Insurance for NZ / OZ Marinas

[getlostonpurpose]

Hi folks,

Still making up my mind on marinas in NZ for this year. Am I correct in assuming most of these places are going to require I have some sort of insurance (liability at least)? I see a spot for it on the Westhaven berth rental form. And I see that the Opua Marina requires it. I've exchanged emails with Gulf Harbor but they haven't mentioned it yet.

I have ZERO insurance at the moment but I'll probably spend quite a bit of the next year in marinas in both NZ and OZ so I'm not against buying some sort of policy. My close-quarters marina driving skills leave much to be desired.

Any recommendations? I figure I might as well see what companies from NZ have to offer first.

Drew

[getlostonpurpose]

also...what does all this stuff mean? WOF? Warrant? This is from Westhaven's form.

Power Request / Electrical Certificate Details: Do you wish to connect to Westhaven Marina power? Yes No
Warrant number:
Date of issue:
Date of expiry:

You will be required to present a copy of your WOF upon occupancy.

I hereby request permission to have an unattended power connection from the marina power supply module to my vessel.

The supply to my vessel will be connected to ONE portable device only, which will be:

[Steve Pope]

Most if not all marina's in NZ will require you to have 3rd party insurance at least, so if you damage the marina or another yacht there is an avenue for redress.
The W.o.F is a safety issue, your 110/240 volt equipment must be up to standard. Beware that if you have an alluminium or steel hull a transformer may/will save you from stray electrolitic currents.

[Chrisc]

I am wintering over at Gulf Harbour. ( in my opinion, the best marina in the country).
You will require some sort of third party insurance at least for all NZ marinas. Electrically, if your vessel is permanently hard-wired for shore power then you will require a WOF before you connect up. If, like us you are not hard-wired but just want to run a couple of lights or a heater or dehumidifier etc then you can just dangle a power lead down through your hatch or ventilator without the need for any certification.

Chris

[GMac]

What Steve and Chrisc said, with these additions.

3rd party Liability Insurance is what they want. It's not expensive really and easy to get I would think.

Re the power situation. If you are hard wired you can get an electrician to give it the once over to get the WOF. Or you can get an 'approved' lead. The lead is 16amp has a marina style plug one end and a circuit breaker before the plug you actually plug your bits into. This also must have a WOF but it's super duper easy. That is what I use myself.

You can use just a std extension lead if you like but most and very shortly ALL marinas will only let you have that plugged in when someone is aboard the boat. If you leave the boat you must unplug a non-approved lead. Some marinas, GH by the looks being one, are not enforcing this just yet but they will be very soon.

It's the new rules (NZ law) working though which some marinas have and the others will soon all have. I believe they want everyone the same by the end of the year. They basically just want to make sure each boat is well isolated from the rest of the marina if something goes bad aboard.

Most find getting an approved lead the quickest and cheapest option. Also if you are running non-NZ standard plugs I'm sure they would adjust the plug on the end to suit what you have so it may also save a bit of adaptor grief there.

I'd say that this electrical WOF could be a clause in the Liability insurance as well.

[svBeBe]

As others have stated you will be required to obtain at least 3rd party (liability) insurance for marinas in NZ. So far we have visited only 1 marina in Australia and they also required that we have the full limit reequired for Queensland waters -- 10 million AUD for boats over 15 meters. If you clear in at Opua there is a small insurance agency located right on the wharf that is owned by a cruiser and can sell you the required insurances at a very reasonable price.

As for the WOF electrical inspection/certification, we were informed that this would be required and we agreed to pay for it -- both at Opua Marina and also at Gulf Harbour Marina. We stayed at Opua Marina for months of Nov and April -- the electrician never showed up so we never paid for this WOF. We stayed at Gulf Harbour Marina for months of Dec, Jan, Feb and March -- the electrician never showed up there either so we never paid for the WOF. The marina we are at in Australia has not mentioned anything about needing an electrical certification.

YMMV.

Judy
S/V BeBe
Amel SM2 #387

[fillatte]

Hi, my yacht is moored at Westhaven. The WOF (Warrant of fitness) is purely for the power-lead. It get a little tag saying it is a "safe" lead - that is it. Its a great marina as it allows live aboard and is close to the city. The WOF is a local requirement and not consistent throughout all Auckland marinas. It certainly is not a trans-tasman code. Well this is my 5cents worth,
cheers
Christiaan

[GMac]

G'day Fillatte and welcome.
2 boats, you greedy bugger
I'm taking a wild guess here, you cruise the First and race the 88?

Westhaven will be implementing the new rules very shortly as will every other marina in NZ. Some, like Bayswater and Orakei, both being newish, are running them already as they were built under the new regs. Westhaven and the others have some of the regs up and running but have a few more to do. The biggest area is the electrical one really and then it isn't that big really. Apart from it all being a newish law, the marina guys all want to standardise things rather than have the mish-mass we currently do.

