I am about to purchase a used sailboat (40+ feet). I would like some advice
on insurance companies. Care to share your experiences with any particular
company?

Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

TIA

Vic

--
__________________________________________________ ______

Victor Fraenckel - The Windman
victorf ATSIGN windreader DOTcom
KC2GUI

Home of the WindReader Electronic Theodolite
Read the WIND

"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long
and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival."
- Winston [Leonard Spencer] Churchill (1874 - 1965)

Dost thou not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?
-Count Oxenstierna (ca 1620) to the young King Gustavus Adolphus

Hayden Yacht insurance, without a question the best I've EVER dealt with.
Talk to Chip Bishop at (800) 723-1170 and tell him Capt. Turner sent you.


"Vic Fraenckel" wrote in message
.. .
I am about to purchase a used sailboat (40+ feet). I would like some
advice
on insurance companies. Care to share your experiences with any particular
company?

Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

TIA

Vic

--
__________________________________________________ ______

Victor Fraenckel - The Windman
victorf ATSIGN windreader DOTcom
KC2GUI

Home of the WindReader Electronic Theodolite
Read the WIND

"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however
long
and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival."
- Winston [Leonard Spencer] Churchill (1874 - 1965)

Dost thou not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?
-Count Oxenstierna (ca 1620) to the young King Gustavus Adolphus

You didn't say where you are. In the US, Boat US is the cheapest I've
found. 52' sloop, $230K hull value for a little over $900 a year. Set
the deductible as high as they'll let you, unless you're planning to
use it. Buy the boat, car and house insurance at the same place for
multiple discounts. I don't think the auto club does 40' but they
might - I know they didn't do 52' or I'd be there.

Make sure your purchase survey is acceptable to your insurance co -
out of the water, known surveyor, etc - otherwise you'll need a second
survey.

Most US marine insurance brokers are a pain in the ass. Blue Water and
Hayden are 2 of the worst.




On Tue, 04 May 2004 01:26:26 GMT, "Vic Fraenckel"
wrote:

I am about to purchase a used sailboat (40+ feet). I would like some advice
on insurance companies. Care to share your experiences with any particular
company?

Any enlightenment will be appreciated.

TIA

Vic

We've got NMU based out of Annapolis. Whitched to them
last summer when our existing insurance almost doubled.
Coverage is a bit better and premiums are cheaper.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 04 May 2004 08:18:47 -0700, santacruz said:

Boat US is the cheapest I've
found

Based on what I've heard, there's a reason for that. Great when you pay
the
premium, but hell if you have to make a claim. Our surveyor tells me he
had
to sue them twice to get them to pay up.

Al Golden of IMIS is an independent agent as well as a boater and can
probably find a policy to your liking. I have mine through him and have been
very happy. One claim for grounding paid with no problem. The policy is
through Markel. You can contact Al at:
http://www.imiscorp.net/

--


Keith
__
"A man without a woman is like a fish without a bicycle." - U2
"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
We've got NMU based out of Annapolis. Whitched to them
last summer when our existing insurance almost doubled.
Coverage is a bit better and premiums are cheaper.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 04 May 2004 08:18:47 -0700, santacruz said:

Boat US is the cheapest I've
found

Based on what I've heard, there's a reason for that. Great when you pay
the
premium, but hell if you have to make a claim. Our surveyor tells me he
had
to sue them twice to get them to pay up.

In article ,
Dave wrote:

On Tue, 04 May 2004 08:18:47 -0700, santacruz said:

Boat US is the cheapest I've
found

Based on what I've heard, there's a reason for that. Great when you pay the
premium, but hell if you have to make a claim. Our surveyor tells me he had
to sue them twice to get them to pay up.

I have found the opposite. We have had two claims against BOAT/U.S.
policies (one ours, one the other guy's) and both were handled more
professionally than the few claims I've had with my automobile policies.

They weren't the cheapest, but were more liberal than I would have been
in the same situations. My claim against my policy was clearly my own
damned fault (leaving a dockline dangle in the water as we powered up)
and should have been rejected, but they essentially said "stuff happens"
and paid the bills that I thought were inflated.

When Isabele smacked the Chesapeake (thankfully a non-event for us due
to our dockmates' actions), many BOAT/US owners already had been handled
while their neighbors were still trying to reach their insurance
companies.

Primary question I asked my yachting home and auto insurance rep: "If a
gate valve (clearly inappropriate now) through-hull breaks, does the
insurance company cover any subsequent damage (bulkheads, sinking, and
so forth)? When she called back a few hours later after consulting with
the underwriters and said "no", I went to a true marine policy via
BOAT/US.

