Not So Great Start To Season

[Gretzky]

Moored on a wild mooring just north of Acle bridge, we were T boned by one of Richardson's finest, full of lads more interested in taking 'selfies' than driving the boat. Not happy. They were not even going to stop if I had not called them back. BA and Richardson's rung and messages left with both.

First trip out this season... great

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Makes a change from lads on Herbert Woods or Barnes Brinkcraft.  I wonder how long it will be before  people say "lads on boats are never a problem"?. Just another example of the fact they ARE.

Either way, it does`nt go any way to repairing any damage done to your boat. 

A couple of years back, we had a couple on one of Silverlines boats reverse full throttle into the bow of Lightning bending the bow roller all out of shape rendering it useless. The couple DID`NT stop, but lucky for us owners, there were 8 eye witnesses who all shouted several times at the couple to stop, one of them being the harbour master (at Beccles yacht station), and when contacted, Silverline were straight forward and held their hands up and paid ALL monies for repairs and replacements. 

I sincerely hop you have no problems with Richardsons.

[JennyMorgan]

Richardsons are probably as capable of repairing your boat as anyone but who actually repairs your boat is down to you & your insurance company.

[ChrisB]

My 12 week old new boat was hit in 2008 by a Richardson craft. They were very good throughout even putting us under cover whilst the canopy was repaired.

[marshman]

I am not sure anyone ever said "lads on boats are never a problem ", but perhaps they did say it is not necessarily a problem that has got any worse!

Occasionally it has always been a problem but I remain to be convinced it is a problem thats got worse! My memory goes back a long way and the tales then showed problems back in the 70's and 80's. I am sure Vaughan has plenty of tales!

[Hylander]

12 hours ago, Gretzky said:

Moored on a wild mooring just north of Acle bridge, we were T boned by one of Richardson's finest, full of lads more interested in taking 'selfies' than driving the boat. Not happy. They were not even going to stop if I had not called them back. BA and Richardson's rung and messages left with both.

First trip out this season... great

Are you all ok , more to the point.     Some comfort me thinks for folk to say 'oh well Richardsons will repair it for you'   that is not the point in this instance.     Daft buggers should be looking where they are going.   

[StillCruising]

A years ago we were T boned by a Rico boat who succeeded in putting their bow through our back cabin window. They didn't stop despite myself and a number of people on a Wherry who witnessed the incident shouting at them to do so.  Of course we had their boat name and number which we reported by phone to Richo's and a passing BA launch also took the details. As it was a Sunday and the boat was unusable due to a bed and floor full of glass and window fittings we had to spend the night in a hotel. On the Monday Richo's thoroughly cleaned out the cabin and temporally covered the missing window to enable us to continue our holiday. When we came home the boat was left with Phil at Moonfleet  who did all the repair work and returned the boat to our moorings. Richo's also paid for the overnight say in the hotel.

 

[Hylander]

2 hours ago, StillCruising said:

A years ago we were T boned by a Rico boat who succeeded in putting their bow through our back cabin window. They didn't stop despite myself and a number of people on a Wherry who witnessed the incident shouting at them to do so.  Of course we had their boat name and number which we reported by phone to Richo's and a passing BA launch also took the details. As it was a Sunday and the boat was unusable due to a bed and floor full of glass and window fittings we had to spend the night in a hotel. On the Monday Richo's thoroughly cleaned out the cabin and temporally covered the missing window to enable us to continue our holiday. When we came home the boat was left with Phil at Moonfleet  who did all the repair work and returned the boat to our moorings. Richo's also paid for the overnight say in the hotel.

 

Well well done to Clive and co.   You would not get that kind of service from other Hire Yards.     

[BroadAmbition]

Yes well done indeed.  Not so sure that Richo's would be the only yard to step up to the mark and 'Do the right thing' though.  Bit of a sweeping statement is that one.

To date 'B.A' has been bashed where repairs were required about three times now.  Each time - Yes is was a Richo's hireboat.  Each time Richo's have sorted it immediately, well to be perfectly honest they sorted it just once as I fixed it mysen the other times but Richo's did offer.  Just remembered a fourth - a Martham hirecraft snapped our ensign staff whilst we were moored outside the Pleasureboat inn at Hickling. I dropped off the staff as we passed their place going back to PH.  By the time we got under 'That' bridge, got moored up, put the kettle on, repaired ensign staff was back with us - Proper quick service was that, couldn't have asked for more

Griff

[JennyMorgan]

16 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Each time - Yes is was a Richo's hireboat. 

