I have experienced damages in excess of $70,000 to my sailboat, a Valiant 40, caused by the employees of the Port of Everett, Everett, Wash. The Management of the PORT of Everett won’t step up and take care of the problems that were created by the improper blocking of my boat on their premises. (It is known as parking in dry storage).
My boat was hauled from the water and was parked on January 15, 2013 at the incorrect angle, (bow too high), so that it inadvertently took on loads and loads of rain water that filled the bilge with 14 “of rain water above the inside cabin sole. The accumulated water permeated the engine and all of its ancillary working parts including the transmission. I have been quoted in excess of $3000.00 to remove and repair the transmission alone. The refrigeration unit, the tools, the spare maintenance parts, bedding, books of navigation and other items, are all in trouble. The interior was covered with mold and mildew totally, so much so that it took 2 persons 3 long days using distilled vinegar and water, and lots of elbow grease we were to clean up the horrible mess. The mold and mildew happened because the accumulated water was so deep in the living area that it shorted out the electricity which in turn shut down the air moving fans and heater. Damage to the beautiful teak wood interior is extensive. The water even invaded the insulation on the interior of the hull, causing thousands of pin-head sized blisters above the water line on the exterior of the hull. All of this was discovered upon my return to Everett on May 4th, 2014 after being gone for about 4 months. Note: I had had the boat hauled out to supposedly to be safe while I was to be gone.
I have owned my boat in excess of 37 years and it has been my home most of that time. The boat has always received high praise wherever we sailed, and it was frequently called the nicest boat in the harbor. Our last voyage was from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to the Port of Everett, Everett, Washington (some 3000 miles). We arrived in Everett at the Marina on September 2nd, 2013 and parked originally at their guest dock.
Our damage was discovered and reported to the Port management in May of 2014, and we were informed how to make a claim against the Port. This included getting estimates of costs from people and businesses for the purposes of getting my boat back to its previous condition. This I did, and it took a lot of time, but instead of cooperation, I got jerked around by the Port’s management, bumping me around from different departments and its people, until the hiring of an attorney by myself. This reporting and claims via an attorney, has been going on now for nearly 6 months and the PORT of Everett finally is getting around to denying all responsibility. THIS MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL, for after all, we paid the asking fee for my boat to be hauled from the water and placed in their dry storage. The Port experts totally screwed up by blocking my boat incorrectly with the bow too high. There was no attempt of placing my boat as if in the water (in other words, LEVEL with the boat blocked on its lines). The angle of blocking did not allow the boat to rid itself of water and 4 months of rain water all found its way below thru a ventilation dorade at the stern.
The Port of Everett, Everett WA protects itself with some 38 pages of regulations, known as “BOAT OWNERS/OPERATORS REGULATIONS”. Section B, part 2, page 5, states in part that as a condition for using the Ports facilities, all person who berth or store a vessel in the Marina shall maintain insurance in force and on the vessel .The insurance shall be written as P&I on a comprehensive coverage form in the amount of $300,000.00 per occurrence. We did provide the $300,000.00 P&I insurance on my boat. The P&I insurance is a liability Insurance and it continues in force to date.
A former President of the Risk and Insurance Management Society of the State of Washington (RIMS) says the Port has been ill advised insurance wise and they should obtain a full risk management study by a Qualified Risk Management Professional (not a broker or an agent). He further states that the Port has the liability under what is known as Subrogation and that they should step up to the plate on my claim.
The management of the Port of Everett has issues for not recognizing my claim; for instance, I did not tell their experts how to park and block my boat. Well this is insane but it is what they told my attorney. These experts haul and block hundreds of boats a year. They in turn must have known the gradient of the land we got parked on with a drop of 5 inches over the 40’ length of my boat.
My attorney states that the generic blanket of hold harmless, as outlined in the port’s “BOAT OWNERS/OPERATORS REGULATIONS” which they are hiding under, are not recognized as legal in the State of Washington.
I am missing terribly the use of my boat, and would like to go home!! I present this in hopes of finding help; a friend recommended your site to me, so here we go.
