Liability insurance on a wooden vessel

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

A neighbor has a Cross 34 that was damaged in Hurricane Ike. I rebuilt the entire outer side of his starboard ama for him several years ago- cold molded, double diagonal planked, glassed over. He's a winter Texan but lives in Ontario, on the lake..

Boat is all ready to make the trip, except, he can find no one who will give him liability insurance on a wooden boat. Not hull insurance, just liability. Many marinas will not allow you in without liability ins.

Anybody have any ideas?

 

[Sumner]

I have liability on the cars and the house and both boats with Liberty Mutual. Not sure if they ever asked or checked to see what the hull was made of.

I don't worry about my coverage if I was to damage another boat, but do worry about how it would cover bottom damage in the Keys (sea floor not boat bottom)? I've talked to them about it but was never able to really get a good answer that I was satisfied with. Anyone have just liability that is sure theirs would cover the above while we are at it?

Sumner
===========================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas

 

[Rick D]

Well, he's got to go to a specialty marine broker. I'm not sure why he's having an issue unless the insurance company got tagged with a pollution claim. That should be excluded anyway, but it may not have been before. Or, it's a lazy underwriter or agent that hasn't thought through the (minimal) exposure without hull coverage. Anyhow, there is someone out there. Look at the local marine publications for a broker. Good luck.

 

[31seahorse]

In a previous life while I was sailing in wooden ships with the East India Company the owners always relied on Lloyds of London.

On a serious note....Perhaps Wooden Boat Magazine would have advertisers that insure wooden hulled boats. Perhaps an online issue would list advertisers.

 

[Kings Gambit]

A neighbor has a Cross 34 that was damaged in Hurricane Ike. I rebuilt the entire outer side of his starboard ama for him several years ago- cold molded, double diagonal planked, glassed over. He's a winter Texan but lives in Ontario, on the lake..

Boat is all ready to make the trip, except, he can find no one who will give him liability insurance on a wooden boat. Not hull insurance, just liability. Many marinas will not allow you in without liability ins.

Anybody have any ideas?

It's hard to make recommendations when we do not know who he has called already. But, there's probably one or more wooden boat websites out there that might be helpful. Each year there's a wooden boat festival in Port Townsend, WA; plus there's a museum there. Those guys might know.
http://nwmaritime.org/
https://cwb.org/tag/port-townsend/

 

[Maine Sail]

A neighbor has a Cross 34 that was damaged in Hurricane Ike. I rebuilt the entire outer side of his starboard ama for him several years ago- cold molded, double diagonal planked, glassed over. He's a winter Texan but lives in Ontario, on the lake..

Boat is all ready to make the trip, except, he can find no one who will give him liability insurance on a wooden boat. Not hull insurance, just liability. Many marinas will not allow you in without liability ins.

Anybody have any ideas?

As long as this boat is in A+ condition and this can be proven with photos and an extensive & provable list of maintenance and upgrades, Grundy Insurance specializes in classic boats.

 

[DayDreamer41]

Makes me wonder whether the owner is attempting to get insurance in Ontario for a boat in Texas?

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Makes me wonder whether the owner is attempting to get insurance in Ontario for a boat in Texas?

Trying to obtain liability for the sail around from here to there

 

[Kings Gambit]

Can always put it on a truck to get it down there.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Can always put it on a truck to get it down there.

Very hard to do a 34 foot trimaran with a 20 foot beam

And it IS down here- he wants to get it UP there

 

[Kings Gambit]

Very hard to do a 34 foot trimaran with a 20 foot beam

And it IS down here- he wants to get it UP there

Sorry, did not know it was a trimaran; I thought Cross meant Southern Cross (an early wooden version, if such exists).

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

lol no problem.

Going to have him talk to WoodenBoat- that was a good idea

 

[Will Gilmore]

Or, it's a lazy underwriter or agent that hasn't thought through the (minimal) exposure without hull coverage.

Wooden boats across the globe are insured all the time. I'm with Rick on this one. Certainly a wooden boat presents less enviro hazard than a glass boat. It also isn't any less safe to others even if it was more prone to claims on itself, which I doubt.
- Will (Dragonfly)