boat insurance
- Thread starter Bob J.
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they make good cheep car ins. is liability . didnt have to make any claims and seems they do ok. what is it ye needs to know? liability is needed for marinas and some countries... if there is a specific question, might be easier to answer.
not personally but some boaters in mexico where i boat use them as they have a liberal policy with no restrictions on their boat being out of the country,which i didn't beleive until i read their policy.i'm considering switching as i have to pay a 50$ rider evertime i take mine to mex under my boatus policy
Zee,
There wasn't any specific question. We just bought a boat for short money that will be coming home for the season so we can upgrade/repair a bunch of stuff. BoatUS wanted a full blown survey in order to insure the boat even if it's sitting in our yard, Progressive didn't require a survey. I was just checking to see if anyone had a bad experience with Progressive in the event of a claim. This is life you never know, a tree could fall on it, a big gust of wind could knock it off the jackstands. I've seen stranger things happen!
Bob
There wasn't any specific question. We just bought a boat for short money that will be coming home for the season so we can upgrade/repair a bunch of stuff. BoatUS wanted a full blown survey in order to insure the boat even if it's sitting in our yard, Progressive didn't require a survey. I was just checking to see if anyone had a bad experience with Progressive in the event of a claim. This is life you never know, a tree could fall on it, a big gust of wind could knock it off the jackstands. I've seen stranger things happen!
Bob
are ye getting comprehensive ins or plain liability? i only had to get liability for mexican waters--i guess they are afraid i might hurt the sea or something--lol. progressive is a decent company as far as insurance goes-- usually for comprehensive is a full survey, so make sure is for what ye needs..... goood luck to ye...may the tree stay upright and the boat remain intact....
my generic mexican liability was 211 dollars us for 1 year....works everywhere in mex.
my generic mexican liability was 211 dollars us for 1 year....works everywhere in mex.
their rates are very good, until you need to make a claim...then you find out what you think you paid for and what THEY think you paid for - are no where close.
Their experience in boats is quite limited, as they treat them like a car. Similarly their motorcycle policies are based on a "book" not actual motorcycles. For example they have three classes of bikes, going back to 1997...if your bike is involved in an accident, THEY force fit it into one of these classes and years whether it is or isn't.
And god forbid you use the "insured" in a state other than the one it is insured in..then they have to have an appeal to see "whose" state laws prevail, which takes a few weeks, while the "insured" racks up daily charges sitting at the transient dock.
They also will only write ONE check, which has the "settled" clause attached. So you have to pay all the up front charges, and then hope they agree to pay them when the job is completed, because by accepting the check you just signed away any further help from them. In two cases that settlement check included the "salvage title" or constructive loss attachment to your now "repaired" boat...which all but precludes selling or insuring the boat....
You can not treat a boat like a car or motorcycle as far as insurance goes. It simply won't work, but they will take your money and TELL you they are boat insurers.
As cumbersome as a survey is, there is a reason that real boat insurers require them.
YMMV
Their experience in boats is quite limited, as they treat them like a car. Similarly their motorcycle policies are based on a "book" not actual motorcycles. For example they have three classes of bikes, going back to 1997...if your bike is involved in an accident, THEY force fit it into one of these classes and years whether it is or isn't.
And god forbid you use the "insured" in a state other than the one it is insured in..then they have to have an appeal to see "whose" state laws prevail, which takes a few weeks, while the "insured" racks up daily charges sitting at the transient dock.
They also will only write ONE check, which has the "settled" clause attached. So you have to pay all the up front charges, and then hope they agree to pay them when the job is completed, because by accepting the check you just signed away any further help from them. In two cases that settlement check included the "salvage title" or constructive loss attachment to your now "repaired" boat...which all but precludes selling or insuring the boat....
You can not treat a boat like a car or motorcycle as far as insurance goes. It simply won't work, but they will take your money and TELL you they are boat insurers.
As cumbersome as a survey is, there is a reason that real boat insurers require them.
YMMV
An idiot hit me in the rear in FL in my car. He had Regressive. I was not at all happy with the outcome!However I probably would not have been happy no matter what insurance company settled it!jack
I use Farm Family which also insures the house and cars. I pay $295 a year for $10,000 hull coverage, $5,000 liability, $1,000 for the outboard, $2,000 for contents and emergency towing up to $500. I have SeaTow for supplemental towing insurance. Never had a claim and that insurance covers me anywhere I want to go.
nothing for "fuel spill" ...which a few drops of can costs tens of thousands??? Comes standard with BoatUS....
you may want to really read your policy, as you could be on the hook for a lot of $$$$ if you ever spill or pump the bilge...
