fact that the motor bracket cracked was not likely the result of a
sudden
stop, but rather the bouncing of the motor over hundreds of miles of
traveling.
Trucking companies are not responsible for securing the boat other than to
the
trailer.

Sorry, your arguments only point to the fact that the boat was poorly
prepared.

Sherwin D.

Paul, Schilter, wrote:

Jeff,
Those damn nuns and orphans, they keep doing that. One of these
days...... :-)
Paul

Jeff wrote:


So why do you think it was bad driving? Its possible it was superb
driving! Right now, the driver could be receiving a medal for avoiding
a bus full of nuns and orphans that suddenly served into his lane.

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...


Jeff wrote:

I'll jump on the bandwagon:

sherwindu wrote:
My apologies for lack of clarity. I meant to say 100 pounds weight.
Seems
like people are overlooking the fact that this truck did a panic stop.

So its the driver's fault because he possibly avoided some other
reckless driver?

You are assuming that's why he stopped suddenly. As I stated earlier, I
have made that trip to Florida
dozens of times without having to panic stop.

That's great. I've made many more trips without any panic stops than those
with. Means nothing
unless you have some proof that this truck driver has an unreasonable record
of panic stops.

He either
fell asleep at the wheel or was following too close for comfort.

Or another driver fell asleep at the wheel and wandered in front of him.

Why make all these
excuses for the driver?

I have to give the driver the benefit of the doubt without any proof of his
negligence.
All the things you have described up to the point indicate the boat was not
well
prepared for the trip and you are looking to blame anyone but yourself.



All the preparation
possible would not prevent some sort of damage.

Wrong. The criterion for proper preparation is that there would be no
damage in a panic stop.

I flew down to Florida especially to
pack up the boat, so I couldn't take the engine back as extra luggage.
There was no
room inside the boat for this engine, crammed full with dinghy engine,
collapsed dinghy,
boom, etc. Had the engine been inside or in the cockpit, I'm afraid
even worse damage would have
been incurred. It's easy to blame the owner for improper packing of
the boat, but there is no
excuse for bad driving.

So why do you think it was bad driving? Its possible it was superb
driving! Right now, the driver could be receiving a medal for
avoiding a bus full of nuns and orphans that suddenly served into his
lane.

Ok. Next time I ship a boat, I'll encase it in concrete so nothing can
move about.

Now it's clear you are looking for a scapegoat. I believe that it would be
easier to
take the time to prepare the boat properly. Seeking the help of one that
does know
how seems easier than the concrete solution.

Get real. Most accidents are caused by poor driving habits,

"Most accidents" but not all. And even the poor habits of the other guy.

drunks,

And even if the other guy is drunk.

drivers falling asleep,

Even when the other guy fall asleep.

etc.

And any other things someone else may do that causes the truck driver to
have to make
a sudden move in every attempt to save himself and YOUR BOAT!



I have made the trip to Florida dozens of time by auto, and never had
to
make any kind of panic stop because
I kept a safe distance from other vehicles.

Now I understand. You're perfect so anything that goes wrong must be
someone else's fault!

Excuse me for accusing this poor driver who lied to me about how
everything shifted around.



I would expect professional truck drivers
to do the same. This driver was either half asleep after making the
trip in under 2 days, or he was
spaced out on something.

There's certainly one delusional person here. The person you should
blame is the packer. For instance, he claimed the mast was "was
secured well in three places" and yet it "shifted foward about 2
feet." There is absolutely no excuse for this; the mast has plenty
of positive attachment points, so does the boat. Its pretty clear the
packer didn't know his business.

No, what is evident is that you probably work for some trucking company.
I have sailed this boat in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean for
many
years through lots of storms, and believe me, I know how to lash things
down.

sherwindu wrote:
Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet, although it was secured well
in three places.

Why was the mast "on deck?" It's standard practice... and much better...
to secure the mast to the trailer. And if it shifted, then it obviously
wasn't well secured.


.... Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the highway. More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about. Hanging nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat.

What??!?! You left an outboard motor hanging on a transom bracket for a
1000+ miles? You're lucky it didn't go through somebody's windshield.

... American Boat refuses to accept responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket.

And why should they? Sounds to me like the mess is 99.9% your own fault.

... There are many reputable boat transporters. I just picked a bad one.

Nah, more like the trucking company picked a bad customer...


Sherwin D.


Are you sure your name isn't Crapton Neal?

