# T Top Vs Power Line



## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

So I'm heading back home from a weekend of fishing in Carrabelle when I hit a low power line in Crawfordville. The police were already notified that the wire was sagging and low, but had not blocked off traffic....they were there though waiting on the box truck to come fix it. Well, I never saw it, and with all the power lines you drive under in a 3.5 hour trip, I don't pay much attention to them. It was a Comcast line, and the police report says they are at fault. Comcast sent out a local representative that gave me the name of a supervisor which I contacted today. I'm assuming Comcast's insurance will cover the damage......but here's where I get to my questions. Below is a pic of what it looks like now. The entire right side of the t top basically ripped off. It caught on the radar, broke the vhf antenna, knocked the entire outrigger and base onto the damn highway. I was only going 30-40mph. I have foul weather curtains around the t top, and one side was completely destroyed. It also broke off the angled rocket launcher as well as a rocket launcher on the back. The main frame of the t top seems ok, however on the front right leg of where it mounts to the floor (the same side it hit the wire) there is a stress crack on the floor on both sides of the mount now. F*** me! I feel they should replace the entire t top, curtains, outriggers, antennas, etc...I mean, I really don't want 1 side to have a brand new curtain and the other 2 sides to be 7 years older. They wouldn't match and it would look shotty! Also don't want 1 brand new outrigger base/mount/poles and one brand new one. And who knows if it damaged the radar? Its a dome, but sheesh I'm sure a lick like that doesn't do it much good. How would yall handle this? I live an hour from where Sailfish boats are made, and I really want to take it there to have it looked over for any damage I may not have noticed.


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

What ever it damaged, Plus what u don't see. Get several estimates. It's what u don't see that's the problem. A year later things will show themselves. Cracks in glass, Etc. Take all the pics u can. They will lowball you at a split second.


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

Power line won! 
Hope they get it worked out for ya


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

oxbeast1210 said:


> Power line won!
> Hope they get it worked out for ya


Lol I ripped the line down, and the pole was at a 45 degree angle. They just cut the line and used a chainsaw to cut the pole down. I'd say it was a close tie.


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

KingCrab said:


> What ever it damaged, Plus what u don't see. Get several estimates. It's what u don't see that's the problem. A year later things will show themselves. Cracks in glass, Etc. Take all the pics u can. They will lowball you at a split second.


Thanks...I feel like the factory would be the best estimate to get off the top of my head. There's not many places here in Leesburg Georgia to get an estimate for something like this. This blows


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

OK it was a Tie


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## Kenton (Nov 16, 2007)

Sounds like a good excuse to come visit FL. I know one of the local PFF fabricators could straighten you out.


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

Fish N Tales said:


> Thanks...I feel like the factory would be the best estimate to get off the top of my head. There's not many places here in Leesburg Georgia to get an estimate for something like this. This blows


Seems like it would be harder for a lawyer to argue with the OEM estimate of damage. My thoughts on it are an hour and a half drive might save you multiples of hours of work down the line. Either way, I'd think it was worth the extra effort. Sorry it happened to you! I hope you will keep us updated on the status of your repairs. We all stand to learn lessons from this episode.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Three estimates, a lawyer and you should know better than to travel through Crawfordville.


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

panhandleslim said:


> Three estimates, a lawyer and you should know better than to travel through Crawfordville.


LOL that makes my day. I despise driving through there!


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

Po Dunk for Shure. I have some buds there.:yes: Amazingly all FSU fans.:thumbdown: Roll Tide !!!:thumbsup:


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

I think there are roads that are legally lower than the standard. 13' 6" in Florida.

I believe there's a website, (former catalog) that commercial truckers legally need to check before they drive. You might want to check before you spend a lot of money on a lawyer.

How low is the 17th Street Bridge for instance?

Not sayin', just sayin'...

Jim


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

jim t said:


> I think there are roads that are legally lower than the standard. 13' 6" in Florida.
> 
> I believe there's a website, (former catalog) that commercial truckers legally need to check before they drive. You might want to check before you spend a lot of money on a lawyer.
> 
> ...


Interesting.....The state troopers did measure from the pavement to the tallest part of the t top (the outrigger mount) and said I was well inside the limit, I think it was 11' if I'm not mistaken.


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## Team Fish Head (Oct 1, 2012)

All State DOT sites have low clearance listings posted and any Trucker's Road Atlas will have a State by State list of prohibited roads for commercial vehicles. Low GVW bridges and narrow roads are also listed but one is on their own in Local maintained roads.

A low wire like this is simply a sorry way to have to end ones' trip, sorry you had the experience. Only time I faced such was not seeing debris in the road one Night and flattening the two right side trailer tires. And it was storming...ugh and grrrr.


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

Well....spoke with the adjuster yesterday. So far so good. He sounds like he wants to do the right thing and replace everything. Keeping my fingers crossed that this has a positive outcome!


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

More pics


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Yep it looks like the radar is also trashed.


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## Breeze Fabricators (Oct 2, 2007)

Built ttops for Sailfish for a couple of years. Call me if I can help. 850 554 6172.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Only in Crawfordville and a third world country do you run into this.


