Wilbur Hubbard wrote:

A nice long simplistic tirade hardly worth repeating here.

I would be perfectly happy to take full responsibility for my own actions
and go bare. However, insurance covers a lot of other things, like the boat
sitting unattended at a dock while you are shopping that I would like to be
covered for. With current environmental regulations, the break up of the
boat could expose you to costs way beyond the price of the boat. The only
way to get insurance for those things is to buy the whole package. Losing
the boat would be one thing, spending the rest of my life destitute or
delaring bankruptcy at my age would be another.

I'll get the insurance and go to Canada when I can go long enough to justify
the cost. This year, I'll still have a great time but just in different
places.

--
Roger Long

Roger, you have to understand that "Wilbur Hubbard" is really Capt.
Neal, who seems to have lost his uninsurable "banana boat" in the
hurricanes last year. Since he has no assets beyond his appliance
box, he is unconcerned about liability issues.

* Roger Long wrote, On 3/7/2007 6:56 PM:
Wilbur Hubbard wrote:

A nice long simplistic tirade hardly worth repeating here.

I would be perfectly happy to take full responsibility for my own
actions and go bare. However, insurance covers a lot of other things,
like the boat sitting unattended at a dock while you are shopping that I
would like to be covered for. With current environmental regulations,
the break up of the boat could expose you to costs way beyond the price
of the boat. The only way to get insurance for those things is to buy
the whole package. Losing the boat would be one thing, spending the
rest of my life destitute or delaring bankruptcy at my age would be
another.

I'll get the insurance and go to Canada when I can go long enough to
justify the cost. This year, I'll still have a great time but just in
different places.

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
...
What to do about it? Self-insure. Yes, put some money aside and insure
yourself. Since any accident or negligence that results in a loss will be
coming 100% out of your own pocket you will become a safer boater and less
likely to come to grief. The next time I hear some fool tell me, "Oh,
don't worry, I have insurance." after leaving their boat on one inadequate
anchor, I think I'm going to spit right in their face.

Ah. The moral hazard of insuring.

I'll agree with you there's not necessarily any need to insure your own
losses. Self insurance for loss or damage to your own boat will only harm
*you* if things go wrong.

With respect to third parties, it's a different matter. If an incident
occurs which is your fault, and it results in damage, injury or death to
another, will you have the assets to compensate them?

For this reason third party boat insurance in most parts of Europe is
compulsory. And even when it's not, many marinas will not accept vessels
without evidence of third party insurance. Bit like compulsory car insurance
in most civilised countries . . .

Luckily, third party only insurance is cheap. Perhaps that's Roger's answer.

JimB
www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com/
Comparing the cruise areas of Europe