I just completed an interesting exchange with BoatUS. I am posting here to see if it was an abnormality or standard practice. I hope not the later, but if so, I will be shopping for new insurance this afternoon. The phone representative was nice and cooperative which helped, but it did not solve the curx of the matter.
Yesterday I received an emailed letter that leads with the following sentence "We have received the survey of your boat with that the insurance company required as a condition of coverage, and we are pleased to advise you that the survey has been approved under the company's standards." Busy day at work, so I caulked it away as boilerplate good news and stopped reading. Shame on me.
Today I printed the letter to file w/ my boat documentation and the word "severity" jumped off the page. Reading further I learned that "your coverage is 'Port Risk Ashore', which provides no coverage for boat in the water." Yard bills or a follow-up survey is required to remove this restriction on the recommendations coded "PRA". Thinking this must of been some mistake, I reviewed my survey and could not locate any codes PDA or otherwise. So I make the call....
The representative confirmed that my boat, that is in currently in the water, is no longer insured by BoatUS. Perplexed by the process BoatUS used to cancel my insurance (not might or will at some future date, but canceled), the representative said their process is to contact the customer by phone then email a letter. The rep confirmed they have my cellphone and I confirmed that I have no records of a missed call from BoatUS. The rep checked into the lack of a phone call and confirmed that BoatUS did not call me yesterday or at anytime prior. That the prompt/action for BoatUS to contact me by phone was still open in their system. So I asked what if I didn't get to the email notification until today, was my boat covered by insurance last night? The answer was no, it was not covered. The rep said "well you have insurance provided you removed the boat from the water now." I explained that the marina is booked and my boat is scheduled to be hauled out on 11/26. The rep reminded me that the boat will have no insurance until it is on the hard. This was not an acceptable response.
So I inquire just what "severe" issues that my survey reveled that warranted an immediate cancelation of my policy? To be clear to the forum, I did not receive an advanced notice or even a listing of the issues or time to correct the issues.
These are the three reasons why BoatUS canceled by insurance with zero advanced notice. Quoting from the survey:
1) RUDDER: Fiberglass construction, appears in serviceable condition, but with a small open void on the bottom of the blade and with some frayed/lifting laminate edges along the bottom portion of the port side of the blade.
2) GALLEY STOVE: Propane range. An attempt to test the unit revealed a crack in a fitting in the fuel supply line and an apparently malfunctioning 12-volt solenoid fuel shut-off valve, both in the propane storage compartment.
3) EXHAUST: Water fed with a riser, fiberglass muffler and flexible hose to the outlet on the fantail. All appears to be adequately installed and in serviceable condition, but with some rust on the muffler’s mild steel drain petcock.
Starting with #1, I explained the rudder would be repaired this winter and I emailed the rep a prior email exchange with the marina. I asked BoatUS to clarify how they could deem the rudder to be a hazard today when the surveyor said it was in serviceable condition. The rep asked manager of the underwriter(s) for a second opinion and BoatUS would not change their position. Regardless, the issue will remain open until I provide yard receipts or another survey to confirm said repairs are satisfactory.
#2, I explained that there is no longer a propane bottle in the boat (it was 24 years old, rusty, and not fillable anyways) and that the solenoid was miss-wired and was corrected. The cracked fitting was attached to the bottle and was already disposed of. Again, not good enough - provide yard receipts or another survey to confirm said repairs are satisfactory. I guess the owner is not qualified to remove a propane bottle from the propane locker.
#3 - I questioned why this is a safety issue given even if it did break off (no chance of that occurring anyways), that would leave say a 1/4" hole in the muffler water tank, and only leak while the motor is running and thru hole is open. Yet a third time, show me the yard receipts or get another survey.
Informing the rep that I will likely continue to repair any existing or future issue(s) on the boat myself, the response was if on any of the above three items, then to chase said repair(s) with another survey.
After 20 minutes on the phone, BoatUS issued an endorsement that extends coverage until 11/27, the day following the scheduled date of my haul out. I asked if BoatUS was open on Thanksgiving should the marina miss my haul out for some reason beyond my control. The rep caught on and granted me a one day extension realizing they are closed for the holiday.
