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Old 27-06-2010, 09:15   #1
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How Much Experience Does One Need to Insure a Boat ?

Hubby and I are seriously considering moving on a sailing cat in 5 to 10 years from now. We have no sailing knowledge and hubby needs to keep his full time job. We are talking about chatering a cat with the captain only to learn not only the basics but the advance technics such as celestial navigating and offshore passage making. Actually, we might do all of the ASA training programs available. Than, we want to have a bareboat and go on vacations. Hubby is also thinking about doing deliveries with an experienced captain on several occasions. We also intend to learn how to dive in case we need to go do some repair while at sea.

Is that enough for us to be insurable?
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Old 27-06-2010, 09:23   #2
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Missou, the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron offers training that you will help you get your insurance and your radio licenses. Many insurance companies require actual sea time as well.

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Old 27-06-2010, 15:34   #3
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I know a number of folks who cruise/d with no documented experience or training and were insured. They paid a higher premium but were able to insure the vessel.

I'd recommend a dual approach. Take Power Squadron courses up to Navigator then enough certified courses for your bare boat certification. If you can, do deliveries, and moves, making sure you get sea time letters from the Captains so you can show practical experience.

If you do decide to charter, I'd suggest chatting up the charter boat agency to see if you can't get your bareboat certification for free or a small fee. When I worked as a "sail advisor" on charter boats, I'd teach them a basic syllabus and then get the charter company to issue a bare boat certification if I thought they were competent. In most cases, folks that came with some knowledge about sailing but not as much practical, did very well.
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Old 27-06-2010, 17:03   #4
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The qualifications you have should not limit your 'insur-ability', as long as the boat is at the dock. Once off, the qualifications you have must be adequate for the area you want to sail. Otherwise, many insurance companies (if not all) will reject claims.

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Old 27-06-2010, 19:54   #5
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A couple of years dealing with insurance salesmen ought to be adequate.
If you pay attention.
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Old 28-06-2010, 04:03   #6
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I think the experience and training the orginal poster is going to do will be more than enough to get insurance.

My wife and I took ASA lessons to bareboat as the first time we had even sailed. Then spend 3 months in a local club sailing on 32-34' boats by ourselves. The next year we got our first boat (39'). Insurance wasn't a problem. The insurance company required some additional on the water training by a capitain (20-30 hours I don't remember). For me this wasn't a problem as I needed help moving the boat and that was going to be 3 days so just hired a capitain to help do the move. In the end it cost me about $1200 for the capitain, but then the insurance was lowered 30% afterwards.

So in the end my experience was ASA bareboat, 3 months solo sailing, 3 days instruction during the move, (there wasn't any instruction he was basically just crew) and in the end insurance in the NE of about $900/yr.
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Old 28-06-2010, 06:22   #7
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I am curious about your first statement...

"Hubby and I are seriously considering moving on a sailing cat in 5 to 10 years from now. We have no sailing knowledge and..."

When you said no sailing knowledge, does that include any sailing experience? I am trying to understand if you are drawn by the dream or any real experience on a boat.
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Old 07-07-2010, 22:54   #8
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i would actually like to know the names of insurance companies that offer world wide insurance for yachts?...... anyone?
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Old 07-07-2010, 23:43   #9
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The best advice we ever received from an experienced cruiser.
"There is NO rough weather if you don't have a schedule"

A friend of ours with cruising experience recently built/bought a boat that he and his wife could cruise. (his dream)
Needless to say she had No experience and was as scared as hell.
He did everything possible to make the boat wife friendly as possible.

They recently returned after 6 months cruising and she had this confident glow on her face. I asked her how it went.
She absolutely loved it and can't wait to go out again for an even longer period.
I asked her what was so good about it.
She said Bruce her husband never went out in weather over 25 knots.
One time they had to stay in port for 3 months, but she said,that was Ok.

