Countdown to launch
Last Monday I met with Sterling Anchor (name changed to protect the innocent.) Sterling is the surveyor who has been helping us make heads or tails of the pre-purchase survey and work our way towards being deemed seaworthy. Sterling has been surveying boats for the last several years and is pretty excited about his career. During conversation Sterling is frequently reminded of past survey experience that he shares freely. Sterling and I are of the same ilk. This can be very dismaying and I will explain why.
As we look over Caspian I am aiming the conversation towards down playing certain things that need repair. If you follow this blog you may recall the propane locker, one of the first items on the list that I took to downplaying and my first victory (although the opera is not over.) Of the many other (more than 80) things on Caspian's list some are immediate concerns and some are not although all are listed as immediate. Take fuel lines for example.
There is nary a leak or threat of a leak in any of the lines. Yes they are all 20 years old and the replacement interval is 5-10 years but surely that is a "guideline". When I try to guide Sterling's opinion towards agreeing with me that the fuel lines can wait a but longer he goes on to tell me stories that have not ended well thus giving me the impression that he disagrees with my assessment. The conversation goes the same way for every item on the list that I try to downplay. This continues for 3 hours. I am forming the opinion that Sterling would find any vessel to be unseaworthy, even a brand new one as he has stories about those too. I contact the yard, "please replace all of the fuel lines". I end my day at the boat early out of frustration.
Before I go further let me explain why this was happening at this particular time.
It was March 26th. I asked the yard manager how things were going and when we might expect to launch. Dave indicated roughly April 13th. Knowing that this time of year all things boating ramp up and folks can get booked up I contact Sterling to get on his schedule. Sterling suggests he come out the following Monday for a look. There was some chance I would be ready but not much and I indicate as such. Sterling says he would at least like to get a look at the bottom before launch. I'm not sure why he thinks he needs to examine the bottom as there was nothing noted on the survey about the bottom but okay.
Stirling is there waiting as I enter the yard. I've got 24 hours of work I want to accomplish in the next 2 trips out so I want things to go quickly. We spend the next three hours going over this and that and having those conversations in which I am attempting to persuade Sterling with regard to what makes his "A list". Anything on the A list is a launch stopper due to the endorsement on Caspian's insurance policy "PORT RISK ASHORE". We need the insurance underwriters to remove that endorsement prior to launch. There is a horrific story for each item. I'm certain the A list is going to be bad and reassured of this fear by Sterling's mentioning at least three times "I think you're getting ahead of yourself". Really! I told him I wasn't ready but he insisted on coming out on Monday. So imagine my surprise when I found this at the end of the survey:
OPINION: It is the opinion of this surveyor that many of the items considered essential for continued safe operation and/or navigation of the vessel have been replaced or repaired as recommended. Several other items will be addressed after the launch of the vessel. Those items remaining do not pose an immediate risk to the safe operation of the vessel.
Physical risk is recommended the inland waters of the Columbia and Willamette rivers and the mouth of the Columbia River and out 25 miles.
As we look over Caspian I am aiming the conversation towards down playing certain things that need repair. If you follow this blog you may recall the propane locker, one of the first items on the list that I took to downplaying and my first victory (although the opera is not over.) Of the many other (more than 80) things on Caspian's list some are immediate concerns and some are not although all are listed as immediate. Take fuel lines for example.
There is nary a leak or threat of a leak in any of the lines. Yes they are all 20 years old and the replacement interval is 5-10 years but surely that is a "guideline". When I try to guide Sterling's opinion towards agreeing with me that the fuel lines can wait a but longer he goes on to tell me stories that have not ended well thus giving me the impression that he disagrees with my assessment. The conversation goes the same way for every item on the list that I try to downplay. This continues for 3 hours. I am forming the opinion that Sterling would find any vessel to be unseaworthy, even a brand new one as he has stories about those too. I contact the yard, "please replace all of the fuel lines". I end my day at the boat early out of frustration.
Before I go further let me explain why this was happening at this particular time.
It was March 26th. I asked the yard manager how things were going and when we might expect to launch. Dave indicated roughly April 13th. Knowing that this time of year all things boating ramp up and folks can get booked up I contact Sterling to get on his schedule. Sterling suggests he come out the following Monday for a look. There was some chance I would be ready but not much and I indicate as such. Sterling says he would at least like to get a look at the bottom before launch. I'm not sure why he thinks he needs to examine the bottom as there was nothing noted on the survey about the bottom but okay.
Stirling is there waiting as I enter the yard. I've got 24 hours of work I want to accomplish in the next 2 trips out so I want things to go quickly. We spend the next three hours going over this and that and having those conversations in which I am attempting to persuade Sterling with regard to what makes his "A list". Anything on the A list is a launch stopper due to the endorsement on Caspian's insurance policy "PORT RISK ASHORE". We need the insurance underwriters to remove that endorsement prior to launch. There is a horrific story for each item. I'm certain the A list is going to be bad and reassured of this fear by Sterling's mentioning at least three times "I think you're getting ahead of yourself". Really! I told him I wasn't ready but he insisted on coming out on Monday. So imagine my surprise when I found this at the end of the survey:
OPINION: It is the opinion of this surveyor that many of the items considered essential for continued safe operation and/or navigation of the vessel have been replaced or repaired as recommended. Several other items will be addressed after the launch of the vessel. Those items remaining do not pose an immediate risk to the safe operation of the vessel.
Physical risk is recommended the inland waters of the Columbia and Willamette rivers and the mouth of the Columbia River and out 25 miles.
It turns out Sterling wasn't disagreeing with me on every item, he just likes to tell his stories just like I do and wasn't necessarily disagreeing with me.
I've forwarded the report to the underwriters hoping they will agree to remove the endorsement, we are hopeful. This is a huge milestone as the countdown nears zero.
I've forwarded the report to the underwriters hoping they will agree to remove the endorsement, we are hopeful. This is a huge milestone as the countdown nears zero.
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