Boat Insurance in the Bahamas ?

[fla.sailor]

Hey folks,

We have a 3 month trip to the Bahamas planned (sabbatical!!!) for spring and we just found out our insurance only covers us out 125 NM! Are there companies that will issue riders for the Bahamas out to the exumas or does everyone go without insurance???

~thanks!

CHeeRS!
-dennis

[jean1146]

I do have the same problem and would be interested to find someone.I am with Progressive and they are working on trying to resolve this problem.
JC.

[Auspicious]

I've had great luck with Al Golden at IMIS. IMIS issues me a rider for whatever cruise I have planned, no crew requirements.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by fla.sailor

Hey folks,

We have a 3 month trip to the Bahamas planned (sabbatical!!!) for spring and we just found out our insurance only covers us out 125 NM! Are there companies that will issue riders for the Bahamas out to the exumas or does everyone go without insurance???

~thanks!

CHeeRS!
-dennis

I'd say over 90% of the cruisers in the Bahamas have insurance. Getting insurance for the Bahamas is not usually a problem. Check with your own insurer first.

[FSMike]

Send a PM to Susan, she posts on here as TabbyCat.

(No affiliation)

[nautical62]

Try Boat US or IMIS

[AnchorageGuy]

dennis, It will be difficult to find an insurer that does not cover your boat to write you a policy for the Bahamas only. BoatUS will not do this unless you carry a BoatUS policy. A call to IMIS might help. Of course your current provider would be your first source if they offer coverage there.

[fla.sailor]

We're are currently (past 8 years) insured with progressive, 125 NM is their limit for some reason???

thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming!

-dennis

[chuckr]

We have had great success and recommend to others and they shopped around and found we were correct by using Bill Hodgens in ft lauderdale - we work out a policy for us as we change our cruising grounds to keep it reasonable cost and timing for hurricane season - we plan to head to central america next winter and we will change companies but not brokers as bill is working on something for us
he got insurance for a boat in spanish wells after we recommended him to them
try him out
his web site is yachtinsure.com

i get nothing from this and if bill did not do a good job for us i would also tell you

chuck patty and svsoulmates
on the hook deltaville, va

[CSY Man]

I got Boat US for Florida, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos year around.
Fairly reasonable at $1700.00 per year, but not the $700.00 we enjoyed before all the big hurricanes came to Florida in 04/05

[nautical62]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

I got Boat US for Florida, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos year around.
Fairly reasonable at $1700.00 per year, but not the $700.00 we enjoyed before all the big hurricanes came to Florida in 04/05

Exactly my experience and thoughts as well...

[randy.northcutt]

Check out Blue Water Insurance. They have an office in Jupiter, Fla.

Randy

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by randy.northcutt

Check out Blue Water Insurance. They have an office in Jupiter, Fla.

Randy

We personally as well as others we know have had a VERY negative experience with Bluewater Insurance. Before anyone deals with these folks, they should get some feedback first.

[randy.northcutt]

Waterwayguy,

Thanks for the reply. My experience was just contacting them from a referral & getting a quote. They were considerably cheaper than some others. They did want a lot of detailed info re: the boat & my experience which I took as a good sign. My coverage includes the Bahamas, but there is a box which from memory was about 23 N, don't remember the Lon. which is South of the Bahamas which is excluded from coverage. I would really like to know of your experience w/ them. Sometimes a bargain isn't really.

Thanks,

Randy

[AnchorageGuy]

Randy, We had a difficult time getting anyone to respond to any of our inquiries, even after we had been insured by them. We tried to get a quote for renewal and could never even get a call back. When we finally received the quote in the mail it was not what we ask for and they would not give us a correct quote for the correct navigational areas. Imagine if you had a claim. They are very unfriendly once you get past the point where you have paid. We tried to get the owner to respond and all we received from him were very nasty emails. Others we know personally have had very, very difficult contacts in trying to get claims settled, claims is denied or the process is dragged out over a long time. Bluewater was the preferred insurance company for the SSCA group and they dropped them after many complaints from members. We never did get them to give us a quote for renewal, we have never in over 20 years had a claim by the way, and finally went to IMIS and have been very pleased for years. We have had contact with the offices on both coasts and found very rude and unresponsive people in both of those offices. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Unfortunately with insurance companies, when you find out you made the wrong choice it is too late.