On 25 Jul 2005 18:05:01 -0700, "
wrote:



Scooby Doo wrote:
A local charity is having a silent auction soon and I want to donate a
lake cruise of a few hours to the auction. Anyone know where I can find a
standard liability waiver for such an endeavor?

You might be better off to see about getting a rider to cover it, or a
written clarification from your insurance company that your present
policy
will cover you for potential liability claims. Those "waiver or
liability" forms, particularly the boiler plate versions, are almost
meaningless if something goes seriously wrong.

There's also been some recent discussion about cruises of this type
falling into the "for hire" category and technically requiring a
master's certificate.
(Operating "for hire" could negate your insurance.)A determining
consideration may be: "Would the boat owner have invited the passengers
out for the cruise if the passengers had not paid money to a third
party for the privilege?"

The "waiver of liability" form is another red flag that your cruise
could fall under the for-hire classification. The lawyer for the party
injured aboard your boat will likely make a point of asking whether you
routinely
ask all your friends and neighbors to sign waivers of liability before
taking them for a spin in your boat.

If your insurance company won't underwrite the risk as part of your
standard policy or for a reasonable fee, that should be a noteworthy
consideration.

What Chuck said.