Port of Everett Reviews
I have experienced damages in excess of $70,000 to my sailboat, a Valiant 40, caused by the employees of the Port of Everett, Everett, Wash. The Management of the PORT of Everett won’t step up and take care of the problems that were created by the improper blocking of my boat on their premises. (It is known as parking in dry storage).
My boat was hauled from the water and was parked on January 15, 2013 at the incorrect angle, (bow too high), so that it inadvertently took on loads and loads of rain water that filled the bilge with 14 “of rain water above the inside cabin sole. The accumulated water permeated the engine and all of its ancillary working parts including the transmission. I have been quoted in excess of $3000.00 to remove and repair the transmission alone. The refrigeration unit, the tools, the spare maintenance parts, bedding, books of navigation and other items, are all in trouble. The interior was covered with mold and mildew totally, so much so that it took 2 persons 3 long days using distilled vinegar and water, and lots of elbow grease we were to clean up the horrible mess. The mold and mildew happened because the accumulated water was so deep in the living area that it shorted out the electricity which in turn shut down the air moving fans and heater. Damage to the beautiful teak wood interior is extensive. The water even invaded the insulation on the interior of the hull, causing thousands of pin-head sized blisters above the water line on the exterior of the hull. All of this was discovered upon my return to Everett on May 4th, 2014 after being gone for about 4 months. Note: I had had the boat hauled out to supposedly to be safe while I was to be gone.
I have owned my boat in excess of 37 years and it has been my home most of that time. The boat has always received high praise wherever we sailed, and it was frequently called the nicest boat in the harbor. Our last voyage was from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to the Port of Everett, Everett, Washington (some 3000 miles). We arrived in Everett at the Marina on September 2nd, 2013 and parked originally at their guest dock.
Our damage was discovered and reported to the Port management in May of 2014, and we were informed how to make a claim against the Port. This included getting estimates of costs from people and businesses for the purposes of getting my boat back to its previous condition. This I did, and it took a lot of time, but instead of cooperation, I got jerked around by the Port’s management, bumping me around from different departments and its people, until the hiring of an attorney by myself. This reporting and claims via an attorney, has been going on now for nearly 6 months and the PORT of Everett finally is getting around to denying all responsibility. THIS MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL, for after all, we paid the asking fee for my boat to be hauled from the water and placed in their dry storage. The Port experts totally screwed up by blocking my boat incorrectly with the bow too high. There was no attempt of placing my boat as if in the water (in other words, LEVEL with the boat blocked on its lines). The angle of blocking did not allow the boat to rid itself of water and 4 months of rain water all found its way below thru a ventilation dorade at the stern.
The Port of Everett, Everett WA protects itself with some 38 pages of regulations, known as “BOAT OWNERS/OPERATORS REGULATIONS”. Section B, part 2, page 5, states in part that as a condition for using the Ports facilities, all person who berth or store a vessel in the Marina shall maintain insurance in force and on the vessel .The insurance shall be written as P&I on a comprehensive coverage form in the amount of $300,000.00 per occurrence. We did provide the $300,000.00 P&I insurance on my boat. The P&I insurance is a liability Insurance and it continues in force to date.
A former President of the Risk and Insurance Management Society of the State of Washington (RIMS) says the Port has been ill advised insurance wise and they should obtain a full risk management study by a Qualified Risk Management Professional (not a broker or an agent). He further states that the Port has the liability under what is known as Subrogation and that they should step up to the plate on my claim.
The management of the Port of Everett has issues for not recognizing my claim; for instance, I did not tell their experts how to park and block my boat. Well this is insane but it is what they told my attorney. These experts haul and block hundreds of boats a year. They in turn must have known the gradient of the land we got parked on with a drop of 5 inches over the 40’ length of my boat.
My attorney states that the generic blanket of hold harmless, as outlined in the port’s “BOAT OWNERS/OPERATORS REGULATIONS” which they are hiding under, are not recognized as legal in the State of Washington.
I am missing terribly the use of my boat, and would like to go home!! I present this in hopes of finding help; a friend recommended your site to me, so here we go.