Boat Hit

[TFrench89]

So we're moored at Reedham and a boat hits into our front left side. No apology or anything, really annoying. Luckily there's no damage to our hire boat. I understand the wind is strong, that's no excuse for poor manners. Unsure why they turned to moor before they'd passed our bow. 

[YnysMon]

The tide can run fast at Reedham. Easy for someone inexperienced to be caught out I would think. Doesn't excuse not apologising though.

Well done for not naming and shaming. It does help to be able to post about it though I imagine. A bit like letting off steam! 

[Ray]

Yes, we can all make mistakes but it costs nothing to apologise and to check all is OK.

[Wussername]

For some it is difficult. Apologise can be difficult. I understand that. 

Road rage has identified issues concerning such matters.

Some wish to avoid confrontation. I have witnessed many such incidents and have seen many upset by such accidents, really upset. Not only from the perpetrator, the wrongdoer, the victim. Both being very upset. Damaged caused, people injured.

Both parties distressed.

Inconsolable.

However some incidents happen. It happens to most of us. It is what it is.

I still remember my incidents, I am sure others do as well.

  

[TFrench89]

20 minutes ago, Wussername said:

For some it is difficult. Apologise can be difficult. I understand that. 

Road rage has identified issues concerning such matters.

Some wish to avoid confrontation. I have witnessed many such incidents and have seen many upset by such accidents, really upset. Not only from the perpetrator, the wrongdoer, the victim. Both being very upset. Damaged caused, people injured.

Both parties distressed.

Inconsolable.

However some incidents happen. It happens to most of us. It is what it is.

I still remember my incidents, I am sure others do as well.

  

Surely by not apologizing there's more risk of a confrontation. I've never hit a boat but if I did I'd apologize straight away. Was quite a hard hit as well, fortunately the boat was undamaged. 

[Meantime]

1 hour ago, TFrench89 said:

Surely by not apologizing there's more risk of a confrontation. I've never hit a boat but if I did I'd apologize straight away. Was quite a hard hit as well, fortunately the boat was undamaged. 

Sorry to hear you were hit, but good that everything is ok. We need to bear in mind that in the event of any accident the other party should stop and exchange details, however as annoying as it might seem, saying sorry is to admit liability, which most insurance policies expressly insist that you never admit liability even if you are at fault.

[TFrench89]

11 hours ago, Meantime said:

Sorry to hear you were hit, but good that everything is ok. We need to bear in mind that in the event of any accident the other party should stop and exchange details, however as annoying as it might seem, saying sorry is to admit liability, which most insurance policies expressly insist that you never admit liability even if you are at fault.

Thanks, didn't see it from that perspective. Think I'd still apologize if I'd hit another boat tbh. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

It's surprising  how many don't apologise. It's happened to us a few to us a few times,without  an apologise. 

[grendel]

also worth noting that if they clip you with the back of the boat while turning, many might not even notice they had done it, their attention might well be forwards.

a lot of new hirers forget that its the back of the boat that swings out when turning.

[Meantime]

36 minutes ago, TFrench89 said:

Thanks, didn't see it from that perspective. Think I'd still apologize if I'd hit another boat tbh. 

Believe it or not John Howell MP tabled a private members bill in The House of Commons which would have removed the admission of liability by saying sorry in the event of an accident. Unfortunately the bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of session in 2021 and is unlikely to make further progress into law.

The bill recognised that in many cases saying sorry was enough to placate the victim who might then drop any further claim. Instead the situation continues that saying sorry is an admission of liability that can then leave you open to a claim against you, which is why all insurance companies say you should never admit liability or say sorry, just exchange details. Indeed admitting liability can affect your own insurance claim.

[Ray]

It's a shame that Bill didn't have time to pass, I think many of the ugly scenes following a bump could be avoided if normal politeness and civility could be employed.

[Meantime]

I think it is the rise of the compensation culture that is largely to blame. Removing liability from saying sorry has the potential to immediately defuse a situation.

[MauriceMynah]

Might this not mean that saying "Oh I am sorry" on hearing of someone's death,you are admitting liability for that death thus admitting murder/manslaughter?

[Meantime]

22 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Might this not mean that saying "Oh I am sorry" on hearing of someone's death,you are admitting liability for that death thus admitting murder/manslaughter?

And thus you have hit the nail squarely on the head. The word sorry has many meanings and can we used to commiserate with someone, to empathize with someone or because you are saying sorry for your actions. Unfortunately the legal eagles have latched onto saying sorry meaning you are apologising for your actions and therefore at fault in the accident and liable.

[Gracie]

1 hour ago, TFrench89 said:

 Think I'd still apologize if I'd hit another boat tbh. 

I agree with this, I would too. If you stop, apologise, exchange details etc, no matter the response from the other person, you know at the end of the day you've done the right thing 

How awful if we live in a world where people choose not to be polite out of fear of prosecution. x

[PaulN]

One problem of course, is that at Reedham, a hire boat coming back in a strong tide to say sorry and exchange details is just as likely to hit you again.

The on the road 'don't admit liability' insurers instructions has probably something to do with the problem, albeit most hirers have paid for a damage waiver, so wouldn't have to get involved.

