'boat location' for insurance renewal

[polaris2.11]

This is our first year cruising full time and living aboard. It has come time to renew our liability-only policy with BoatUS/Geico - and they want me to update the address of the boat's location - e.g., a marina. Of course, our boat's location is whatever safe anchorage, mooring, or marina we may happen to be in and there really is no fixed address. How to respond?

When this first came up some months ago, I called Geico, and after several somewhat lengthy hold times, I spoke to an underwriter who did not answer the question directly but did say that nothing needed to be changed from the old marina address we used prior to cruising full time - and that the policy would remain in effect until renewal - so that was good enough for me at that point.

Now, I would like to make sure the information I provide them with the renewal is as accurate as I can make it. Oddly, none of their standard 'canned' responses on the web form seem to address full time cruisers.

Surely others here encountered this situation -- but I cannot find any mention of it.

I have an enquiry in with Geico and am waiting on a response. Meanwhile, I would appreciate hearing of any similar experience form other cruisers.

[john61ct]

Few bureaucracies accommodates full-time nomads, short of using a letterbox service.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tc-208306.html

Unless you know of a particular spot that might reduce your rate, could just use the last place you stopped, does not matter.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Few bureaucracies accommodates full-time nomads, short of using a letterbox service.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tc-208306.html

Unless you know of a particular spot that might reduce your rate, could just use the last place you stopped, does not matter.

Problem with that is that if you have a claim and you used a location to reduce your rate while being in another location the insurance company will probably not pay.

My insurance covers a specific area and when I cruise I get a waiver for that area.

[polaris2.11]

We do have residency via SBI, but of course, that is not where the boat is. I guess I could use that address, but the concern is that if you do not give accurate info, they might use that as a reason not to pay a claim?

[polaris2.11]

Originally Posted by tomfl

My insurance covers a specific area and when I cruise I get a waiver for that area.

Yeah, we do that too, and have the proper endorsements for the area where we are cruising, but the boat location address is different. They seem to be thinking that the boat is normally housed at a certain address, then you go off cruising for awhile and return there. Not so in our case.

[letsgetsailing3]

Where is the boat, actually?


Is it in Florida, or somewhere else?

[polaris2.11]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Where is the boat, actually?
Is it in Florida, or somewhere else?

The boat is currently in the Bahamas, but not at a fixed address - and no idea if we will stay there througout all or most of the upcoming policy period...

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by polaris2.11

The boat is currently in the Bahamas, but not at a fixed address - and no idea if we will stay there througout all or most of the upcoming policy period...

Seems to me that this would be enough information. Where the boat is now, and the basic plan. They probably need to know if you're in a hurricane area vs not a hurricane area, or if you're headed offshore or to the Carribean, which is different than a fixed marina.


If they're insuring boats, surely they can handle that kind of information.

[john61ct]

The "based out of" address is not important, yes of course you are clear with the company wrt the "cruising area covered".

It is just a bureaucratic / database design issue, "no fixed address" is not an option, so you give them something to put in that field, can be your legal domicile address or some marina.

Mail goes to your mailing address, since forwarding addresses are often blacklist-matched for legal purposes, don't use that, unless the likes of SBI/Escapees give you one for just that purpose.

People full-timing in land vehicles have the same issue, need a "garaged at" address for registration & insurance, even if no one's actually been there in years.

No deceptive intent, just accommodating the bureaucracy's own failure to plan for this rare edge case.

[polaris2.11]

Thanks for the thoughtful response j61. Very likely true and certainly believable. I will attempt to confirm with Geico, but their reps have been pretty clueless so far, so I expect I will end just picking an address as you suggest... probably where the boat is registered. Somewhat oddly, they have actually been quite persistent in trying to get me to provide this more or less meaningless info... at least in my case.

[polaris2.11]

I just spoke to Sarah at BoatUS and she was readily able to confirm j61's info that, as long as the cruising area limits are adhered to, the 'boat location' address is not relevant and claims will be paid. I asked specifically if I could use the address where the boat is registered, even though the boat may never actually be there again, and she said that would be fine and that the address was for 'administrative purposes' only.

...must have got a dud rep last time. Sarah was right on top of it and understood our situation exactly and immediately.

Case closed I guess. Hope this thread helps some lurker or two out there.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by polaris2.11

Thanks for the thoughtful response j61. Very likely true and certainly believable. I will attempt to confirm with Geico, but their reps have been pretty clueless so far, so I expect I will end just picking an address as you suggest... probably where the boat is registered. Somewhat oddly, they have actually been quite persistent in trying to get me to provide this more or less meaningless info... at least in my case.

Yes all bureaucrats are highly motivated to get data when saving the form requires filling the field.

But asking them to actually make a ruling interpreting a real life edge case scenario that isn't in their predefined branching FAQ script? Where they may be held responsible later?

Good luck with that.

Lots easier to just say "sorry we won't cover that".

Best to always know in advance from other info sources, exactly how to feed them their database form contents, quick and easy stamp stamp, approved, next!

They are data processing units, don't expect them to be allowed to use their brains.

[sharjon]

I just went through a similar conversation however I gave them a FL marina address and received a quote. Then changed to a MD marina and my rate dropped $1 K. So I told the agent let's make the MD marina the home port as my goal is to stay out of hurricane zone anyway.

[endlesspursuit]

I was told just recently by Boat US that the would no longer do Liability only policies for boats over 30 ft. Did that come up in the conversation polaris2.11?

[WindwardPrinces]

Originally Posted by sharjon

I just went through a similar conversation however I gave them a FL marina address and received a quote. Then changed to a MD marina and my rate dropped $1 K. So I told the agent let's make the MD marina the home port as my goal is to stay out of hurricane zone anyway.

Presumably, you'd have to list where you're actually going to keep the boat.