Boat insurance in NZ question

[Deryck]

I'm in the process of (hopefully!) doing a deal on a Bavaria 37 which I'm going to be using as a liveaboard here in NZ.

Obviously I need to insure the boat and have had a couple of quotes but they're wildly different - one is for $1200pa, the other is almost double that.
The cheaper one is from Club Marine so it's from a specialist boating insurer whereas the other one was through the bank I've dealt with for the last 22 years who are usually very good and competitive (but not on this occasion!).

I have two questions on insurance :-

Firstly which company in NZ provides the best and most competitive price for good cover - I emphasise, GOOD insurance cover, not just taking your money and then giving poor service and/or hard to deal with in the event of a claim?

Secondly, I want to store some items which won't fit on the boat in a secure storage unit - things that I won't be needing on a regular basis but want to keep for as and when I do need them. Insurance for this situation also seems to be hard to get for some reason but I must have these things insured just in case the worst happens and the storage unit burns down or floods out. Any suggestions where I can get such cover?

Any suggestions will be very welcome!

[Cowpoos]

I would ask on the crew.org.nz website. You are much more likely to get a large number of responses.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Deryck

I'm in the process of (hopefully!) doing a deal on a Bavaria 37 which I'm going to be using as a liveaboard here in NZ.

Obviously I need to insure the boat and have had a couple of quotes but they're wildly different - one is for $1200pa, the other is almost double that.
The cheaper one is from Club Marine so it's from a specialist boating insurer whereas the other one was through the bank I've dealt with for the last 22 years who are usually very good and competitive (but not on this occasion!).

I have two questions on insurance :-

Firstly which company in NZ provides the best and most competitive price for good cover - I emphasise, GOOD insurance cover, not just taking your money and then giving poor service and/or hard to deal with in the event of a claim?

Secondly, I want to store some items which won't fit on the boat in a secure storage unit - things that I won't be needing on a regular basis but want to keep for as and when I do need them. Insurance for this situation also seems to be hard to get for some reason but I must have these things insured just in case the worst happens and the storage unit burns down or floods out. Any suggestions where I can get such cover?

Any suggestions will be very welcome!

Bear in mind that club marine here in Aus are in fact Allianz and their track record with claims leaves something to be desired.

[Deryck]

That's the sort of information I need to know - thanks. I'm only too well aware that some companies are happy to take your money but not so good at settling claims if they arise.

[El Pinguino]

Last time I was in NZ I arranged insurance through this lot... rate was good.... no idea beyond that as didn't make a claim..
Boat Insurance - PIC Insurance Brokers NZ*

[DavefromNZ]

Pantaenius, Aussie office, I have found good to insure in NZ.

[philiosophy]

I suggest you contact Bill Garleck at The Marina Shopin opua. Good honest man.

[akprb]

Originally Posted by philiosophy

I suggest you contact Bill Garleck at The Marina Shopin opua. Good honest man.

That was my first thought as well. They treated us great.

[grantmc]

Depends what you're planning to do.

I have been very satisfied with my boat's insurance through AMI 0800 100 200 or if you’re overseas call +64 3 371 9000.

Policy includes cover whilst racing but limitations include:
- no further than 250 miles off shore
- predominantly boat is based in an AMI approved marina
- survey required
- owner must have a minimum of Coastguard Boatmaster qualification.

The premiums are way way cheaper than anything suggested in the forum above.

When I bought the boat they wanted a copy of the survey and 15 years on they wanted a new survey (although they gave me 12 months notice to get it done). Boat passed with flying colours last year.

Agree with earlier post that crew.org.nz best place to ask.

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by philiosophy

I suggest you contact Bill Garleck at The Marina Shop in Opua. Good honest man.

one more vote for Bill. He was so helpful and knowledgable in trying to sort out the correct insurance for overseas visiting yachts, at no benefit to himself.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Depends what you're planning to do.



I have been very satisfied with my boat's insurance through AMI 0800 100 200 or if you’re overseas call +64 3 371 9000.



Policy includes cover whilst racing but limitations include:

- no further than 250 miles off shore

- predominantly boat is based in an AMI approved marina

- survey required

- owner must have a minimum of Coastguard Boatmaster qualification.



The premiums are way way cheaper than anything suggested in the forum above.



When I bought the boat they wanted a copy of the survey and 15 years on they wanted a new survey (although they gave me 12 months notice to get it done). Boat passed with flying colours last year.