We have only had one incident when we received damage, which was also at Reedham. When the boat moored next to us left the mooring going forwards with the tide, unaware that they should push the stern out into the tide and reverse out, they hit us. We weren't onboard at the time but the Reedham Ranger, said he had received a report from the Yarmouth Yacht station Ranger that a hire boat had hit us, removing a length of rubbing strake!

Apparently the hirer's were a bit shook up and didn't want to risk returning to make a report, so continued across Breydon, the moored at Yarmouth briefly to report the incident and left full details. Fortunately it was a Rico boat and when I contacted them they said 'leave it with us and we will sort it'. We went home and they then organised a the repair at our mooring and when we went back to the boat I couldn't tell the difference. What a great company.

For inexperienced hirer's, this is something we just have to put up with I suppose, although I do wish that when they go on their tuition run, they were told that the bot is unlike a car and steers from the rear and so you must watch where the stern is going. Also always leave stern on moorings in a straight kine and turn when clear. We hired for many years and were never told this.  

 

[Andrewcook]

The worst place to get your boat clipped is at Ludham Bridge as to going under towards How Hill as it's a bit narrow with boats moored on either side to passing as to waiting to go under that Bridge going towards St Bennetts Abbey so that's how the Boats get the clip.

[Smoggy]

They generally get hit much harder at reedham due to the tide running much faster and folk that have crossed from the north are running with the tide and often not yet experienced mooring in a proper tide unless they stopped at gt.yarmouth on the way.

[MargeandParge]

6 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

Might this not mean that saying "Oh I am sorry" on hearing of someone's death,you are admitting liability for that death thus admitting murder/manslaughter?

MM does this follow the same lines as when in the pub and you have to remind the hard of hearing its their round and they say "sorry " while cupping a hand to an ear, that they have admitted liability and should open their wallet. .kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[addicted]

Reading this thread demonstrates how differently people!e react to situations. We were moored outside Coldham Hall  in our previous boat, Hot Gossip.A Hire boat came past from our stern and moored in front of us. All four of the occupants came up to us full of abject apologies we were bemused until they explained that they had touched the large ball fender just behind our bow. They were mortified,we hadn't even realised. We explained that their concern wasn't necessary as the fender had done it's job so no harm done. But we were very impressed by the respect they obviously had for our boat.

 

 

Carole

[SteveO]

I remember years ago, mooring our little Freeman at Reedham Ferry and taking the kids to the playground up the road, leaving Mrs O in charge of the boat.  We returned to the sound of revving engines and screaming from the wife, who was hanging on to the pulpit of a large. probably hire, boat which was reversing at high revs away from ours. It turned out he had tried to turn against the current to moor - a manouvre that went badly wrong and resulted in him nearly T-boning the Freeman.  I gave him both barrels of my Yorkshire invective (after covering our children's ears) and persuaded him to bring my wife back slowly and carefully, which he did.  As he reversed off, never to be seen again, his passing shot, in a broad Midlands accent, was "That's what fenders are for innit?".

[Hylander]

1 hour ago, SteveO said:

I remember years ago, mooring our little Freeman at Reedham Ferry and taking the kids to the playground up the road, leaving Mrs O in charge of the boat.  We returned to the sound of revving engines and screaming from the wife, who was hanging on to the pulpit of a large. probably hire, boat which was reversing at high revs away from ours. It turned out he had tried to turn against the current to moor - a manouvre that went badly wrong and resulted in him nearly T-boning the Freeman.  I gave him both barrels of my Yorkshire invective (after covering our children's ears) and persuaded him to bring my wife back slowly and carefully, which he did.  As he reversed off, never to be seen again, his passing shot, in a broad Midlands accent, was "That's what fenders are for innit?".

Wow  I do hope your wife was ok.

[PCL023]

4 hours ago, SteveO said:

I remember years ago, mooring our little Freeman at Reedham Ferry and taking the kids to the playground up the road, leaving Mrs O in charge of the boat.  We returned to the sound of revving engines and screaming from the wife, who was hanging on to the pulpit of a large. probably hire, boat which was reversing at high revs away from ours. It turned out he had tried to turn against the current to moor - a manouvre that went badly wrong and resulted in him nearly T-boning the Freeman.  I gave him both barrels of my Yorkshire invective (after covering our children's ears) and persuaded him to bring my wife back slowly and carefully, which he did.  As he reversed off, never to be seen again, his passing shot, in a broad Midlands accent, was "That's what fenders are for innit?".

It’s often the last passing comment/s that gets my foot tapping and blood boiling after getting swiped, being “it’s ok it’s only a boat, it’s what they are for” funny no one will ever tell me where they have parked their car so I can return the exchange as it’s only a car 😜

[addicted]

Oh how true that is. On one occasion after they had sideswiped our boat and one of the idiots passed a simillar comment I asked how he would like me to do the same to his car and I  could actually  see the light dawning on his face.

 

Carole

[PaulN]

It also drives me mad when I see someone coming in to moor with someone on deck, dying to poke our boat with their boat hook. I bet they would love that if I produced one in Tesco's car park if they drove in to park next to me. I do wish boat yards would do away with them.