Boat accident - Chicago

skennelly

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-red-baron-boat-accident-20210801-zuwemzoe5zehdho2r3ddat4744-story.html

skennelly

Supposedly an experienced Captain at the helm.  Yesterday was the Chicago Boat Scene Party.  Typically it's a complete S show.  Drinking, stripper poles, and more drinking.  It should be avoided at all costs.

Nobody is saying alcohol played a role, being it happened on this particular day is suspect.

Black_Diamond

There is almost zero reason besides drunk to hit the shore like that, esp in that boat, with radar and a chart plotter.  Morons.  

Michael T

Unbelievable! Try getting insurance after that!

LaRea

Radar and a thermal camera.  That's a million-dollar mistake.

skennelly

8:30pm last night.  Almost completely sunk.  No attempt to retrieve it.

LaRea

That's an Azimut 62S, so it's only a $750k mistake, not $1M.  

oscar1

it is a shame

Black_Diamond

Surprised they left it that long. Now they have a fuel leak issue too. $$$$

Willhound

Around here it would have been surrounded by Ministry of Environment boats and boomed off within hours. Easy half a $Mill in fines and clean up costs.

Black_Diamond

@Willhound. Same here too. Very odd. 

rasbury

must be obama's boat! OBAMA!

Michael T

Why didn't someone put air bags on the stern before it filled with water? doesn't make any sense to me.

Ian

That's what I wondered, seems it was out of the water enough that it could have stayed dry.

skennelly

It's my understanding that it's the owner and their insurance companies responsibly to do the salvage work.  There's so many shady people with huge yachts that I'll believe anything when the story breaks.

skennelly

skennelly

What I'm hearing.  Hired captain was drunk and fell asleep.  Hit the rocks at a good clip

LaRea

Goodbye captain's license, hello orange jumpsuit. 

RiverRat232

skennelly said:

What I'm hearing.  Hired captain was drunk and fell asleep.  Hit the rocks at a good clip

Experienced captain on a boat loaded with navigational equipment crashes into the rocks, yeah, something or someone was keeping him distracted. 

MarkB

Who else is looking at that boat and seeing the complete waste, as in ... they could have just given me the keys and I would have kept it happily in good condition.

skennelly

There's people who are already interested in purchasing it and fixing everything.  It was purchased for $500k a year ago.  If you snagged it for $100k I wonder how much it would cost to get it back?  If at all possible.

TonyG13

The one positive is that it was in fairly clean fresh water, so a lot of the interior can probably be saved with proper restoration.

Black_Diamond

Could easily need a few hundred grand in electronics and engine work.  At a minimum. 

YYZRC

All the millwork tho…

TonyG13

Not sure if this is related to this particular crash, but it sure feels like it.

Our harbor system sent out an email blast with:

1) Uninsured Vessels. Over the past month, there have been several serious boating accidents along the Chicago lakefront with uninsured vessels.

2) Illegal Charters. The Chicago Harbors have suspended approving new charter applications for the rest of the year as a result of an unusual increase in the number of applicants and illegal charter activity.

If that's the case for this knucklehead, he's probably in deep doodoo.

J3ff

It's so frustrating to see these stories. If someone would just GIVE me that boat it could be my home for the rest of my life. But here we go with this idiot getting drunk and falling asleep?? killing the boat?!

LaRea

I have a friend who did illegal charters for a while.  No captain's license, no commercial insurance, no vessel inspections.  When I found out, I told him to quit it.  I mean, he's an experienced captain, but he was one injury away from losing everything.  And for what?  A few thousand bucks a year.  Not a risk I'd take.  

YYZRC

Did he take your advice?

LaRea

Yes, he did.  And I understand the increase in illegal charters.  Everybody thinks "oh, the boat will pay for itself," and they don't understand the risks that charter captains take. 

Liberty44140

It’s actually not very expensive nor hard to get your 6 pack. I am hoping to do it over this winter just to have for fun.

LaRea

If anybody here is doing under-the-table charters:  In most non-commercial insurance policies (including mine), renting or chartering the boat voids the insurance.  Let that sink in for a moment.  Zero coverage for liability, injury, fuel spill or anything else.