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Running aground on a charter: who pays for the diver and the lift?
Short answer
Tell the base the moment you touch bottom, even if nothing shows from on deck. Diver, lift out and repair usually go through the yacht's own hull insurance, and what lands on you is normally limited to the deposit, depending on the charter agreement.
A jolt, a dull thud, and the yacht is moving again. Touching a rock or a sandbar is a common incident on a charter, especially in the Greek islands, along the Dalmatian coast and in any bay where the rocks are closer to the surface than the chart suggests. From on deck you usually see nothing afterwards. Whether the keel, the keel bolts, the rudder or the internal grid of the hull has taken a knock only shows up under water, which is why the charter agreement nearly always requires you to report every grounding straight away.
What happens next is the base's decision. Often a diver goes down first to look at keel and rudder; if that is not enough, the yacht is lifted out. Who pays is set out in the charter agreement. In most cases the inspection and any repair are handled through the yacht's own hull insurance and you carry the excess up to the amount of your deposit. Some bases charge for the diver even when he finds nothing. Keeping quiet is the worst option. If the damage is only found at check out, or by the next crew, it becomes your word against the base's, and where there was gross negligence the yacht's insurer may seek to recover money from the skipper beyond the deposit.
Straight after touching bottom, note the time, position, heading and the depth shown, photograph the plotter and write it all in the log. Check the bilge before you carry on. Then call the base and get their instructions confirmed in writing, a text message will do; do not book a diver yourself without their agreement. If you hold charter deposit insurance, notify it at once with the charter agreement, the base's report and any invoice. And if the base claims more than the deposit, check whether your skipper liability insurance includes recovery claims for damage to the chartered yacht. NAMMERT's skipper liability does not cover damage to the hired boat itself.
Worth remembering
Report it
costs you one phone call to the base
Keep quiet
can cost more than the deposit
After a grounding the diver decides, not the view from the deck. Report at once and the argument stays small.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Do I have to report a light touch on the bottom?
Yes. The charter agreement usually requires it for every grounding, visible damage or not. If you keep quiet and the damage is found later, you are in a weak position over the deposit and anything beyond it.
Who pays for the diver if he finds nothing?
That depends on the charter agreement. Some bases take the cost of an inspection from the deposit even without a finding. Ask before you sail and get the answer in writing.
Will deposit insurance pay after a grounding?
If the base keeps the deposit for good reason, deposit insurance reimburses it on its own terms. Notify it straight away with the charter agreement, the report and the base's invoice.
Related
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