I also met a women how sailed the Pacific islands for 15 years and never experienced over 15 knots of wind? How come.
They never went out, if it was blowing harder or the forecast didn't suit.
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Old 09-07-2010, 09:06   #10
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Quote:
Is that enough for us to be insurable?
Missou, you should be insurable. The insurance underwriter might require you to hire a captain to go over a checklist on your own vessel and make sure you have a basic understanding of the rules of the road, docking, anchoring, boat maintenance, weather, etc. The captain would then need to sign off on the form saying that the training had been provided and that he was confident in your ability to navigate the vessel safely. We go through this process all the time for new boaters. Of course, once you have a few years of experience under your belt, your rates will go down, since you will have more companies to choose from and more experience credits on your application form (assuming you don't have a major claim in that time!).
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Old 29-07-2010, 07:07   #11
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Thank you Susan and everybody for the informations. I have found a captain who is also an A.S.A. instructor who offers week long sailing lessons on the model of catamaran we are really interested in. He is certified to give the ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 and 114 classes. My husband also wants to do moves and deliveries like you had mentionned to us, Susan, when we met last December. We also have kept all the internet addresses you gave us.

To answer your question Kefaa, I took sailing lessons for a week when I was a kid and fell in love with the activity. The classes were an hour long but still, I loved the sense of freedom I had while I was on the lake. Unfortunatly, my parents weren't rich enough for me to pursue this dream. Later on, I went sailing for a weekend with my aunt and my uncle and again, I felt really good. I now go on cruise ships and the moment I feel the best is when we are at sea. The food and the service are nice but they are only add-ons. My husband went sailing a few times on his brother's Mistral small sail boat and enjoyed it. He also took a 3hrs class on a Hobby Cat in St-John USVI last December that he found very nice and very instructive.

I've always loved to move and gave that love to my husband over the years. We don't want to be attached to a house while we'll be living in the Caribbeans. We want to do a lot of island hopping and who knows, maybe a time will come when we'll feel confortable enough to visit other parts of the world.

Our practical experience is minimal but the life at sea is not only a fantasy for us, it is the next step on our road. We still have a lot to learn but we are ready for it.
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Old 29-07-2010, 07:24   #12
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Having enough training and experience to get insurance is not the same as having enough training and experience to take trips, be safe, and have a good time. If you can do these three things you can get insurance. Add money and water to suit.

Taking training such as the ASA series or US Sail series is a good way to gain knowledge through doing while building confidence. When you really know the reasons why the learning how parts sink in deeper and stay with you. Your ability to learn even more increases too.

The key as they say is "don't be in a hurry" or "on a schedule". Both of these are usually required for a true disaster that will end your sailing one way or the other. Having a good time means having the confidence and ability to sail within your means both technically and emotionally. Making and keeping it fun means you are doing things right.

The learning part should be a fun time so make sure it stays that way. If you are still some years away then start learning and having fun today. Great adventures require extensive planning and preparation.
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Old 29-07-2010, 08:10   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barnakiel View Post
The qualifications you have should not limit your 'insur-ability', as long as the boat is at the dock. Once off, the qualifications you have must be adequate for the area you want to sail. Otherwise, many insurance companies (if not all) will reject claims.

b.

Insurers will look at the whole pictures, they know someone who has a boat isn't going to leave it tied to the dock. So experience will come into play, but only for the rate you are charged, they offer discounts etc for courses, experience etc, but the experience needs to be documented. Typically through course certificates, or previous insurance. I have the same coverage now as I did when I started, I can boat in the same locations, I just pay less now then I did then.

Insurance, covers stupidity, if they choose to insure you, unless it is an excluded loss and written in the policy they gave you, and always get a full copy of your policy. They have to cover the loss. They may deny at first, but unless it is written in the policy there is not coverage for this. They have to pay, court will make them pay.

I have been in the industry for over 15 years. I have denied claims that should have been paid, unless the person complains or fights it.

They may have regions or areas they will list and say you are not covered here or here. Some major ports are listed on some policies, due to the increased risk. Named storms are also listed on some policies, so if your boat gets blown away in a regular storm you are covered, if the storm has been given a name you are not covered.

Read the policy carefully, get insurance sooner then later, I have been with my company for 8 years, both power and sail. I get discounts based on the number of years I have been with them, I don't have any certificates other then a basic power and sail course, the rest has been self taught.
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Old 01-08-2010, 16:33   #14
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Having enough training and experience to get insurance is not the same as having enough training and experience to take trips, be safe, and have a good time...
True.

And especially perhaps the 'experience' part. Met dozens of over-trained and under-experienced sailors. How can I tell them? They will name a long list of training and certifications they have.

I say: go out, and sail, sail, sail ... it is great if one gets proper training and certificates, but there is no substitute for the miles.

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Old 01-08-2010, 18:19   #15
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Look around locally for race boats that need crew and are willing to train greenhorns-No better way to learn about boats and sailing then raceing.
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