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## RockB (Oct 11, 2007)

Fish N Tales said:


> The *police were already notified* that the wire was sagging and low, but *had not blocked off traffic*....*they were there *though waiting on the box truck to come fix it.



What do the board lawyers and LEO's have to say. Does the local PD bear any liability here?


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

flcaptainbill said:


> What do the board lawyers and LEO's have to say. Does the local PD bear any liability here?


I thought about the same thing, but I think inevitably it is the responsibility of the cable company. End of story. They are fortunate it's just a torn up boat, it could have seriously injured someone.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

Fish N Tales said:


> I thought about the same thing, but I think inevitably it is the responsibility of the cable company. End of story. They are fortunate it's just a torn up boat, it could have seriously injured someone.


Well how goes it with your troubles?


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

Well, after multiple conversations with the cable company, they finally sent an independent adjuster down to assess the damage. He came and took pictures and got in touch with the owner of the shop I took it to, and he approved everything I thought was fair. Boat is at the shop now....Thanks for asking!


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

Well, the final verdict is the cable company CenturyLink is not at fault, because I would have to prove their negligence. Really pisses me off. I don't have any tickets or traffic violations on my record, I've never filed a claim, and was just simply driving home, hit a power line that I had nothing to do with, and now I am out my $1,000 deductible. The cable company gets off because there must have been an outside force (storm, wreck involving the power pole, over sized vehicle, etc.) that caused the line to be low. I have the 911 phone records from that day, and even though the low line was called in 1 hour prior to me hitting it, the police dep contacted the power company rather than the cable company, thus they didn't even know about it. Plus, 1 hour is not reasonable time I am told to repair a line. There are no calls regarding a wreck involving the pole from earlier that day, and there was no storms that weekend. There was a police officer pulled over on the side of the road waiting to block traffic when the box truck arrived, and he told me after the fact, "man, I saw your boat coming and I thought, this is going to be close." Well, thanks for stopping me! Gov gets automatic immunity for this sort of thing as well. I'm done ranting and I've paid the deductible, it just blows my mind that nobody is at fault.


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## Flguy32514 (Sep 16, 2012)

Fish N Tales said:


> Well, the final verdict is the cable company CenturyLink is not at fault, because I would have to prove their negligence. Really pisses me off. I don't have any tickets or traffic violations on my record, I've never filed a claim, and was just simply driving home, hit a power line that I had nothing to do with, and now I am out my $1,000 deductible. The cable company gets off because there must have been an outside force (storm, wreck involving the power pole, over sized vehicle, etc.) that caused the line to be low. I have the 911 phone records from that day, and even though the low line was called in 1 hour prior to me hitting it, the police dep contacted the power company rather than the cable company, thus they didn't even know about it. Plus, 1 hour is not reasonable time I am told to repair a line. There are no calls regarding a wreck involving the pole from earlier that day, and there was no storms that weekend. There was a police officer pulled over on the side of the road waiting to block traffic when the box truck arrived, and he told me after the fact, "man, I saw your boat coming and I thought, this is going to be close." Well, thanks for stopping me! Gov gets automatic immunity for this sort of thing as well. I'm done ranting and I've paid the deductible, it just blows my mind that nobody is at fault.


If you wanted to push it, with the officer admitting he knew there was a road hazard and knowing your boat may hit it, you might be able to get the police to pay up for that one, I would ask an attorney


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## mjg21 (Sep 5, 2012)

Fish N Tales said:


> Thanks...I feel like the factory would be the best estimate to get off the top of my head. There's not many places here in Leesburg Georgia to get an estimate for something like this. This blows


agreed i would get a few more estimates also


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## johnsonbeachbum (Oct 1, 2007)

So nobody knows why the cable was hanging below 13'-6" ?
Something must have happened or let loose just before you came along.


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

Flguy32514 said:


> If you wanted to push it, with the officer admitting he knew there was a road hazard and knowing your boat may hit it, you might be able to get the police to pay up for that one, I would ask an attorney


I did. I ended up taking it to a fabrication shop who built a top for a bay boat of mine years ago.

From what I have been told, the police department gets automatic immunity, so I cannot go that route. When I called the police station, I finally got the name of the officer who witnessed it, and he has since quit and nobody knows where he went LOL.


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## Fish N Tales (Jun 14, 2012)

johnsonbeachbum said:


> So nobody knows why the cable was hanging below 13'-6" ?
> Something must have happened or let loose just before you came along.


Nobody knows. The initial 911 call to report the line was 1 hour before I hit it. However, there are no records from earlier that day or the day before involving the wire or the pole. Looks like I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

I wish there had been some sort of accident earlier that day that caused it, because who ever was at fault in that wreck would have also had to cover my damages.


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## Flguy32514 (Sep 16, 2012)

Fish N Tales said:


> I did. I ended up taking it to a fabrication shop who built a top for a bay boat of mine years ago.
> 
> From what I have been told, the police department gets automatic immunity, so I cannot go that route. When I called the police station, I finally got the name of the officer who witnessed it, and he has since quit and nobody knows where he went LOL.


I'd speak to attorney about that, that honestly sounds like gross negligence to me


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