It's all to do with this puppy -

The Electricity Act 1992 defines connectable installation as an electrical installation in a vehicle, relocatable building, or pleasure vessel. Fittings supplying electricity to connectable installations must also be installed and maintained so that they operate safely if used for their intended purpose
AS/NZ3004:2002 (Electrical Installations - Marinas and pleasure craft at low voltage)
Every person who hires or leases a connectable installation, or who supplies electricity to a connectable installation, must ensure the installation has a warrant of electrical fitness, or an electrical certificate of compliance (CoC) that is less than four years old.

It is only being applied (by most marinas) when no one is aboard the boat though so a good standard lead is fine if you are on board doing odd jobs.

[fillatte]

Well I should have known old knotme aka GMac is onboard. Cheers for the welcome and the 44.7 is not quite in port yet - hence the search in the cruisers forum. I'll sail her to NZ from Oz .. after a bit of exploring the OZ east coast heading north from Sydney. Greed does not come into it its need. .. and love for the sea and the wind.
cheers

[chala]

“Western Australia
• Revision of Australian Standard for marinas and recreational boats 3
Electrical contractors should manage marina and recreational boats like any other electrical installations. They require Preliminary Notices, Notices of Completion and Electrical Safety Certificates. EnergySafety is preparing a suitable sticker version
of the Safety Certificate which can be applied to a boat’s switchboard when the installation has been completed, checked and tested. Marina and boat installations will
be subject to network operator inspections in the normal way.”

More information at http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/EnergySaf...ulletin_45.pdf
A sign of things to come may surely get us back to the kerosene lamp.

[donradcliffe]

WOF, COC,...maybe if you switched to 120v they would let you work on your own wiring again. I hope that this trend does not spread.

[roger.waite]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

WOF, COC,...maybe if you switched to 120v they would let you work on your own wiring again. I hope that this trend does not spread.

Worth remembering that, with the exception of the Cat 1 requirements for NZ registered boats going overseas (a 1,400 nm 'training trip'), NZ is a lightly regulated boating environment compared to many first world countries. We do our own wiring; it just seems we will soon need an approved lead coming on board. Seems reasonable, to control hazards to adjacent yachts ... also nice to know that, if someone dents my beloved boat, the marina has tried to ensure they have third party insurance.

For any that see yachting America as the 'land' of the free, perhaps I can note in passing that onerous US regulations described in Chapman (e.g. mandatory registration, numbering requirements and boat tax) do not apply in my waters. NZ waters are lightly policed. And no. I doubt that my nation will ever drive on the right (except in navigation chanels), nor will we re-wire the whole country for the sake of a few marinas!

[BlueSovereign]

Originally Posted by getlostonpurpose

Hi folks,
I have ZERO insurance at the moment but I'll probably spend quite a bit of the next year in marinas in both NZ and OZ so I'm not against buying some sort of policy. Any recommendations? I figure I might as well see what companies from NZ have to offer first. Drew

I note not one post on this thread addressed your primary request (above) ... why am I not surprised!

The following should get you started:

This is the Island Cruising Association's former owners and are listed on the ICA's web site. Special rates for ICA members (which would cost you a big ~$NZ 46 to join): hepburn@insurancemarine-online.com

Tracey is a NZ Rep for Club Marine. Club Marine offer marine insurance both in Australia and NZ. If you email her, mention "Bill the American on Blue Sovereign":
(tracey.cossill@allianz.co.nz)

Martin Trendall handles my marine insurance for Blue Sovereign (he provided the insurance for the yacht's former owner, who was a very savvy business-wise guy, and I've stuck with him. If you email him, mention "Bill on Blue Sovereign": Martin.Trendall@crombielockwood.co.nz



William aka 'The PIRATE'

[svBeBe]

[quote=BlueSovereign;296145]I note not one post on this thread addressed your primary request (above) ... why am I not surprised!
--------
Read the posts again, William aka The Pirate.
I mentioned that the mandatory insurance can be obtained at the insurance agency at the end of the wharf at Opua. Name of the agency is The Marina Shop. Owned by a cruiser and very helpful. Offers good pricing on both the mandatory third party insurance as well as full-coverage for bluewater cruising. Very convenient if one is clearing in at Opua.

Judy
S/V BeBe
Amel SM2 #387

[BlueSovereign]

[quote=svBeBe;296238 Read the posts again, William aka The Pirate.
I mentioned that the mandatory insurance can be obtained at the insurance agency at the end of the wharf at Opua.
Judy
S/V BeBe
Amel SM2 #387[/quote]

I stand corrected Judy and apologise for my "indiscretion" ... leave it to a woman to "catch me out" ... why am I, again, not surprised!

William aka 'The (the apologetic) PIRATE'

Of course, the relevant question to ponder is whether The Marina Shop's rates are the equivalent to the FX rates at Akld airport???