[Guest]

As above really?

I made a booking for this weekend with Clovelly Charters for Lundy Splash in and to stay on the island overnight, Saturday the main day was called off yesterday, but Clive Pearson, the skipper, says up to now he will not call Sunday off and if we dont turn up on Sunday morning at Clovelly harbour we will lose our £350 depsoit.

We are trying to tell him conditions arent still good enouigh, but he hasnt budged yet, and we never booked for just the Sunday, we booked a package for the 2 days plus the Splash in. None of us want to go just for one day, its too far for just that.

I need to tell him that the wind speed is not safe enough etc etc. to help support my case. Here is the present forecast

Any help with that would be greatly appreciated

Cheers
Woody

 

[Lou]

I wouldn't argue windspeed with him, I would see what his T&cs say and go for breach of contract with your case that the contract was a weekend with overnight stay away, not two days out from Clovelly.

 

[jackdiver]

The forecast looks good for Sunday. I'd happily take a RIB out in a F4.

 

[GSK]

Can you not dive on the sheltered side of Lundy?

I wouldn't try and tell him his job!

 

[Janos]

I wouldn't try and tell him his job!

I disagree. You have to take responsibility for your own safety.

90% of skippers out there are great, but there are some who go out in all conditions, and even some that lied to me (told me it was "50/50" as to whether we were going out and we'd make the call on the day - told someone else we were definitely going out). I voted with my feet and I haven't used them again but there are some awful skippers out there.

Janos

PS - For clarity - Not directed at the the skipper in the OP who I've no experience of, good or bad.

 

[Chris Lewis]

I disagree. You have to take responsibility for your own safety.

90% of skippers out there are great, but there are some who go out in all conditions, and even some that lied to me (told me it was "50/50" as to whether we were going out and we'd make the call on the day - told someone else we were definitely going out). I voted with my feet and I haven't used them again but there are some awful skippers out there.

Janos

PS - For clarity - Not directed at the the skipper in the OP who I've no experience of, good or bad.

Well I know our club (I wasn't going) had a boat booked for the weekend with Obsession and they have agreed to cancel both days to save our guys the drive down from Cheshire. They have been offered a date in October, carry over into next year or a simple return of the deposit.

Cant say fairer than that IMO.

Chris

 

[Two Hats]

I too was meant to be on this boat.

Woody booked it for the weekend, as the Lundy Splash in is Saturday. We were to be dropped off and spend the night on Lundy, then he would collect us for 2 more dives in the morning on the way back.

Saturday is fecked, and he has cancelled. The splash in may well also be cancelled. So, in reality, there is feck all point me driving for 5 hours each way to do 2 dives in what will, most likely, be strong, surgey and shit vis, especially given the primary aim is photography.

Also, it's not a RIB, it's a fishing boat.

Given he knew it was to be 6 photoraphers, going for a photo competition, then I don't think he is playing ball.

Obviously he sees it as losing out on money, but we wanted a weekend charter, he can't provide this.

 

[druid1]

Have to sympathise with you on this one, I wouldn't travel up to Clovelly for one days diving, its a lot of work, time and cost (in petrol) for it to be worth while. I've dived with Clive and whilst it was a great weekend his little boat struggled a bit coming back as it was pretty lumpy.

Got you over a barrel I think, if he says he's going out and you don't turn up he'll bill you, if you turn up and he doesn't go out / go out but too rough too dive, then you've wasted a load of money and time as well as the boat costs.

Hope this works out, if it doesn't I'd do a Janos (sounds like a catch phrase) and chalk it up for future reference.

 

[Two Hats]

Got you over a barrel I think, if he says he's going out and you don't turn up he'll bill you, if you turn up and he doesn't go out / go out but too rough too dive, then you've wasted a load of money and time as well as the boat costs.

Funny, I just said the exact thing to the missus.
I imagine us not turning up, and him charging, even if it turns out to be too bad to go out.

