Insurance coverage dies not cover solo sailing?

justsomeguy · Apr 7, 2012

caguy said:
I got into a discussion with someone I just met who told me that insurance companies will not cover you if you are sailing solo. He says it is not illegal but , insurance companies will not cover you if you're sailing solo. because you're supposed to have the lookout. I told him I'd never heard of this but I would check it out with my buddies at the forum.

I'm going to call my insurer tomorrow. :neutral: I only have liability, but still...

Mike B1026 · Apr 7, 2012

Maybe in a ski boat.

justsomeguy · Apr 7, 2012

Mike B1026 said:
Maybe in a ski boat.

Not necessarily. There's a law about "maintaining a watch" that a solo sailor simply cannot adhere to religiously. Problematic.

Rick D · Apr 7, 2012

Read Your Policy

I think you will find no exclusion for single-handed operation. At least I have never heard of such an exclusion. However, what your friend may be referring to is that some long-distance cruisers cannot get voyage insurance if they are single handling. That's no surprise, but it's a long ways from a policy exclusion as you seem to be referring.

AtlanticAl · Apr 7, 2012

I heard that years ago, i also heard that it was illegal to have a single handed ocean race, such as the single handed round the world race, as maratime law states, that on any vessel, a proper watch much be maintained at all times, and if you are single handing, you cant maintain a proper watch at all times, can you. Even ships with a one man watch system, have to have a bridge alarm, that is reset, every twenty mins or so, if the watch keeper fails to reset it, the alarm goes off, and wakens everyone on the ship.

Someone mentioned a ski boat, I remember some years back in the UK, a man was charged with some offence, (i cant remeber the name of it) he was driving the boat, his wife was skiing behind, to do that in the UK, you either have to have an observer on the boat, that can watch the skiier, or your boat has to have mirrors, where the driver can see the skiier.

Joe · Apr 8, 2012

I'm wondering if your boat policy addresses this issue, perhaps under exclusions or exceptions. In any event... hearsay means little in this area.... you need cold, hard facts up in there. I'm curious enough to take a closer look at my own policy (boatUS) and perhaps even give them a call. I hope others do the same and report back, because I think this is a very interesting question.

justsomeguy · Apr 8, 2012

Now who put this holiday here?!

kenn · Apr 8, 2012

I believe that our current insurance has some limits as to what they'll cover, such as far offshore, extreme sailing, some sorts of races.

It might come down to the nature of the accident; if you're sailing solo, and you have the sort of accident where you're at fault, like grounding or collision, that could have been prevented by keeping proper watch... then that would possibly limit the payout.

Rick D · Apr 8, 2012

Don't Believe That's Accurate

caguy said:
That's what I thought. According to him they will not exclude you but they will not pay out if they find out you were solo at the time of the accident.

You'd have a lovely lawsuit if an insurer attempted to avoid payment of a claim for an occurrence that was not specifically excluded. Especially something as simple to exclude as this. What does your broker say and ask specifically where it is excluded if he/she says it is.

thinwater · Apr 8, 2012

I've seen such exclusion for off-shore passages (either 2-3 are required), but it makes no sense for day tripping. One person can certainly keep watch. How many fully-crewed boats fail to keep a lee-bow watch?

And this makes no sense:
"It might come down to the nature of the accident; if you're sailing solo, and you have the sort of accident where you're at fault, like grounding or collision, that could have been prevented by keeping proper watch... then that would possibly limit the payout."
You could say the same thing about texting while driving; they may drop you like a hot rock, but it's an accident and is paid. Of course it's your fault, but that's beside the point.

Rick D · Apr 8, 2012

Singlehanding Not Policy Exclusion

OK, for the first time in a long time, I looked at my BUS policy through CNA. I found no such exclusion, or anything close to it. There is an exclusion for bodily injury resulting from parasailing or kite skiing :naughty:

So, no parasailing from your sailboat! However, don't assume this applies to your particular policy. Read it.

BTW, this post is subject to the Large Martini Conditional Exclusionary Cautionary Provision, in part and in whole.