"Stated Value" Boat Insurance

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Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
When Hurricane Isabel blew through my marina in 2003, a lot of boats were lost. Mine included. Since I bought the boat only 7 weeks prior to the storm, I was paid the full or stated value of my insurance on it by BoatUS. A friend also lost his aging and decrepit Hunter 27 in that same storm. I doubt he could have gotten $5k for the boat if he tried to sell it. Boat US paid him $12k as that was the stated value. One of the reasons we all pay higher insurance premiums these days....
 

reworb

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Apr 22, 2011
234
Beneteau 311 Ft Myers Beach
When Hurricane Isabel blew through my marina in 2003, a lot of boats were lost. Mine included. Since I bought the boat only 7 weeks prior to the storm, I was paid the full or stated value of my insurance on it by BoatUS. A friend also lost his aging and decrepit Hunter 27 in that same storm. I doubt he could have gotten $5k for the boat if he tried to sell it. Boat US paid him $12k as that was the stated value. One of the reasons we all pay higher insurance premiums these days....
I would guess from what you said and the fact they were both from BoatUS they were Agreed Value Policies. When an Agreed Policy pays out the Agreed Value that's what you purchased and paid for. When an Actual Cash Value pays out more than a boat is worth, that's what makes premiums go up someone is getting something they did not pay for. In general an Agreed Value policy is most expensive (sometimes a lot more) than an Actual Cash Value policy.
 
Apr 8, 2010
2,091
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
Another data point...

As a long time boat owner and reformed attorney(retired). I am most familiar with an Agreed Value policy or an Actual Cash Value Policy. In the case of a total loss an Agreed Value policy will pay the agreed value , no deduction for depreciation the value agreed upon is what you get less the deductible. In the case of an Actual Cash Value policy you would get the current value of the boat less the deductible but never more than than the face value of the policy. I assume in your case that the face value of the policy is the Stated Value. The Actual Cash Value type of policies are what cause the most problems as you think your boat is currently worth X and the insurance company says your boat is worth Y.

If your Agent cannot explain this, get a new agent. For a late model boat like you have I would go with a "real boat insurance company" and not one the auto or general line companies. The auto companies are fine for little power boats but not for 30 foot plus sailboats. I have 31 foot sailboat insured with a real boat insurance company and a 13 foot Whaler insured with the same company that insured my cars
Good points!
I believe that it is real important to have your boat insured by a company that writes what we used to call a "yacht policy" and not have it added onto an unrelated type of home/vehicle insurance. While the word "yacht" sounds a bit old fashioned these days, the modern equivalent coverage will have provision for an "Agreed Value" and it will also cover "polution abatement" and "wreck removal". Those later items are nowadays required by marinas and moorages pretty often - nearly universally in my boating area.
While we have paid a bit more in premium over the decades, starting with our first 20 footer back in the late 70's, the peace of mind is worth something, too.

Presently we are with BoatUS and they accepted our boat at an agreed value of 65K. That may seem a tad high after several years of recession, but I watch the market and the occasional sisterships that sell for 50K to 55K have far less upgrades and improvements than does our boat. (i.e. it would take about a 65K total expenditure to come even close to replacing our boat, and it might run another 20K yet, at current yard labor rates.)

BoatUS has an interesting requirement regarding surveys, too. They survey a certan number of customer boats every year, selected at random. We were not asked for a survey when we changed over to them. Friend of mine had this happen a couple of seasons ago, and his boat is pristine (so we know that they do not knowingly pick on a poorly-maintaned example). He passed with a couple of small upgrades required by recent changes in ABYC regs. Note that he did not "own" that survey and never received a full copy, unless he chose to buy it from BoatUS.

My experiences, for what they're worth.
 
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Jan 22, 2008
328
Beneteau 46 Georgetown YB
I am insured with BoatUS. I just refinanced and the new lender (Bank of America) required a survey. The surveyor evaluated the upgrades I have made since I purchased the boat and decided it was worth $11,000 more than the coverage under my current insurance policy.

I called BoatUS and asked if I could up my coverage. They said sure - did not even request a copy of the survey. The increase in premium was only $11.00.
 
May 27, 2012
1,152
Oday 222 Beaver Lake, Arkansas
I'm liking BoatUS more every day. BOA OTOH can drop dead. I wont ever finance a boat or anything again, long as I live, so all I really need is liability and a lil something to salve my loss a bit if its an act of God, or some dumbass in another boat.
 
Aug 20, 2010
1,399
Oday 27 Oak Orchard
I just went through this process with Allstate. After a massive restoration (http://forums.oday.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=123244) the value was stated as 2000.00. Obviously there was a great deal of money invested so I went for the stated value policy which will recoup most of the cost in the event of a loss less salvage costs. My advise, shut up, pay the premium and rest assured you won't wind up with no boat and on the hook for thousands in salvage costs.
 
Apr 8, 2010
2,091
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
I just went through this process with Allstate. After a massive restoration (http://forums.oday.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=123244) the value was stated as 2000.00. Obviously there was a great deal of money invested so I went for the stated value policy which will recoup most of the cost in the event of a loss less salvage costs. My advise, shut up, pay the premium and rest assured you won't wind up with no boat and on the hook for thousands in salvage costs.
Massive (!) restoration indeed!
That's a huge project, and it would take north of 50K to replace that boat with a new equivalent one. I'm pretty sure that a competent survey would set the true replacement value around that point.

Trying to read between your lines, did you get the total loss value raised to around 40K or so?... we presume....

Or you would have changed over to a different (marine) insurer.
:confused:
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
I would guess from what you said and the fact they were both from BoatUS they were Agreed Value Policies. When an Agreed Policy pays out the Agreed Value that's what you purchased and paid for. When an Actual Cash Value pays out more than a boat is worth, that's what makes premiums go up someone is getting something they did not pay for. In general an Agreed Value policy is most expensive (sometimes a lot more) than an Actual Cash Value policy.
I am not sure this analysis is correct. If you are agreeing on a value that is higher than BoatUS may have valued your vessel, they do not just give you that additional value on your policy. They will charge you a slight premium to cover this difference.

I would guess that many of the boats that they insure are probably worth a lot less than their book value may state.

PS: You do not need to worry about the insurance companies. They have their bases covered. With the exception of fraud they really know what they are doing.
 
Aug 20, 2010
1,399
Oday 27 Oak Orchard
Hi FastOlson.
I kept all the receipts from my craziness and added the aquisition cost. I then worked with Allstate and we came up with the agreed value of 18,750 which is essentially the boat and material less sails. There is also personal property which adds a few thousand more covered. I also bought separate towing and salvage insurance so I could rest easy that all I'm really out is the ridiculous amount of labor I put in. But at least I can buy another and do it again if a total loss occurs.
 
Jul 1, 2010
990
Catalina 350 Port Huron
I'm looking at a couple of quotes from Boat US that I have. They will write it a couple of ways. The "Yacht Policy" is an agreed value policy. It pays the agreed value on a total loss.

http://www.boatus.com/insurance/yachtpolicy.asp

The "Boat Saver Policy" pays the current market value in the event of a total loss, so depreciation applies. This policy costs less to buy, but might pay less than you expect on a total loss.

http://www.boatus.com/insurance/boatsaverPolicy.asp

As far as your current policy goes, you need to read the fine print preferably before you have a loss :)

FWIW, I'll be buying the "Yacht Policy" before I hit the water this spring for our new (to us) boat.
 
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