Insurance Claim

Gunni · Jul 1, 2017

Insurance is only going to reimburse the value, which on wear items like sails and canvas is the depreciated value. SG is being generous on a 10y.o sail but in any case your $300 sail claim is now below your deductible

This whole tale is yet another reason to carefully study your insurance policy and clearly and realistically factor your risk coverage requirement. If you could find an insurer who would pay for your torn sails you would not be happy with the premium.

SG · Jul 1, 2017

You're "replacement" theory keeps it from being nominally worse.

If you have a total loss, you are going to get them to pay you for a ten year old boat, similarly equipped (whatever that means).

Think of insurance as loss reduction. It's not hitting the lottery. I have had the same emotions. I've been hit from behind 4 times in 10 years by other drivers. Fortunately no injuries except having a fine looking sedan that literally gotten its but kicked. The last few repairs have a bit of Bondo.

Kings Gambit · Jul 1, 2017

Gunni said:
Insurance is only going to reimburse the value, which on wear items like sails and canvas is the depreciated value. SG is being generous on a 10y.o sail but in any case your $300 sail claim is now below your deductible This whole tale is yet another reason to carefully study your insurance policy and clearly and realistically factor your risk coverage requirement. If you could find an insurer who would pay for your torn sails you would not be happy with the premium.

Yeah--good point. If you take the $1,000 off the $2,000, it leaves you only $700 over the $300 worst case that you never see. In either case, worn or not, a sail on the boat that works is preferable to 25% or less of the cost of a new one if you don't have $3,000 lying around that you (and wife) can part with.

SG · Jul 1, 2017

If lightning strikes your mast and fries you main, you'll have a slightly better situation with the insurance company than if you happen to have a full main up in a gale.

"We put it up, God took it down."

I can't think of anyone that I've heard-of that got a shredded spinnaker replaced by their insurance carrier.

Rick D · Jul 1, 2017

SG said:
If lightning strikes your mast and fries you main, you'll have a slightly better situation with the insurance company than if you happen to have a full main up in a gale.

"We put it up, God took it down."

I can't think of anyone that I've heard-of that got a shredded spinnaker replaced by their insurance carrier.

Sail damage during competition is often excluded.

SG · Jul 1, 2017

You have a lot better chance going back to a sail maker and protesting that sail should be stronger than the boat! But the sail can't have seen a bunch seasons of real use. They are more likely to do something for you.

If my Storm Trysail (which has never been used in anger) tore in it's first use, (It's been 18 years now ;^))) ), I dare say that my friends at North Sails would sew it back together for free (If I managed to survive and was able to bring the pieces back :^))) ). ~~~~~~~ _/) ~~~~~~

Don S/V ILLusion · Jul 1, 2017

Ronald Roman said:
My claim was storm related. My boat was in my slip with the nose pointed east and we had two days of solid 50mph. winds coming from the north and it slowly worked the main out of the mast and made confetti of it

That's an interesting twist to the story.

You may not want to elaborate but I'm curious as to how the furling line was secured as I'm assuming it would to either loosen or break in order to permit that happening.

Another reason to be content with our standard main.

Kings Gambit · Jul 2, 2017

Don S/V ILLusion said:
That's an interesting twist to the story.

You may not want to elaborate but I'm curious as to how the furling line was secured as I'm assuming it would to either loosen or break in order to permit that happening.

Another reason to be content with our standard main.

It's easy to see from the picture how side-loading might unfurl the mainsail in strong wind over two days. It would seem that you must either secure the internal roller so that it cannot rotate, and/or wrap the clew area around the mast and lash it to remove the surface area for the wind to push against. How is it done normally? Can you stop-off that line beneath the boom going into the mast to keep the roller from turning? Did that line part?

Davidasailor26 · Jul 2, 2017

KG's picture is of the US Spar's setup, which I don't think can unfurl on its own. The furling line wraps around a line feeder directly connected to the foil. There should be no way for the furler to open unless the line parts.

I see the OP has a Hunter. Some Hunters have a different type of arrangement with a continuous line, which presumably could slip allowing the furler to open.

gettinthere · Jul 2, 2017

I find it odd that a mainsail would unfurl on its own. My furler line goes to a rope clutch and would have to break to unfurl.
I have a big code zero on a continuous line furler that should be MUCH easier to unfurl in big wind. I wrap the furler line around a cleat to prevent unfurling. Been thru a few 50k storms with no problems at all.

Unless the mainsail in question is less than a year old, I would expect the insurer to depreciate the value and then subtract the deductable.

SG · Jul 2, 2017

With a roller furling main (which has not much shape of it's own, you might argue that the depreciation isn't the same as a conventional main.

Aside from that: IF you have the main furled like that, with the furling line secured (with the stopper or cleat), it shouldn't unroll in the winds you described. You canvas would have disappeared before the main creeped out.

Davidasailor26 · Jul 2, 2017

(Admittedly thread drifting) - So what failed allowing the main to unfurl? Given that configuration I don't see any way it could open itself. Given that we have a similar roller furling setup I'd hate to have ours open too if there's something that can be done to avoid it.

Don S/V ILLusion · Jul 2, 2017

Ronald Roman said:
My sail was put away just as GK pictures shows ,the same as it's been a 100 times before, lines snug clutches down tight.

The main can't unfurl if the furling line was firmly held. Right?

SG · Jul 2, 2017

In order for the main to unfurl i) The line had to part; or ii) the clutch had to fail and the line had to pulled through; or, iii) the clew of the sail had to rip right at the exit to mast [where the sail is heavily reinforced]?

Newport Bob · Jul 2, 2017

I have in mast furling - I can't see how the load on the small triangle area could cause a failure of the furling line or the rope clutch securing it. And IF the load could build to anything substantial I would expect the outhaul line or block to fail first leaving a small triangle flapping.

Don S/V ILLusion · Jul 2, 2017

Ronald Roman said:
Don that's the way it supposed work but I have seen pictures from Florida after a hurricane where sails were blown out.

Anybody here in Florida who leaves sails on with a hurricane forecast deserves to have them ripped off in my opinion. That's what we call negligence. Insurance underwriters uniformly require that owners exhibit due diligence as a prerequisite to paying a claim.

I'm still trying to understand how, in only 40 knot wind, this happened to a securely furled sail.

Newport Bob · Jul 2, 2017

Don,
As you can see from my post above yours I agree