DSK

I've been thinking about this - since I did give the guy a rough time
- So just how much acceleration is a "Panic Stop"? Did the mast have
to be "encased in concrete" as he said?

The braking distance, according to
http://www.ortrucking.org/stopping.htm
from 65 MPH is 245 feet for cars, 454 for trucks, not counting
reaction time. To decelerate at the force of gravity (one "G" or 32
feet per second squared), the stopping distance would be under 150
feet, so a truck is nowhere close to that. For a report on actual
panic stop decelerations and other tests using police cars, see:
http://www.nlectc.org/pdffiles/tirerprt.pdf

Since the boat generally has a vertical force equal to one G, and the
force of deceleration is somewhat less than that, then net force in a
panic stop is similar to being at rest at a 30 degree incline, though
stronger, maybe by 20 or 30%. (Even at one G, it would be only 40%
stronger than being at a 45 degree incline.) Clearly, anything not
tied down could slide around, but there is no reason for the mast to
move, or even for the bracket to break.

An other way of looking at this is that when the mast is hoisted, it
will have a force on its axis easily double that of a "panic stop."
Would a slippage of 2 feet be acceptable during that maneuver?

Its pretty clear that the mast slippage was the fault of the
preparation, not a panic stop. The bracket is a little harder to
determine - It shouldn't break from a panic stop, but it could have
been from normal bumps, or previous damage, or both. But again not
the fault of the trucker.




DSK wrote:
sherwindu wrote:

Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using
American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet,
although it was secured well
in three places.


Why was the mast "on deck?" It's standard practice... and much better...
to secure the mast to the trailer. And if it shifted, then it obviously
wasn't well secured.


.... Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the highway.
More like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about.
Hanging nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket
was cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat.


What??!?! You left an outboard motor hanging on a transom bracket for a
1000+ miles? You're lucky it didn't go through somebody's windshield.

... American Boat refuses to accept responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket.


And why should they? Sounds to me like the mess is 99.9% your own fault.

... There are many reputable boat transporters. I just picked a bad
one.


Nah, more like the trucking company picked a bad customer...


Sherwin D.


Are you sure your name isn't Crapton Neal?

DSK

Jeff wrote:
I've been thinking about this - since I did give the guy a rough time -
So just how much acceleration is a "Panic Stop"? Did the mast have to
be "encased in concrete" as he said?

No, just tied down securely enough that if it came loose, it was because
either the tie-down broke (not chafed through, that would again be
carelessness on his part) or whatever it was tied to broke.

This is not very scientific, but it's a good working standard.



The braking distance, according to
http://www.ortrucking.org/stopping.htm
from 65 MPH is 245 feet for cars, 454 for trucks, not counting reaction
time. To decelerate at the force of gravity (one "G" or 32 feet per
second squared), the stopping distance would be under 150 feet, so a
truck is nowhere close to that.

Hmm... I've been under the impression that car stops can approach 1 G...
certainly the momentary accelerations due to road bumps can often exceed
1 G...


For a report on actual panic stop
decelerations and other tests using police cars, see:
http://www.nlectc.org/pdffiles/tirerprt.pdf


Cool... a road test report in a sailing thread! The results are obvious:
1- the police don't exactly drive sports cars
2- the Caprice can outhandle the Crown Vic (duh)
3- get Firestone Firehawk tires


Since the boat generally has a vertical force equal to one G, and the
force of deceleration is somewhat less than that, then net force in a
panic stop is similar to being at rest at a 30 degree incline, though
stronger, maybe by 20 or 30%. (Even at one G, it would be only 40%
stronger than being at a 45 degree incline.) Clearly, anything not tied
down could slide around, but there is no reason for the mast to move, or
even for the bracket to break.


Agreed.

An other way of looking at this is that when the mast is hoisted, it
will have a force on its axis easily double that of a "panic stop."
Would a slippage of 2 feet be acceptable during that maneuver?

Its pretty clear that the mast slippage was the fault of the
preparation, not a panic stop. The bracket is a little harder to
determine - It shouldn't break from a panic stop, but it could have been
from normal bumps, or previous damage, or both. But again not the fault
of the trucker.


I trailered a small boat with an outboard motor on a transom bracket...
but that particular bracket was *very* sturdy, was not the usual wimpy
'tilt-up' type bracket which is totally unsuitable for supporting a
motor while jouncing down the highway. And even at that, when trailering
long distances, I took the motor off and secured it *securely* somewhere
else.

