My boat is paid off and I have not had insurance for about five years.
I'd like to get liability insurance but none of the companies seem to
want to sell that without also covering the hull and collecting the
bigger premium.

I had insurance when I sailed in NY but was dropped when I got to
Florida. I was able to find a policy here with Progressive but they kept
referring to my boat as an automobile and tried to double the premium
after the first year. I tried to go to Boat/US but they wanted yet
another survey and a very high premium because I cruise in a
hurricane/windstorm area. Homeowners/flood insurance here is enough of a
hassle so that I've come to truly hate insurance companies.

That "South of Fernandina Beach" cruising area exclusion is interesting.
I've often wondered why Florida is excluded when North and South
Carolina are not. They get, by far, the lions share of hurricane hits
whereas my part of Florida (Tampa Bay) hasn't seen a direct hit since
1923. One agent told me that insurance companies wouldn't get away with
excluding the Carolina's and still be able to do business there. Florida
is apparently not so protective of its insurance consumers.

Parallax wrote:
JAX's comment about insurance in my thread about lightning strike
probability got me wondering. Most of the real sailors I know are ppl
with few material posessions other than their boats and maybe an old
trailer-home in the woods. These ppl do far more sailing than the
indebted ppl with expensive boats in marinas. Many of these ppl I
know have told me they simply do not carry marine insurance OF ANY
KIND. They rely on homeowners insurance to protect their homes which
are generally of low value anyway. They might get sued for a million
dollars but if their total net worth is less than $100,000, homeowners
insurance is fairly cheap. They can also file bankruptcy and in FL
your primary residence is protected in such suits.
Being a semi-responsible person with kids and a business, I do have
insurance but at $360/yr, its not exactly a burden.
SO.............How many ppl who really cruise have liability insurance
or insurance to cover the loss of their boat?

Parallax wrote:
JAX's comment about insurance in my thread about lightning strike
probability got me wondering. Most of the real sailors I know are ppl

I do now- have to have liability to have a marina space, had no insurance
whilst cruising though, as I remember very few cruisers did, simply too
expensive.
I remember one couple who were pitchpoled off the S African coast- hove to
on the 100 fathom line in a storm, baaad idea. They were towed in to our
port, claimed on insurance for, among other damage, a bent mast, and were
told " Sorry, you were only covered for the Caribbean", they successfully
claimed their insurance premiums back for the period since they had left the
Carib., and the proceeds more than covered the damage :-).