A
sample report to the claims adjuster
CLAIM
ASSISTANCE REPORT
October 27th 2008
Mr. Adjuster
XXX Insurance
Address removed
RE: Insured: Mr. Insured
Claim #: XXX
Date of loss: XXX
Vessel: 1971 65’ XXX
Our file # 08 - XXX
Dear Mr. XXX:
Thank you
for the above captioned assignment, received on October 24th
2008.
Initial
Contact
We spoke
with the insured, Mr. XXX, on October 24th 2008. WE left a message
for Mr. XXX shortly after receiving the assignment and spoke
with him at approximately 11:00 a.m.
Mr. XXX
identified the vessel as a 1971 65’ XXX sportfishing vessel.
He stated he purchased the vessel 12-years ago.
Mr. XXX
stated that he was last aboard the vessel the week of August
9th through 15th 2008. He stated that he does not have anybody
go aboard the vessel regularly, but the dock master may go aboard
occasionally. He stated that a diver, Mr. XXX, cleans the bottom
of the vessel every month.
We spoke
with Mr. XXX several times on October 24th 2008. He stated that
the MAN engines were aboard the vessel upon his purchase. MAN
installed new cylinders prior to his purchase. This work was
part of a warranty on these engines.
The insured
stated that he had three new fuel tanks installed 4 to 5-years
ago. He was uncertain if had run the engines with the new fuel
tanks. He stated that the fuel system is currently disconnected
from the engines, pending installation of new Racor filters.
He stated that the engine controls were disconnected pending
installation of electronic engine controls.
Event Details
Mr. XXX
stated that he received a call from the dock master informing
him that his vessel was taking on water at 4:00 a.m. on October
24th 2008.
We traveled to the vessel in its normal slip, A-12 in the XXX
Marina, at 10:00 a.m. on October 24th 2008. We met Mr. XXX,
the marina manager. He stated that he was sleeping in his office
and was awakened by a knock on his door at 3:00 a.m. Mr. XXX,
the owner of the boat adjacent to the insured vessel, woke him
up to alert him of the incident.
Mr. XXX
stated that he called the Harbor Police and Sea Tow at 4:00
a.m. He then asked the Harbor Police to contact Vessel Assist,
they responded.
We spoke
with Mr. XXX, owner of the adjacent vessel. He stated that his
wife heard unusual noises and woke him up at approximately 2:30
a.m.
Mr. XXX
stated that he last walked the docks at 8:00 p.m. on October
23rd 2008 and found no problems with the insured vessel.
Salvage
Operation
At 10:30
a.m. on October 24th 2008, Vessel Assist had a vessel alongside
the insured vessel and an oil containment boom around the vessel.
There was very little oil in the water. The vessel was submerged
with the stern down, the bow was barely out of the water and
the flybridge forward and tuna tower were above the water. Vessel
Assist stated their intention to use flotation bags to raise
the vessel, tow the vessel to Shelter Island Boat Yard and have
it hauled.
We met with
Mr. XXX of XXX boat repair company on the dock of the XXX Marina
at 10:30 a.m. on October 24th. Mr. XXX owns a vessel in the
marina and said he was willing and able to attempt to have the
engines running and the generators’ engines running on
that day. XXX boat repair company is located at XXX Boat Yard.
We told Mr. X that Mr. XXX (adjuster) had set a limit for mitigation
to the engines at $5,000.00. We also discussed the initial cleaning
of the vessel to include washing, rinsing and drying the areas
of salt water, opening the vessel for ventilation and removing
soft goods, such as cushions and mattresses.
We left
a mobile telephone number with XXX of Vessel Assist and left
the vessel at approximately 10:30 am.
We received
communication from Mr. XXX (boat repairer) at approximately
4:45 p.m. informing us that the vessel was not allowed into
XXX Boat Yard and no alternative haul out arrangements had been
made. We phoned the salvors and immediately traveled to the
vessel. Arrangements were made to have the vessel hauled at
XXX Yacht Center. All San Diego boat yards were contacted and
XXX Yacht Center was the only facility willing to haul the vessel.
Upon my
arrival to the vessel at approximately 5:30 p.m. I spoke with
Mr. XXX of XXX boat repair. He stated that a 3” hole had
just been plugged on the center of the transom and had allowed
for recent significant progress in the de-watering of the vessel.
The hole in the transom has a bronze fitting, it is normally
behind the fish boxes, the port fish box was removed upon my
arrival. The hull was plugged with a wooden damage control (DC)
plug. The hole is normally just above the waterline.
Mr. XXX,
the dive master of Vessel Assist, requested that the vessel
be hauled from the water rather than left afloat due to uncertainty
as to its stability. From 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. the vessel began
listing to starboard. Air bags which were already attached to
the starboard side of the vessel were inflated to level the
vessel.
After a
discussion with Mr. XXX (dive master), he began plugging through
hulls with DC plugs. What had been a static situation with respect
to internal water levels quickly changed for the positive and
the vessel was, to a large extent, de-watered. He said he found
a through hull leaking to starboard in the forward cabin bilge
and he first inserted a plug from the inside out in this through
hull.
The bilge
was full of dark engine oil in the engine room and fuel throughout
the bilge. The existence of the fuel made inspection extremely
difficult, the level of the water remained too high to allow
internal inspection of the through hulls until after 7:30 p.m.
Mr. XXX
(dive master) stated that he found at least two through hulls,
which he could tell were creating suction of water from the
exterior of the hull. One was the through hull located in the
starboard bilge of the forward cabin. A second through hull
was located amidships above the chine.
We accessed
the through hull to starboard in the forward cabin and found
a threaded through hull with a wooden dowel plug inserted. There
was no valve on the through hull and no components were seen
in the area indicating that the through hull was in use.