Agree with earlier post that crew.org.nz best place to ask.

AMI only insures up to $250,000 NZ boat value, but fine for smaller boats and great if you have other insurance covers for multi policy discounts and umbrella liability.

I’ve insured via Neil Bailey of Baileys Insurance. Great service (no claims experience yet knock on wood) and reasonable premium. I’m up for renewal and will check with The Marina Shop for a competitive quote.

[Deryck]

Thanks for all the responses.

That's a good starting point to get a couple of quotes.

I should only need cover for coastal cruising (at least for the next few years) as the longest trip I'm likely to be making will be the delivery from Auckland to Mana outside Wellington as I intend to build up my experience going between Mana and the Sounds/Nelson Bays before thinking of venturing further afield to explore the Coromandel/Bay of Islands, etc. (I'll employ a professional delivery skipper for the delivery trip).

Cheers

[Deryck]

Oops! I hit the 'reply' button too quickly!

As I'm going to be living onboard, I'll be renting a secure storage unit local to the marina for items that I can't store on the boat but will still need to keep.

Are there any liveaboards in NZ who do the same thing and, if so, which company do you use for insuring the stored items. I know that there's a fairly low limit on the 'personal effects' to be kept on the boat that's included in most marine policies.

[yotpop]

Hi Deryck. I've had 20 years of problem-free (claim free!) yacht insurance with Mariner Insurance Boat Insurance NZ | Get a Boat Insurance Quote Online They're Auckland-based underwriting agents for Vero and know the local market well. Their policies seem fine without excluding everything you can think of. I recommend you call Aaron or John Mortimer on 0800 466 467 or email them at info@marinermarine.co.nz Plenty of other info on their website. Worth obtaining a quotation and if anything hits the fan, I'm sure it's easier to deal with it locally than across the Tasman.

[Kerry1]

Originally Posted by Deryck

I'm in the process of (hopefully!) doing a deal on a Bavaria 37 which I'm going to be using as a liveaboard here in NZ.

Obviously I need to insure the boat and have had a couple of quotes but they're wildly different - one is for $1200pa, the other is almost double that.
The cheaper one is from Club Marine so it's from a specialist boating insurer whereas the other one was through the bank I've dealt with for the last 22 years who are usually very good and competitive (but not on this occasion!).

I have two questions on insurance :-

Firstly which company in NZ provides the best and most competitive price for good cover - I emphasise, GOOD insurance cover, not just taking your money and then giving poor service and/or hard to deal with in the event of a claim?

Secondly, I want to store some items which won't fit on the boat in a secure storage unit - things that I won't be needing on a regular basis but want to keep for as and when I do need them. Insurance for this situation also seems to be hard to get for some reason but I must have these things insured just in case the worst happens and the storage unit burns down or floods out. Any suggestions where I can get such cover?

Any suggestions will be very welcome!

I have a BAV. 38 insured with Club Marine and have been for 9 yrs. through the Marina Shop (Bill Garleck) which has been well spoken of in other posts here. My brickbat is that my insurance increased from something similar to your lower quote to 1500GST inclusive when I was moved off the pile mooring to a swing mooring while Stage 2 of the Opua marina was built. While the people at the Marina Shop (as has been noted) are good people, this may not necessarily reflect in the company they represent. Having never made a claim it is disturbing to see this report from Uncle Bob "Bear in mind that club marine here in Aus are in fact Allianz and their track record with claims leaves something to be desired."

It is one thing to get insurance at a very competitive rate, but at the end of the day how do you evaluate a company's ability/willingess to settle claims? It's rating may suggest its ability, but not it amenability to paying claims. Only the collective experience of its claimants can quantify that. So I would welcome seeing input on experiences of claims paid out. Thanks to those contributors who have made suggestions, am currently enquiring myself now for insurance quotes. I made a total loss claim on a previous boat that went aground on rocks at Tutukaka years ago when a cyclone passed down the East coast. The welded swivel on my rented swing mooring had corroded away and let go under the added strain. I was insured with Ahlers Insurance which doesn't exist now I believe, but they were great. There was some doubt at first if they would pay, as the mooring was a week out of survey, however the owners thankfully had booked it in to be lifted and surveyed and the storms arrival had in fact delayed the survey. On that basis the company agreed to pay out. I had owned the boat for 7 years and they paid out what I had in fact paid for the boat.