Hurricanes Irma and Maria

Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused significant damage to the islands, including poor Zanshin.

Hurricane Irma hit the British Virgin Islands in early September of 2017 and caused catastrophic damage, fortunately with only a slight loss of life. Then, just two weeks later, Hurricane Maria delivered the one-two knockout punch. The double blow of hurricanes Irma and Maria was a knockout punch for the island.

I’d stored Zanshin on the hardstand at Nanny Cay in the BVI for many years, and even a category 3 hurricane had left my boat unscathed. However, initial images showing a 46-foot catamaran upside down on the guard shack at Nanny Cay suggested that my boat was most likely destroyed. Of course, communications to the island were interrupted. I didn’t even try to contact the boatyard – they had more important things to deal with.

But I did recall several discussions with the head of Pantaenius Insurance (one of the largest German yacht insurers), during which I told him I was a self-insurer. He said that I was the only person he knew of with such a big boat that didn’t carry a cover. I have a separate account where I deposit money monthly for the boat. But I hadn’t envisioned a total loss scenario like this! When I spoke with him a year after Irma, I admitted that I’d gambled on the risk, and it hadn’t paid off.

Aftermath

A few weeks after the hurricanes, I tried to get information from the boatyard, but without success. But friends managed to get pictures of Zanshin, and it looked like I’d gotten away with surprisingly minor damage. Nobody could look inside so that I couldn’t be sure. Zanshin was toppled like a domino at a 30° angle relative to the other boats. Because of her size, she was the one whom her neighbor had cushioned. The mast was broken about halfway up, and the rigging was all over the place. The stanchions and other topside constructions were bent or broken. It looked like one of the jack-stands and punctured a fist-sized hole up high on the topsides.

I’ll skip the details of my dealings with the new boatyard management in getting Zanshin righted and secured. It is somewhat acrimonious. But I have ended up voting with my feet, and I doubt I’ll return while the current management couple is in charge.

Damages

Most of the people I knew with boats had lost everything (though they all had insurance, which gave them some consolation), and few boats had suffered as minor damage as Zanshin! I needed a new mast and rig, as well as all the hardware on deck; these were easily ordered directly from Jeanneau and would be available via shipping containers at short notice (but at a high cost). While the riggers in the BVI do acceptable work, the labour rates are exceedingly high. St. Martin was my preferred location for both quality and price. They were overwhelmed by the storm, and the lagoon was littered with wrecks. There was no way I’d be able to get to the yard in any case.

I knew the refit would take many months, and I would need a project manager, one whom I could trust while I was far away. Mark Sims of True North Yachting in Annapolis originally commissioned my boat. I went back to him to see if he and his team would take on the project. Despite having to ship Zanshin via a cargo vessel up to the USA, the savings compared to having the work done in the Caribbean were significant. I knew that he’d get the job done on time and budget. Wow, that initial budget was high! But in the end, I’m happy with the result. I’ll detail the full story of getting Zanshin to Annapolis via Newport, RI, elsewhere. Currently, I have the story on a separate website.