Does this mean that Richardson's customers are statistically more likely to hit boats than are the customers from other yards? 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Larger fleets, more chance I suppose 

Griff

[Meantime]

23 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Does this mean that Richardson's customers are statistically more likely to hit boats than are the customers from other yards? 

 

Statistically the chances of being hit by a boat from the largest hire yard on the Broads has to be far greater. What would be more interesting to know is what each yards share of accidents is as a percentage of the total amounts of accidents involving hire boats, and then what each yards percentage is as a total number of hire boats. In theory the two figures should be very close, but I'm guessing that the figures from some yards might be higher than their share of the market would suggest. A second interesting figure for comparison would be the number of handovers completed per member of staff. I suspect the quality and length of hand over probably varies quite a bit. 

Will be out for a week soon. Looking on Facebook and another forum, seems like I'd better put in a quick order for another set of fenders and noise cancelling head phones. Or do my usual and just take it as it comes, after all I'm on holiday.

[JennyMorgan]

There might be a demographic issue regarding a yard's targeted customer base, who knows. Could be headed towards deep water on that one !

[Gretzky]

Spoke to Richardson’s, fortunately the hirers held their hands up and admitted the incident, the Richardson’s are going to call me at some point today to sort out repairs. Closer inspection there are 1000's of scratches all the way down the hull a broken fender eye, broken window hinge in the head, a burst fender and a great big dirty black mark from the rub strip hitting us not to mention a very shook up wife who had me checking the bilges all evening for water ingress. BA have also spoken to the helm and given them a blue book warning.

For anyone reading this remember this, if they had not stopped after I had called them back the BA were prepared to prosecute them for leaving the scene of an accident, so if you should hit another boat please don’t just drive off, stop and exchange details.

[Broads01]

I'm pleased both Richardsons and BA have responded positively. What's a blue book warning? 

[MauriceMynah]

10 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

What's a blue book warning? 

An alert to sexually explicit material in a book.

[Meantime]

17 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

What's a blue book warning? 

A warning written in one of these!

 

[Gretzky]

1 hour ago, Broads01 said:

I'm pleased both Richardsons and BA have responded positively. What's a blue book warning? 

A recored written warning, sort of like caution, but from the BA not the police.

[Gretzky]

Just to add a note thanks to the hirer moored about 100 yards up river who witnessed the incident and offered to act as an independent witness and gave us his details should there be any doubt.

[vanessan]

Very wise words from Gretzky above. If you do get hit by someone who drives off, get the boat details, try and get an independent witness and report the incident immediately to the hire boat yard (if appropriate) and the BA. If you are the cause of damage to another boat, do the decent thing and take responsibility. 

[JennyMorgan]

Perhaps both owners and hirers need it to be drummed into them that is an offence to walk away from an accident that is of their own making. 

[Meantime]

2 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

Perhaps both owners and hirers need it to be drummed into them that is an offence to walk away from an accident that is of their own making. 

Whilst I couldn't agree more, the nearest parallel we have to this is a collision on the road, and everybody knows that you have to either stop and exchange details, or report it to the police. So what makes anybody think it would be any different when dealing with items that in a lot of cases are worth a lot more than your average car?

Try drumming it in as much as we want, but in our hearts we already know that the people that don't stop, know they should stop and don't give two hoots about other peoples property.

[oldgregg]

I think the problem was probably a lot worse back in the 70's and 80's - It is not hard to snap a picture or video these days and send it to the boatyard via PM etc and others can report where the boat is now etc etc.

Back in those days you had to find the nearest payphone and then go and call the yard. I suspect the number of incidents that actually got reported was lower?

Yes statistically you're probably more likely to get hit by a Richardson's boat given that their fleet is the size of most of the other yards put together - A bit like how your car is more likely to be hit in a car park by a Ford Focus than a Ferrari F40. That's despite a good handover and the biggest captain's manual I've seen.

[Gretzky]

We have been hit by the best of them in past Herbert Woods, Barns Brink Craft, NBD and now Richardsons I dont think any yard is worse than another TBH. But this one way by far the worst damage we have incured. I am not eager to collect the full set though!

[ranworthbreeze]

When we were hit by a Richardson's boat, they were very good about it delaying the repairs to the end of the season to be done during our Winter Service, the repairs done to the bathing platform rubbers were so badly done we advised Richardson's  not to pay the local yard we used for the repair.

We would have done so much better having Richardson's doing the repair. We have since had to have this work redone over this years Winter Service by NYA who did a far better job.

Regards

Alan