Boat insurance

[Macblaze]

Try Navis, they insured us...the fools :-)

Most marina's around here won't ask for insurance unless you are staying for an extended period (i.e. signing a contract). And we only needed 2 million liability for our 6 month contract.

Oh and talk to alctel. He is here in Victoria and bought a boat a few years back with no experience as well...

[chuckr]

Not sure about Canada but we had taken a few ASA courses and chartered a couple of times - we then bought a brand new Jeanneau DS40 - our first boat ever and we had never sailed before our courses.
We were turned down a number of times until we found Bill Hodgens of YachtInsure who we were with for a long time
we now have IMIS who allowed us a 2 handed crossing of the Atlantic and they work with us each year on our summer sailing season and this year was a bit of challenge for them but they worked it out for us. Great company.

[Lepke]

My US insurance is Hagerty that covers US & Canada out to 25 miles including Alaska. I don't know if they can sell just Canada. There is a Hagarty UK, but don't know anything about them. Lloyds usually will cover, but no idea on cost.
Experience is always an issue, but there are many new people each year with boat mortgages that have to be covered.
When I first went commercial fishing I had restrictions on range and how far offshore even though I had unlimited mate papers and 100 ton master. For a couple years I had to call anytime I wanted to go outside my normal range.

[Rex Delay]

Dolphin Insurance in Vancouver is your best bet

[RekkaBell]

I was finally able to get insurance ! Took a bit of research but found a good place in Vancouver that commonly insures liveaboards.

Thank you all for your advice!

All the places I visited in sidney turned me down (Harbord, Seafirst, Sparling... to name a few).

[denker]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

Here in the Netherlands, you pay full price when you have 0 experience and get a (small) discount for every full year you make no claim. Doesn't matter if you've ever seen a boat before Just as long as you don't go off shore, you'll be insured.

Edit: actual experience isn't even the point; just not claiming is. Which is easy when you're tucked away in a marina

Despite that most of your sailing/cruising damage will come in marinas! In 28 000 Nm of my cruising, marinas are the place for sailing damage.

Storm seas & protracted gale force winds, have nothing on a marina...the more protected the marina, the worse your risk, (As safe marina's attract the most insecure/worst skippers.)

Your worst sailer enemy is a weekender, on a am 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. mindset, who booked & planned "this particular weekend" five weeks ago or longer!! (i.e. hasn't learned that wind, tide & weather are the cause to schedule & plan your sailing.) They'll crash into you boat, foul your anchor chains, spill paint on your boat, burn out your electrics, never replace anodes, drop your mooring lines, drop spars on your deck, smash your solar panels, foul your boats sides, rip your balustrades from your deck and other evil deeds!

The first thing they want to do, too, is sue... YAWN!

Enemy number two are charter boats & their holiday skippers. Also with a 'schedule', alcohol, plenty inexperience & attitude! Make sure that you anchor far away from any charters boats, and give them the widest possible berth, in channel, or tight passage! Be alert to which way they're likely to drag, or slip themselves inadvertently from their anchors (usually at about 2 a.m. at dog watch & later)

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In Australia liability was explained to me in this way.

You are boat B, never sail, liveaboard, so no real sailing risks.

Boat A your neighbour to your port side catches alight, and your boat & boat C your starboard neighbour are all burnt down to the waterline.

Boat C's insurers will not pursue an action against boat A (the cause of the fire), but against you, and your resultant liability then passes through you onto A.

A liability chain ...

This is certainly not in your interest, nor less convenient, but it is in the interest of the insurers.

s.i.g.