Pacific loses argument with three ton tree

[robert walker]

Hi Guys
Last November here in Southbourne uk we suffered high gale force winds and my boat was unfortunate to be moored under a willow tree. The tree was rotten through its stem and with the wind split open and came crashing down on top of my vessel.
The result was that the steering and helm was badly damaged and the floats took the main impact. Every one of the internal membranes in the float were ruptured and the splitting tree punctured the float in various places making it impossible to repair.
The battle then commenced, I was legally on a council mooring and the tree was in a public park. The outcome was that after numerous emails and phone calls the council finally admitted full liability.
The boat was pushed under water at the rear and this flooded the engine. I managed to pump the water out over a period of the two weeks that it took the council to remove the tree. I had to visit the boat twice a day to stop it from sinking.
It is now back on the trailer and undergoing extensive repairs including a new float which I should be getting in early June with luck.
Hope none of you guys have similar problems
Will post some pictures in the photo section

[Aries]

Good result. I was wondering what the outcome would be when I saw it. I have some pics of your boat from the water somewhere, but can't find them, as I have a new phone....having dropped the other one in the river.

[Rokraider]

Sorry to read of your mishap. Takes a lot to put a Pacific out of commission.

[PeterM]

It does take a lot - but it was bloody big tree !

Partly why when I chose a mooring along there I went mid river ...as Aries knows

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by robert walker

I managed to pump the water out over a period of the two weeks that it took the council to remove the tree.

I would have gone out there and cut the tree off my boat ASAP, and not waited for anyone else. If that means hiring a tree service and renting a boat, so be it. Heck a surfboard and a hand saw could have freed the boat with some effort.

Sorry about your boat. Hope it gets fixed up like before.