I wonder if the guy bothered to drain his tanks, remove his batteries,
etc etc... all the other normal precautions for trucking a boat? Maybe
an instructional thread would be 'How To Prepare A Boat For Transport By
Truck' since a number of people seem to be doing that these days?

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

DSK wrote in
:

'How To Prepare A Boat For Transport By
Truck'

Aren't we s'posed ta SAIL the boat....not send it via FEDEX??

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
I've been thinking about this - since I did give the guy a rough time - So
just how much acceleration is a "Panic Stop"? Did the mast have to be
"encased in concrete" as he said?

A Panic Stop is normally a deceleration. Even if the mast was secured on
the boat rather than on the trailer, it shouldn't have shifted if secured
well.
I suspect it was tied to the bow pulpit and the stern pulpit with no
provision
to keep it from sliding forward (or backward) with a line similar to a
spring line.

The braking distance, according to
http://www.ortrucking.org/stopping.htm
from 65 MPH is 245 feet for cars, 454 for trucks, not counting reaction
time. To decelerate at the force of gravity (one "G" or 32 feet per
second squared), the stopping distance would be under 150 feet, so a truck
is nowhere close to that. For a report on actual panic stop decelerations
and other tests using police cars, see:
http://www.nlectc.org/pdffiles/tirerprt.pdf

Since the boat generally has a vertical force equal to one G, and the
force of deceleration is somewhat less than that, then net force in a
panic stop is similar to being at rest at a 30 degree incline, though
stronger, maybe by 20 or 30%. (Even at one G, it would be only 40%
stronger than being at a 45 degree incline.) Clearly, anything not tied
down could slide around, but there is no reason for the mast to move, or
even for the bracket to break.

An other way of looking at this is that when the mast is hoisted, it will
have a force on its axis easily double that of a "panic stop." Would a
slippage of 2 feet be acceptable during that maneuver?

Its pretty clear that the mast slippage was the fault of the preparation,
not a panic stop. The bracket is a little harder to determine - It
shouldn't break from a panic stop, but it could have been from normal
bumps, or previous damage, or both. But again not the fault of the
trucker.




DSK wrote:
sherwindu wrote:

Recently shipped my sailboat from Florida to Racine Wisconsin using
American Boat Transport.
When boat arrived, mast on deck had shifted foward about 2 feet,
although it was secured well
in three places.


Why was the mast "on deck?" It's standard practice... and much better...
to secure the mast to the trailer. And if it shifted, then it obviously
wasn't well secured.


.... Driver says he noticed shift while driving down the highway. More
like he had
to do a panic stop. Everything inside the boat was tossed about.
Hanging nets came down, etc.
Only after the driver left Racine did I notice the outboard bracket was
cracked, and luckily the
engine did not fall off the boat.


What??!?! You left an outboard motor hanging on a transom bracket for a
1000+ miles? You're lucky it didn't go through somebody's windshield.

... American Boat refuses to accept responsibility for this, or pay
for
a new bracket.


And why should they? Sounds to me like the mess is 99.9% your own fault.

... There are many reputable boat transporters. I just picked a bad
one.


Nah, more like the trucking company picked a bad customer...


Sherwin D.


Are you sure your name isn't Crapton Neal?

DSK

Take another Ritalin Larry.

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
DSK wrote in
:

'How To Prepare A Boat For Transport By
Truck'

Aren't we s'posed ta SAIL the boat....not send it via FEDEX??

'How To Prepare A Boat For Transport By
Truck'


Larry W4CSC wrote:
Aren't we s'posed ta SAIL the boat....not send it via FEDEX??


Ideally, yes. Not everybody has the time... nor apparently the
inclination...

DSK

Doug Dotson wrote:
"Jeff" wrote in message
...

I've been thinking about this - since I did give the guy a rough time - So
just how much acceleration is a "Panic Stop"? Did the mast have to be
"encased in concrete" as he said?


A Panic Stop is normally a deceleration.

Yes, of course, in common usage. But in physics acceleration is any
change in velocity (or momentum, if you want to be precise); the term
"deceleration" implies a particular reference frame.

....

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
Doug Dotson wrote:
"Jeff" wrote in message
...

I've been thinking about this - since I did give the guy a rough time -
So just how much acceleration is a "Panic Stop"? Did the mast have to be
"encased in concrete" as he said?


A Panic Stop is normally a deceleration.

Yes, of course, in common usage. But in physics acceleration is any
change in velocity (or momentum, if you want to be precise);

Gimme a break...

the term "deceleration" implies a particular reference frame.

As this situation describes.