I will rather lose the money for 2 of us than spend 10hrs on the road, and the associated petrol costs etc. It's one thing to go down there for a reason (splash in, plus a weekend of diving) but for 2 dives which will probably be unproductive from a photo viewpoint, I'm out

 

[matthewoutram]

I think it's a bit mean of both sides. £350 for providing no service at all seems harsh, but paying zero when the weather does look OK for Sunday seems unfair too. Can you not offer to split the difference - say £20 a head to not bother?

Matt.

 

[Guest]

We booked for 2 days, I intend to ask him what weather forecast he is using and then ask at what wind spped he determines it off, thats why I was asking what windspeed would one call it off, its a 8 man fishing boat, for 6 divers max. None of us intend to go as what Sean says, but I'm not backing down, not like me at all to do that.

 

[GSK]

Its not all to do just with wind speed but as a diver you understand that

We've been out in a forecast "supposed" force 6 but in sheletered water

 

[Digger]

It's not just windspeed the skipper will be looking at, and it's not the only thing you should be looking at as well.

I'd check what arrangements have been made - if you book a weekend charter with an overnight stop in Lundy and he cannot provide that, he cannot uphold his end of the deal.

Ultimately, he's already lost a load of business from this thread, which doesn't help you guys, but might convince him to be a bit more reasonable in the circumstances - none of the boats I use would impose this as a rule - they know divers are travelling a reasonable distance, and will call the whole thing if one or both days is canned, because driving hundreds of miles, overnight stops, all for one day of diving is a waste for most.

The skippers I know that would call the whole weekend would also have a waiting list of local divers who will book on a Friday for a Sunday, they might not get a full boat, but they'll certainly get half a dozen for a local site - perhaps this boat hasn't got a local group of divers, or isn't popular enough to do this. Sometimes you get a group where 3 or 4 will make the trip for a single day, then they top it up with their local guys. Works well if you've got a following.

Digs.

 

[Guest]

cheers, yeah, but he has to sail across the bristol channel for 20 miles open to the atlantic winds for at least about 3 hours I reckon

 

[Janos]

Its not all to do just with wind speed but as a diver you understand that

We've been out in a forecast "supposed" force 6 but in sheletered water

Absolutely. And this is where the skipper's local knowledge comes in.
The issue here is more around what happens if one day of a two-day weekend is cancelled.
If I were diving out of (say) Weymouth for a couple of days then I'd expect to pay for the second day if it was ok to go out. The difference in this case is that there was accommodation booked as well on the island.

Tricky one.

Janos

 

[matthewoutram]

We booked for 2 days, I intend to ask him what weather forecast he is using and then ask at what wind spped he determines it off, thats why I was asking what windspeed would one call it off, its a 8 man fishing boat, for 6 divers max. None of us intend to go as what Sean says, but I'm not backing down, not like me at all to do that.

If you've dived with the local Donegal skipper then we could say that both Saturday and Sunday are dive-able, up to 20 miles off-shore.

Matt.

 

[GSK]

Absolutely. And this is where the skipper's local knowledge comes in.
The issue here is more around what happens if one day of a two-day weekend is cancelled.
If I were diving out of (say) Weymouth for a couple of days then I'd expect to pay for the second day if it was ok to go out. The difference in this case is that there was accommodation booked as well on the island.

Tricky one.

Janos

True

Did the skipper book the accomodation? Therefore does he lose the deposit he may have paid over for this? not sure what the booking conditions are for accomodation here Lundy Island

Before it got too heated in discusssions I'd see if I could make a 'compromise' payment with not going out to sea and the skipper for having a day off

Worst case is he'll keep your deposit and you'll have to take him to the small claims court

 

[matthewoutram]

There are no T&C's on the web-site: Clovelly Charters - Swim with the friendly seals

But it does say Day trip for 6 divers £385.00 per day, so the implication is that you have 2 single day-trips booked. I guess if you have paperwork saying you booked a package then you could be OK. Otherwise I'd ask him for 50% back (£192.50) and he doesn't need to show up.

Matt.

 

[Guest]

no, I boooked the digs, only a tent at £12 each to the National Trust

 

[Guest]

Does anyone live near there? They could go down Sunday morning claiming to be booked on my boat and say you want to go there, if he calls it off then you get £50 for your help if he doesnt then you get a free ride to Lundy!?