Leading the Escapadevideo
They Damaged Our Boat… And We Were Left To Fix It! Ep-232
August 5, 2026 · 41 min · 116K views · Panama
What this video covers
A boatyard in Panama damaged the hull of Janae and Jason's sailboat, Escapade, during a haulout attempt, and the crew spent four months navigating repairs and an insurance dispute before they could speak publicly about it.0:09 Yard workers placed the travel-lift pads on unsupported sections of the hull rather than over bulkheads, causing the fiberglass to flex inward and crack audibly during repeated lift attempts.3:33 A language barrier — the yard spoke French and Spanish, the crew spoke English — delayed communication, and workers continued lifting while Janae and Jason were inside the boat.6:19 When the yard's fiberglass contractor ground back the cracked areas to assess depth, he drilled three holes through the hull, releasing trapped water that the yard then cited as evidence of a pre-existing condition to avoid liability.17:06 An independent surveyor — described as the only certified surveyor the crew could find in Panama — concluded the damage was consistent with abnormal, uneven load distribution during handling, with no evidence of prior structural repairs or grounding.22:45 The yard's insurance sent a counter-surveyor.23:01 The yard refused direct communication, ignored emails, and the crew shifted all correspondence to WhatsApp for documentation.24:16 Separately, Janae announced she would not continue for the Pacific crossing.24:48 Proper pad placement over bulkheads and documented communication from the first sign of damage are the clearest lessons from the incident.
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