Insurance Questions

[usmc_mickey]

I have a 1970 Balboa 20. I would like to get some insurance - I plan to sail all over.
1) can I get insurance - I have read that most insurance companies do not want to insure small craft that go "accross the ocean"
2) what kind of insurance should I be looking at
3) where is a good place to get some

[rebel heart]

Talk to these guys: IMIS Home Page

Also, dollar for dollar the best insurance you can have is solid ground tackle. Carry the biggest and best anchor you can possibly hoist and 300' of heavy chain. Have your rig checked out when you can, and get comfy with inspecting it yourself if you're not already.

[djmarchand]

Mickey:

Ignoring the question as to whether a Balboa 20 should "go accross the ocean", I would only get liabilty insurance. With all due respect, your boat can't be worth more than $5,000 and so hull insurance won't be worth it. Liability only from a true marine insurance carrier will cost less than $500 per year.

IMIS Corp, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake is a good marine insurance broker.

David

[rebel heart]

Single handing, I'd rather be on a little 20' than an oversized 47'. My $0.02.

[psteele235]

"Carry the biggest and best anchor you can possibly hoist and 300' of heavy chain."

300' of heavy chain on a 20 foot boat??

I see it now - klaxons blaring as the skipper yells: "Dive! Dive!"

[usmc_mickey]

yeah, I was wondering where I'd put 300' of chain. thanks for the tip on an insurance company. and It will probably be solo unless I can find a mate. All things considered -- female, petite, good sailor (cause I'm probably not).
Seriously, I hope to leave in 2011 or 2012 (if the world don't end)
any tips on going as cheap as possible? I'd tell you my budget but then you would be convinced I was around the bend.

destination is Tanzania. leaving from somewhere between NC to FLA (USA)

[rebel heart]

300' of heavy enough chain to support the anchor. Toss out other items to make room for it. When you're 50 yards from a lee shore in 50 knot winds, you'll be wishing you had chain with links the size of a VW Bug. It might sound absurd, but it isn't.

[usmc_mickey]

Thanks man. It sounds crazy, but it actually makes sense.

[boatman61]

Mickey.... 50ft of good chain, a 12kg Bruce anchor and 100ft of anchor plait will do you just fine... but make sure your bow cleats are up to the strain, no good having good tackle if what you tie it to is just gonna rip out in a blow..lol.
As for insurance.. go for liability ins... its necessary for harbours/marina's and NO INSURANCE COMPANY will insure solo sailors more than 50 miles offshore... unless the premiums equal to the value of the boat.
What cheap tips are you after.. give us some clues that we can rip each other apart over....

[usmc_mickey]

To be honest boatman61, I'm not sure what tips I'm looking for specifically. I would really like to install a life line around my boat, and maybey some sort of additional foul weather protection around the cockpit. I have little deck space and need to come up with an inexpensive means of charging my batteries. I thought of a windmill but they appear to be pretty pricy, I can pick up a solar trickle charger for about $30 US at tractor supply. I run my whole house (12v system) on a 100 watt panel and two deep cycle batteries. Anyway I'm just trying to get a feel for all that I need to pick up along the way to make this work.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by usmc_mickey

To be honest boatman61, I'm not sure what tips I'm looking for specifically. I would really like to install a life line around my boat, and maybey some sort of additional foul weather protection around the cockpit. I have little deck space and need to come up with an inexpensive means of charging my batteries. I thought of a windmill but they appear to be pretty pricy, I can pick up a solar trickle charger for about $30 US at tractor supply. I run my whole house (12v system) on a 100 watt panel and two deep cycle batteries. Anyway I'm just trying to get a feel for all that I need to pick up along the way to make this work.

I presume by lifeline you mean just that.. not a 'Guardrail'...
Get three stainless eye bolts and fit one each side of your hatchway as near the edge of the coachroof as possible and the third just aft or forward of the mast so your harness will allow you to reach and work the foredeck, then shackle two lengths of wire as taut as possible in a V... suggest you fit a fourth in the cockpit to clip on to....

100W should be enough to operate/maintain your cabin/nav lights, autopilot, vhf and your H/H GPS.. carry a spare... dedicate one battery(strongest) to your tillerpilot... thats your workhorse and crew and... if you can.. fit/convert your lights to quality LED.. cuts drainage loads.. also one masthead tri will be more economical than the normal 3 usually fitted on small boats.
Maybe carry a regular car battery for your tricke charger to work the vhf/gps.. totally seperate from the boat system.
Also see if your outboard can be fitted with a generator for emergency back-up... relatively inexpensive and, if its a 4stke... 25 litres will give you lots of charge time.

Shelter you can knock up yourself if a custom hood is to expensive... all the hinge fittings etc can be bought at a Chandler's... 3/4 stainless tube and solder-able 45/90 degree elbows from a plumbers merchant... cut bend and fit to desired length and shape.. canvas can be bought fairly easy, treated usually costs 1/3rd as much again as untreated.. buy that and get waterproofing spray for boots and treat it yourself.. run candle wax over your hand stitching first... the sprayhood below is 11ftx6ft and I made the frame and hand stitched the cover over a winter.. hour or two an evening.. when I wasn't out carousing...lol.


PS; good backing pads for eye bolts....