Insurance Required in Chile

[gosstyla]

I'm in Valdivia, Chile ready to start sea trials on my boat that has just been completed.

Now the Port Captain says before I can start sea trials I must have insurance that will fully reimburse the Navy if they have to deploy resources for my rescue. It seems this law has been on the books for some years but never really inforced - now it seems they plan to start inforcing it.

Can any of you recommend an insurance carrier or agent that might be able to assist me. What I want is something to satisfy the Port Captain while I am doing sea trials on the Valdivia River and just off shore. The coverage would be from now until the end of February.

I hope to be able to start my passage to Panama the beginning of March.

Any suggestions or recommendations will be appreciated.

[Vasco]

Looks like the feared fallout from the recent fiasco is already here. I'm not aware that my insurance will reimburse the authorities for my rescue. Does anyone have a clause covering this in their policy or is it covered by the liability provisions.

[Pblais]

We have not seen anything here on the forum about how it all works and the details of how you get back out to sea when they decide they want to enforce this.

Does anyone have a clause covering this in their policy or is it covered by the liability provisions.

Pretty limited on most policies. It would take a special policy. Mostly you buy towing insurance locally so it actually covers something and then there is always a maximum limit far less than a Navy resuce. In Chile they don't have Tow Boat US.

Internationally they have to respond to emergencies, but they don't have to make it free and they can control territorial waters. The insurance requirement was an attempt to ban recreational travel around the Horn without actually banning it. Since you have to travel in territorial waters unless you go way far south they sort of have you. If you make landfall any place in country they could detain you until you produced the desired policy. Lots of small places wheree the natinal government isn't that well represented but you can't know.

The law has been around a few years. It's not cheap dragging someone in from the Horn. The only way it could be affordable is to get a one time policy nailed down between the location of coverage and the time period. At 39 degrees S lat. it may be easier so long as you don't want to go farther south. That way there may be a way to do it for the least money nice and easy. Thatbwould be the best solution. Its sort of is vague as to what the actual coverage requirements by the government really are from what I have seen in a really short article a good while ago.

An actual rescue at the Horn could get padded into millions. The government will write up the bill. Who is to say what the cost of sending a Navy warship ship is in Chile? They are obviously pressing the Harbor master to do the work of detaining people. Local legal assistance might help too.

[Daddy's Dream]

Well now, it looks like I need to remove Chile from my list of places to visit. Seems like sailing gets move spendy every day.

[dana-tenacity]

Another country off the list, and boy is the list shrinking fast!

[rtbates]

It's always been a pet peeve of mine that I can't sign a waiver saying that I and I alone except full responsibility for what I'm about to attempt. I waive EPIRB. I ask for no rescue under any circumstances and be done with it. IF I get in a bind out there and change my mind that's MY tough luck.

I do KNOW why this can't work. A society that runs on the notion that someone has to held accountable every time **** happens and the lawyers that it supports.

[Jentine]

Originally Posted by gosstyla

I'm in Valdivia, Chile ready to start sea trials on my boat that has just been completed.

I would assume that the builder would be able to cut the red tape for you and possibly provide the necessary insurance until you finish "sea trials".

[coot]

Originally Posted by rtbates

It's always been a pet peeve of mine that I can't sign a waiver saying that I and I alone except full responsibility for what I'm about to attempt. I waive EPIRB. I ask for no rescue under any circumstances and be done with it. IF I get in a bind out there and change my mind that's MY tough luck.

So, when faced with certain death for yourself and your crew, you would choose death for all over accepting help?

Pardon my skepticism, but I find that rather implausible.

[hellosailor]

I can't help wonder, if you printed a boilerplate insurance policy that you either borrowed or created, made it look like the usual officiallese, and had it issued by "The Bankrupt Zero Liability Assurance Company, Inc." of West Podunk (my favorite tow) how would some port captain in Chile know the policy was real or bogus? Like he's going West Podunk and ask if they're really in business there?

[gosstyla]

"I would assume that the builder would be able to cut the red tape for you and possibly provide the necessary insurance until you finish "sea trials"."

You would think so - but this builder has proved less than helpful with many, many things.

I have purchased "Liability" coverage - haven't received the proof of coverage yet, but think this might satisfy the Port Captain.