Was just informed that the ship with my trophies from my hunt in Namibia this summer collided with another vessel just outside of Walvis Bay. All the containers are under water, and have been so since Friday night. Does anybody know what the chances are of horns and capes surviving this?? Also, I haven't heard from the freight company yet, does anybody know if there is any standard insurance for this kind of cargo?

Wow, I don't have any good answers for you but I'm very sorry for your loss.

That will keep the rest of us from complaining about the high shipping costs WHEN we receive our stuff... at least for a while.

Best wishes,
Kyler

Damn what a nightmare!!

I wish you the very best of luck!

I am sorry to hear that but look on the positive side. You get to save the texdidermy costs and go for another safari to Namibia to replace the lost trophies.

Lala,

Wow! Talk about bad luck!



I serious doubt that the Insurance will be enough to cover you going back and hunting again.

second, about the capes making it through this, it depends if the container is water tight or not! If water got in the capes are junk, the horns will dry out but the skins will be no good.

Really sorry to hear about this!!!! I feel for you......................

I am sorry to hear about this. I would almost guarantee that the shipment is a total loss. But this kind of risk would certainly be covered under a shipping loss insurance policy, if you bought one.

To my knowledge, there is no such thing as "standard" insurance for shipments of this kind.

I have always specified the coverage I want--which is the dollar amount of the full market value of the mounts--and paid for it along with my shipping costs at the insurer's quoted rate.

Insurers will not offer full replacement value coverage, since that would have to cover the entire cost of a replacement safari, including travel, daily rates, trophy fees, taxidermy, etc.

Contact the shipping company to find out about your insurance coverage and the name of the carrier, then--assuming you have coverage--contact the carrier and file a claim immediately.

Sorry for your loss, but I would bet the capes are ruined for sure. If they can find the horns, they should be OK. This is why we pay the godawful price to ship by air. Even if the ship doesn't sink, there is always a chance of moisture damage due to the time they have to sit on the boat. Check with your taxidermist, he can probably pick you up some new capes at a reasonable price, all is not lost.

Are they under water,due to being lashed down to the ship? If so you may stand a 50/50 chance of them being good when retrived.Depending on the container/ how new/how built,most when they go over float a good while, but once they take on water they sink like a rock

Mike and I had our plains game trophies shipped by sea this summer. The shipping agent got the crate insured for almost enough for us to both go on a buff hunt if the ship sank.

The cost of the insurance was listed in the expenses, it wasn't too expensive but it was something you'd notice if you bought it.

btw, our trophies made it from RSA to New York in about three weeks with a savings of about $400 over air freight.

Lala,

Damn bad luck but look at it this way...Better hides and skulls and not your bones there..

Looks like you have to go back to Africa...


Mike

Thanks for the sympathy, everybody!

This was my third trip to Namibia, and to save some money I decided to get my stuff home by boat this time. My PH has done this before, one container going to Denmark with trophies for hunters all over Europe. The shipping costs was much lower than air freight. I don't now how high the insurance sum is, I only know that the container was insured by the shipping agency in Denmark, but they can't give me any sum until they have assessed the damage. So I and about 40 other hunters are waiting in trepidation for the outcome of the salvage operation.

I am still quite upset about this, but as Harris and retreever say I've got an excuse to go back sooner than planned. I've started on a new batch of brass this evening!

Lala,

Please keep me posted on the out come. I'm very inerested in hearing what will happen!

How did you hunt with in Namibia?

Sorry to hear about this, Lala! Hope you get them back home! Sculls and horns should be ok, but I wouldn`t bet on the hides.
This sounds like a nightmare!
Did you hunt through Sparta? Just a thought since some of the trophies were going to Denmark. I hunted Namibia with them last year..
Good luck!

I´m not sure if the sea water will kill your trophies, pressure and motion will though.

When I received my first trophies three years ago a warthog skull was cracked, it took a while but insurance on that alone was 350$ so it won´t be a total loss.

You should have a dollar figure on the insurance on your shipping invoice. My sea freight delivery of finished trophies handled by flora and fauna had enough insurance for me to fly back and hunt 11 days, trophy fees for everything and taxidermy and shipping.

quote:

When I received my first trophies three years ago a warthog skull was cracked, it took a while but insurance on that alone was 350$ so it won´t be a total loss.

I had a warthog trophy missing when I opened the crate. After much hazzle no one knows who to blame and the trophy is still missing. Is this an insurance-case? If so, what kind of insurance would cover this?
The booking agent, oufitter or taxidermy company are not willing to give me any compensation at all..

That is truly a shame. I am nervously awaiting the arrival of mine that are supposed to be shipped any day now. I won't be comfortable until I have them home.

My wife and I shipped a package from Jo'burg on July 9th, and still haven't received it. I joke that it probably went through New Orleans and is in some looter's house. It isn't really all that funny though.

Jerry

Lala
I also have trophies in that ship. The Valvis harbour authorities have started to lift all containers out of the hull and say they will be finished sometime next week. This information is from my taxidermist who is in daily contact with the harbour people, waiting for promission to open the container immediately when it is taken out of the ship.

Martin

OUCH! What rotten luck!
I would think the horns would be fine, but not the mounts. If its just the skins and they are not mounted,,,,, you may beable to have them tanned??? They soak the dad-gum things in salt water anyway??
I hope you are a member and have insurance through SCI!!!??? They will pay to replace all of it, including the hunt!

Anders: The cargo company took care of everything and persisted where I would have given up. Everybody was blaming everyone else but Michelle kept on going and brought it to an end.

The important thing is that your skull (the warthogs ) is on the shipping or trophy list so you have proof that it has existed.

If worse comes to worse and "nothing can be done" then I feel that your outfitter should give you a free pig next time around. IMO

Anders, regarding your missing warthog. If your warthog is listed on your trophy hunting permit then you have proof that you shot it. Then it should be the PH's responsibility to follow it up. Maybe you should take it up with Napha, the Namibia Professional Hunting Association
(napha@mweb.com.na), and see if this gives you some leverage with Boet Nel.

For future hunting trips, I know I will be much more concerned about insurance.

I had missing skulls in one of my shippments.

I contacted the Safari company who in turn followed up on them, found them, and made sure they got to me. Now that's a company to deal with

Lala, som more info about Umforozi:

The main part of the containers (including my ) are now taken out of the water and are waiting to be opened up and taken care of. There is still hope...

Martin

Should I have a copy of the trophy hunting permit? Where can I get this? I have a receipt of the trophy fee payment though.. I have tried to get my booking agent to give me written proof about wich trophies that were delivered to the taxidermist, but to no avail...
I will push them a bit further.. I got another warthog wich actually was bigger, but another ones trophy is of no interest.. And since I received two warthogs it will be difficult to prove that one is wrong, I guess?

This was not when hunting with Boet Nel. It was a RSA hunt back in 2001..

Hope I`m not hijacking this thread..