In addition, most home/auto companies will insure a boat at its
depreciated value (a number determined by the insurance company). By now
(12 years later), our boat would have very little value. BOAT/US still
covers us for about double what I personally feel I could sell the boat
for, but that's the agreed upon value. (our actual capital expenses are
above that, but things like our repower were part of the original
valuation.)

In other words, I strongly recommend that you go to a true marine policy.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

I also have insurance with NMU. My reason is that for $15/yr extra I can
be insured one full year in the Bahamas, and for another $500/yr insured
for all the Caribbean (where I plan to be next year)
Kelton
s/v Isle Escape

Doug Dotson wrote:
We've got NMU based out of Annapolis. Whitched to them
last summer when our existing insurance almost doubled.
Coverage is a bit better and premiums are cheaper.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Dave" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 04 May 2004 08:18:47 -0700, santacruz said:


Boat US is the cheapest I've
found

Based on what I've heard, there's a reason for that. Great when you pay

the

premium, but hell if you have to make a claim. Our surveyor tells me he

had

to sue them twice to get them to pay up.

I've only heard positive comments from friends about Boat/US insurance. Every
claim was paid in full without hassle. My cousins had their Sabre lifted out of
a marsh by helicopter a few days after hurricane Bob. (Theirs was the oft
published picture!)

The only complaints I've heard of Boat/US was from people who opted for the
cheap policy which depreciates gear and has a variety of exclusions.



"Jere Lull" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Dave wrote:

On Tue, 04 May 2004 08:18:47 -0700, santacruz said:

Boat US is the cheapest I've
found

Based on what I've heard, there's a reason for that. Great when you pay the
premium, but hell if you have to make a claim. Our surveyor tells me he had
to sue them twice to get them to pay up.

I have found the opposite. We have had two claims against BOAT/U.S.
policies (one ours, one the other guy's) and both were handled more
professionally than the few claims I've had with my automobile policies.

They weren't the cheapest, but were more liberal than I would have been
in the same situations. My claim against my policy was clearly my own
damned fault (leaving a dockline dangle in the water as we powered up)
and should have been rejected, but they essentially said "stuff happens"
and paid the bills that I thought were inflated.

When Isabele smacked the Chesapeake (thankfully a non-event for us due
to our dockmates' actions), many BOAT/US owners already had been handled
while their neighbors were still trying to reach their insurance
companies.

Primary question I asked my yachting home and auto insurance rep: "If a
gate valve (clearly inappropriate now) through-hull breaks, does the
insurance company cover any subsequent damage (bulkheads, sinking, and
so forth)? When she called back a few hours later after consulting with
the underwriters and said "no", I went to a true marine policy via
BOAT/US.

In addition, most home/auto companies will insure a boat at its
depreciated value (a number determined by the insurance company). By now
(12 years later), our boat would have very little value. BOAT/US still
covers us for about double what I personally feel I could sell the boat
for, but that's the agreed upon value. (our actual capital expenses are
above that, but things like our repower were part of the original
valuation.)

In other words, I strongly recommend that you go to a true marine policy.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

wrote
.... if one company boots you, you may
find it difficult or impossible to find insurance elsewhere.

Tell me about it! When I moved from the hi-rate LA area to VA my auto
insurer informed me that they couldn't renew my policy because they were not
licensed to sell insurance in VA. So I started calling local agents, only to
find that I'd have to pay 10X what I had been paying for full coverage and
that only provided minimum liability! Why? Because my current ensurer had
refused to reinsure me! I finally found reasonable rates at a national
company (Geico), but that's the exception. The rest were like sharks in a
feeding frenze - "Wow, a safe driver we can stick it to!"

You must have told them your company wouldn't reinsure you... Otherwise they
would have held the lower rate because your old company wasn't licensed to
carry your policy in the new location.

That isn't a refusal, that is simply that they can't legally do it.

"Vito" wrote in message
...
wrote
.... if one company boots you, you may
find it difficult or impossible to find insurance elsewhere.

Tell me about it! When I moved from the hi-rate LA area to VA my auto
insurer informed me that they couldn't renew my policy because they were
not
licensed to sell insurance in VA. So I started calling local agents, only
to
find that I'd have to pay 10X what I had been paying for full coverage and
that only provided minimum liability! Why? Because my current ensurer had
refused to reinsure me! I finally found reasonable rates at a national
company (Geico), but that's the exception. The rest were like sharks in a
feeding frenze - "Wow, a safe driver we can stick it to!"