The amidship
through hull above the starboard chine was found to starboard
forward in the engine room. This inspection was extremely limited
due to the presence of fuel, oil, water and fumes. The through
hull was later inspected and appears to be part of the waste
system, water and fuel in the bilge prevented a thorough inspection
of this system.
Mr. XXX
(dock master) started that the vessel was locked at the time
of the incident. He had a key and unlocked the door between
the cockpit and the saloon. Vessel Assist personnel stated that
they forced their way into the foredeck hatches to drop pumps
into the forward cabins.
The vessel
was towed from the Sheraton Marina at approximately 9:30 p.m.
bound for XXX Yacht Center.
Out of Water
Inspection
We traveled
to the vessel at XXX Yacht Center on October 25th 2008. We met
with the insured, Mr. XXX aboard the vessel. Also aboard the
vessel at the beginning and end of this inspection were mechanic
Mr. XXX and an assistant from XXX boat repair.
The vessel was hauled and remained in the travel lift slings,
with keel block supports at XXX Yacht Center.
We inspected
the hull bottom and noted the location of all through hulls
at and near the waterline. We recorded their location and noted
which through hulls had DC plugs installed. We then inspected
the through hulls internally.
Two through hulls that appeared to contribute to the loss are
located just above the waterline. One through hull is located
on the center of the transom and one through hull is located
to starboard amidships. Both of these through hulls are closed
from the exterior with damage control plugs. Both of these through
hulls are above the waterline with the vessel in its normal
resting position, per the waterline on the anti-fouling paint.
Both of these through hulls have been plugged during the salvage
operation. The through hull to starboard had an inward flow
of water by the salvage diver.
The most
significant finding was at a through hull located to starboard
forward, just below the waterline. In this location there are
three through hulls, none have external screens and the center
through hull has a damage control plug inserted. The salvage
diver found this through hull to have a significant inflow of
water during the salvage operation and shortly after plugging
this through hull with a damage control plug the de-watering
of the vessel turned in the positive direction and the vessel
became stable.
We inspected
these through hulls from the interior. The aft of the three
through hulls has a bronze tube which appears to be crimped
shut. The center through hull has bronze threads with no attachment.
The forward through hull has a hose attached to it and the hose
is plugged with a PVC plug secured with a hose clamp. There
are unused hoses above these through hulls, apparently for a
removed head, which was installed in this location (per the
insured).
We entered
the bilge in this location and searched the flooded bilge in
search of any component, which may have become detached from
the open through hull. We found a PVC cap and retrieved it.
The PVC cap is filled with silicone in the center with silicone
coating the threads. We measured the interior diameter of the
PVC cap and the exterior diameter of the bronze through hull
and they are approximately the same size, however the cap appears
to be slightly larger.
It is clear
that this cap was once attached to the open through hull. We
did not attempt to reinstall the cap to prevent alteration of
any part of the cap, silicone or through hull which may be helpful
in determining cause of loss. We exhibited the PVC cap and through
hull to Mr. XXX (insured). He stated that the modification of
the interior was performed before his purchase 12-years ago.
He stated that he was aware of a head once being located in
this area but the capping of these through hulls was done prior
to his purchase and no work had been done in this area since
he has owned the vessel.
There are
three through hulls to port forward in this bilge area. One
is apparently in use as a hose is detached to it. One has a
proper bronze plug and one has a questionable PVC cap.
Cause of Loss
The cause
of the submersion was the failure of the PVC cap, which had
been attached to an abandoned through hull using silicone as
an adhesive. This cap had apparently held for 12-years or more
prior to its failure.
Contributing
to the cause of loss was the uncapped through hull just above
the waterline on the transom which would allow the rate of flooding
to increase significantly once the level of the vessel was lowered
several inches. We did not determine how the vessel was functioning
with respect to bilge pumping or shore power; it is unlikely
that any bilge pump aboard the vessel would have had any significant
effect on the rate of water intrusion based on the size of the
primary and secondary holes.
The insured
stated that the vessel had been moved once since his last attendance
in August 2008. He stated that the marina moved his vessel to
facilitate dock space for a boat show, they had apparently returned
the vessel to its normal slip and he assumes it was properly
attached to shore power to enable the battery charger to function
and charge the batteries. Batteries are the source of power
for this vessel’s bilge pumps.
Status
We retained
the PVC cap, with the permission of the insured, and the insured
and the undersigned surveyor signed the enclosed property receipt.
The vessel
is currently coated with diesel fuel and the bilge is full of
diesel fuel and engine oil. It is somewhat hazardous and I strongly
encourage the immediate cleaning and disposal of the diesel
fuel, to allow a more thorough and proper inspection of the
vessel.
We have
obtained two repair estimates and will include them with this
report. We have emailed a question to XXX Yacht Center regarding
the scope of their bid, it appears their bid does not include
disposal of the hazardous waste. They had not answered the question
at the time this report was finalized. The bid from XXX Yacht
Refinishing includes the disposal of hazardous waste but does
not include the disposal of the mattresses.
We will
return to the vessel after it is cleaned, produce a damage appraisal
and request repair estimates from XXX Yacht Center and any other
repairers the insured chooses. XXX boat repair has requested
the opportunity to bid on the job.
Enclosures
1. Photographs
2. XXX Yacht Refinishing cleaning estimate
3. XXX Yacht Center cleaning estimate
4. Property chain of custody receipt
Thank you
for the opportunity to be of service. Please contact the undersigned
with any questions or if there is anything, in addition to the
above stated intentions, that we can do to further assist with
this claim.
Respectfully,
Kells Christian
Christian and Company Marine Surveyors, Inc.
