Trinity
Jany. 16th. 1914
Mr. Isaac J. Smith,
Hodge’s Cove
Dear Sir:- I am writing Templeton to-day advising him of the decision of the directors of the insurance re your claim, and I suppose he will take the matter up with you in due course. But I thought it wise to advise you also, so that there might be no misunderstanding between us.
I might advise that the insurance have agreed to stand to the towage which was $800.00 also the hire for the mainsail, $5.00, but when they came to the estimate for the repairs they would not allow the $280.00 claimed by you, claiming that the estimate was excessive according to the damages as reported to us by the surveyors, notwithstanding the report of the surveyors at Hodge’s Cove.
They have cut this estimate down to $100.00 for the following reasons.
(1) The damages reported by the Catalina surveyors was jib blown away making it necessary to get a new one, mainsail blown away above the reef, the other damages bring only trifling wiz:- wheel chain burst, and a few inches broken off the jib-boom, not making it necessary to get new jib-boom.
(2) The cost to get a new mainsail and jib ought not to cost over say $150.00. In this connection I might state that we had to provide help to provide, a new mainsail for a 60 ton schooner some time ago, and the cost of that new mainsail was only $146.00, so according to that a new mainsail for a 36 ton schooner ought not to cost over say $80.00 or $90.00 and the new jib not over $40.00.
(3) The insurance is not willing to give you a new mainsail and jib, for sail that were probably on your schooner when she was built or rebuilt 10 years ago, and which were probably worn out, or nearly so.
(4) Then you have the part of the old mainsail which is not damaged and which is worth something, and which, if this jib were not one for the insurance, you would probably patch up.
(5) You no doubt had some cargo aboard the schooner at the time she was towed into Catalina by the “SAGONA” it was probably your winter diet, and as such was worth probably as much as the schooner that is the goods belonging to yourself and crew. Now all should bear its property now that claim for towage, and we would be justified in making your responsible for your property of this towage, but was we are not doing this we shall reserve to ourselves the right to, should there be any disagreement between us as to the amount we shall pay on this claim for repairs.
I trust I have now made everything plain to you, and I suppose you will be refitting during the spring, you can please yourself whether you discard the piece for old mainsail or not, but if you discard it and get a new mainsail, we shall claim the right to make what deduction we think fair, in view of your getting new gear instead of old.
Of course this estimate of $100.00 is only an estimate, and we may pay more or less on your claim, when we get the bills before us. But I don’t think the directors will be satisfied to pay much more considering all the circumstances as stated above.
Yours truly,
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Transcribed by Lester Green, June 2015
These transcriptions may contain human errors. As always, confirm these as you would any other source material.
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Lester’s Notes:
According to Les Vey in his book Random Reflection, Isaac Smith owned a schooner by the name of Gannet. Therefore, we may assume that the letter between the Trinity Marine Mutual Insurance and Isaac was about damage done to this vessel.
This vessel is also recorded in Vessel registry as Registration number S905153 – 42 ton schooner with overall length of 57 feet. It was built in Scissors Cove, Norte Dame Bay in 1905 and owned by August Goodridge a St. John’s merchant.