Yesterday I received an emailed letter that leads with the following sentence "We have received the survey of your boat with that the insurance company required as a condition of coverage, and we are pleased to advise you that the survey has been approved under the company's standards." Busy day at work, so I caulked it away as boilerplate good news and stopped reading. Shame on me.
Today I printed the letter to file w/ my boat documentation and the word "severity" jumped off the page. Reading further I learned that "your coverage is 'Port Risk Ashore', which provides no coverage for boat in the water." Yard bills or a follow-up survey is required to remove this restriction on the recommendations coded "PRA". Thinking this must of been some mistake, I reviewed my survey and could not locate any codes PDA or otherwise. So I make the call....
The representative confirmed that my boat, that is in currently in the water, is no longer insured by BoatUS. Perplexed by the process BoatUS used to cancel my insurance (not might or will at some future date, but canceled), the representative said their process is to contact the customer by phone then email a letter. The rep confirmed they have my cellphone and I confirmed that I have no records of a missed call from BoatUS. The rep checked into the lack of a phone call and confirmed that BoatUS did not call me yesterday or at anytime prior. That the prompt/action for BoatUS to contact me by phone was still open in their system. So I asked what if I didn't get to the email notification until today, was my boat covered by insurance last night? The answer was no, it was not covered. The rep said "well you have insurance provided you removed the boat from the water now." I explained that the marina is booked and my boat is scheduled to be hauled out on 11/26. The rep reminded me that the boat will have no insurance until it is on the hard. This was not an acceptable response.
So I inquire just what "severe" issues that my survey reveled that warranted an immediate cancelation of my policy? To be clear to the forum, I did not receive an advanced notice or even a listing of the issues or time to correct the issues.
These are the three reasons why BoatUS canceled by insurance with zero advanced notice. Quoting from the survey:
1) RUDDER: Fiberglass construction, appears in serviceable condition, but with a small open void on the bottom of the blade and with some frayed/lifting laminate edges along the bottom portion of the port side of the blade.
2) GALLEY STOVE: Propane range. An attempt to test the unit revealed a crack in a fitting in the fuel supply line and an apparently malfunctioning 12-volt solenoid fuel shut-off valve, both in the propane storage compartment.
3) EXHAUST: Water fed with a riser, fiberglass muffler and flexible hose to the outlet on the fantail. All appears to be adequately installed and in serviceable condition, but with some rust on the muffler’s mild steel drain petcock.
Starting with #1, I explained the rudder would be repaired this winter and I emailed the rep a prior email exchange with the marina. I asked BoatUS to clarify how they could deem the rudder to be a hazard today when the surveyor said it was in serviceable condition. The rep asked manager of the underwriter(s) for a second opinion and BoatUS would not change their position. Regardless, the issue will remain open until I provide yard receipts or another survey to confirm said repairs are satisfactory.
#2, I explained that there is no longer a propane bottle in the boat (it was 24 years old, rusty, and not fillable anyways) and that the solenoid was miss-wired and was corrected. The cracked fitting was attached to the bottle and was already disposed of. Again, not good enough - provide yard receipts or another survey to confirm said repairs are satisfactory. I guess the owner is not qualified to remove a propane bottle from the propane locker.
#3 - I questioned why this is a safety issue given even if it did break off (no chance of that occurring anyways), that would leave say a 1/4" hole in the muffler water tank, and only leak while the motor is running and thru hole is open. Yet a third time, show me the yard receipts or get another survey.
Informing the rep that I will likely continue to repair any existing or future issue(s) on the boat myself, the response was if on any of the above three items, then to chase said repair(s) with another survey.
After 20 minutes on the phone, BoatUS issued an endorsement that extends coverage until 11/27, the day following the scheduled date of my haul out. I asked if BoatUS was open on Thanksgiving should the marina miss my haul out for some reason beyond my control. The rep caught on and granted me a one day extension realizing they are closed for the holiday.
Please consider that!!!
