On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:37:53 -0500, wrote:
Maybe it only applies to boats over a certain age? I have BoatUS insurance
and
they required a survey for my 15 year old boat. They even have a list of
surveyors they will accept!
My father-in-law used his old '72 Uniflite to go flounder fishing for years
with no insurance at all.
When we bought our first boat the subject of insurance came up and I
mentioned the fuel spill issue and how, if one of his tanks let go and the
bilge pump did it's job without blowing the boat up, he could potentially
face a catastrophic financial problem.
He contacted BoatUS and they had him do the "self-survey" paperwork. Then,
they refused coverage because his boat had twin engines and was determined
to be capable of excess speed. (I often wonder if the real reason was the
age of both the boat and the operator).
We all got a belly laugh out of this one. My father-in-law is not known to
be a big spender and he never went more than 10 mph out to his favorite
fishing spot to conserve fuel, often slower and on one engine to save even
more. I doubt his old boat would get up on plane anyway as usually one
engine or transmission was broken or the points need adjustment or
something.
Took a few phone calls and explanations and they finally issued him a
policy.
Eisboch