While my 540 dollar Boat Us policy my sound pricey it does have 824,000 fuel spill ,500,000 liability and 10,000 per guest medical and a pretty large agreed value for a 1970 hull
The deductible was kind of funny as on older boats its 20 times the hull length
As for the what could happen the poor guy just got hit by lightning and sank at the dock with a resulting big azz oil spill
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener...ated/75185-sunken-ketch-milwaukee-harbor.html
I worked on the Cal in my driveway for 1.5 years without insurance as nobody i felt would really cover the boat wanted to get involved during the refit had i done it at a boatyard i would havd had to go with one of the lesser companys
The deductible was kind of funny as on older boats its 20 times the hull length
As for the what could happen the poor guy just got hit by lightning and sank at the dock with a resulting big azz oil spill
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener...ated/75185-sunken-ketch-milwaukee-harbor.html
I worked on the Cal in my driveway for 1.5 years without insurance as nobody i felt would really cover the boat wanted to get involved during the refit had i done it at a boatyard i would havd had to go with one of the lesser companys
Didn't think about a fuel spill as I only have a little 8 horse kicker with a 6 gallon tank but I'll look into it.
sadly, I think the current rules say something about a "sheen" is grounds for enforcement..yet the big corps can dump millions of gallons, with a lesser fine than the recreational boater stands to pay
I had liability insurance with Progressive for about 4 years, thinking they were inexpensive. Then I found AAA. For the exact same policy they were about half the price. So I added comprehensive and It still came out less. And it included towing.
Do to the low cost of fuel splll coverage i dont think the big fine is all that common BUT due to the low cost i am sure not gonna try and find out 
The big issue that is far more common is the boat really being covered for the salvage cost should it boat sink due to some freak thing like the above lightning strike sinking the boat in its marina slip
Once something like this happens and they start putting up oil booms its out of your hands and the cost gets out of control fast
For example my BIL always felt insurance was for suckers and cost to much so never carried it on his Correct Craft ski boat which he just gave to his son
After my son and his son restored the boat they were shocked at how cheep the insurance was shook they head and got coverage
The big issue that is far more common is the boat really being covered for the salvage cost should it boat sink due to some freak thing like the above lightning strike sinking the boat in its marina slip
Once something like this happens and they start putting up oil booms its out of your hands and the cost gets out of control fast
For example my BIL always felt insurance was for suckers and cost to much so never carried it on his Correct Craft ski boat which he just gave to his son
After my son and his son restored the boat they were shocked at how cheep the insurance was shook they head and got coverage
Not to derail, but can someone indicate what kind of real-world fuel-spill liability could be charged against someone with an outboard?
Ironic, considering what a 2-stroke engine puts out even when it's operating normally
here on the bay, MD state...they run from $50 each (State and CG) to as much as $5K each...for "accidental spills". Then there are fines from both for "cleanup" if attempted by you...soap in the water, another set about the same as before...If the spill is larger 10-30 gallons....then you have to pay the fines plus mitigation costs ( >$3K at least)...if the spill is larger or more pervasive and requires containment, etc...then the $$$ pile up fast. In the case of a sinking this is the norm...I was involved with a trawler that sank and ALL the water in the boat, while sunk had to be pumped in to 55gal drums and hauled to an approved facility. There was almost 300 gallons of fuel on board, and about 30 drums of contaminated "water" removed as she was refloated. Just the labor to float, contain, and mitigate was almost $25K on a 34' trawler style boat.
On the VA side, I have seen marina owners/operators at the fuel dock just squirt a pint of dawn on the surface or throw some oildri or kitty litter in to the worst of the two or three gallons of fuel spilled and just walk away.
If you appeal the initial ticket, most fines are upheld and even increased. One of the $50 tickets by the CG went to $500 on the first appeal and to $1K on the second. There was no question of guilt, just the offender trying to get it reduced.. He paid the $1K and court costs as the judge told him it could easily go to $5K or more...
Geez I think one of my old slip neighbors (he's no longer there) spilled more gas than I carry over the course of a season. He would come down every weekend with 4 5 gallon Jerry cans and top off his motor boat. Drinking beer and spilling gas.
I have progressive agreed value policy ...way cheaper than boat us I have had 1 claim (had a dinghy and motor stolen) it was handeled more than fair and quickly !~
We have Farm Family for the house & auto's, hadn't gotten around to calling them so it's good to know they insured your boat Capnkev, thanks.
BoatUS was cheaper than Progressive by 150.00 & included a better towing rider.
I have a feeling Farm Family will be cheaper seeing how the boat will be sitting in the yard.
Thanks to all for yur input.
Bob
BoatUS was cheaper than Progressive by 150.00 & included a better towing rider.
I have a feeling Farm Family will be cheaper seeing how the boat will be sitting in the yard.
Thanks to all for yur input.
Bob
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