Any recommendations for insurance

I

Independence

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 May 2007
Messages
531
Visit site
My annual UK cruising insurance premium is up for renewal and I thought I should shop around to ensure I'm getting the best quote.

Are there any recommendations out there for an insurance company with a good record of customer service and claims payout as well as being competitve?

Thanks
 
Independence said:
My annual UK cruising insurance premium is up for renewal and I thought I should shop around to ensure I'm getting the best quote.

Are there any recommendations out there for an insurance company with a good record of customer service and claims payout as well as being competitve?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Read these T&C
http://www.yyachtinsurance.com/OurUnderwriters.cfm
then talk to Barrie Sullivan ( former md of Pantaenius uk)
 
I use Navigators and General. I have been with them all my life and find them competitive on price and very good on the couple of occasions when I have needed to claim.
 
Independence said:
My annual UK cruising insurance premium is up for renewal and I thought I should shop around to ensure I'm getting the best quote.

Are there any recommendations out there for an insurance company with a good record of customer service and claims payout as well as being competitve?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I'm with Towergate Mardon. Seem competitive, but more importantly to me they were superb when I had to claim after my mast fell as a result of a boatyard accident. can't speak highly enough of their claims people.
 
Mine is also up for renewal very soon and I have been shopping around since early October on account of wanting to stay in commission through the winter, so far all the usual suspects (GJW, HKJ, N&G plus others) will not provide cover, current insurer will only offer third party which is not much of an offer.
Am now waiting to see what an almost local broker that actually understands the area can come up with. Right now feeling quite fed up with the whole episode, it seems they only want to cover the really safe bets that have absolutely no risk attached, ie boats in marinas that never go to sea.

So no recommendations from me . . . . yet
 
Nautical Insurance Services

I've used these people for the last 5 years.

£200 p.a. fully comp. (no racing), incl single handed for a 33 foot £28k boat, on a swinging mooring, includes tender and outboard. Laid up Nov - Apr.

No claims, but after my boat was hit whilst on here mooring they were extremely helpful. They kept in touch, fortunately the 3rd party eventually paid for the damage, and I have kept my full no-claims bonus.
 
Have a care with Yachtline. They were highly imaginative in inventing unfeasible excuses not to pay my claim.
 
Scillypete said:
Mine is also up for renewal very soon and I have been shopping around since early October on account of wanting to stay in commission through the winter, so far all the usual suspects (GJW, HKJ, N&G plus others) will not provide cover,
So no recommendations from me . . . . yet
Click to expand...

I am surprised about GJW not offering winter cover. We never had a problem with them giving it from the U.K. down to Greece. Did they give a reason?
 
jordanbasset said:
I am surprised about GJW not offering winter cover. We never had a problem with them giving it from the U.K. down to Greece. Did they give a reason?
Click to expand...

Just a straight blank response of we will not cover for winter in St Mary's harbour, same from Haven and Nav & Gen . . . . not even the offer of a raised excess for the winter period . . . . . . . the fact that we have had some weather this summer that was much worse than anything we had last winter doesn't seem to make them think that it might just be a little safer than they think
 
Scillypete said:
Mine is also up for renewal very soon and I have been shopping around since early October on account of wanting to stay in commission through the winter, so far all the usual suspects (GJW, HKJ, N&G plus others) will not provide cover, current insurer will only offer third party which is not much of an offer.
Am now waiting to see what an almost local broker that actually understands the area can come up with. Right now feeling quite fed up with the whole episode, it seems they only want to cover the really safe bets that have absolutely no risk attached, ie boats in marinas that never go to sea.

So no recommendations from me . . . . yet
Click to expand...

It doesn't surprise me.

Do many boats stay in commission on the Scillies during winter ? I thought most local boats are hauled ashore for winter. The risk to the insurers must be quite high for a boat on a swinging mooring in the Isles of Scilly during winter.
 
Scillypete said:
Mine is also up for renewal very soon and I have been shopping around since early October on account of wanting to stay in commission through the winter, so far all the usual suspects (GJW, HKJ, N&G plus others) will not provide cover, current insurer will only offer third party which is not much of an offer.
Am now waiting to see what an almost local broker that actually understands the area can come up with. Right now feeling quite fed up with the whole episode, it seems they only want to cover the really safe bets that have absolutely no risk attached, ie boats in marinas that never go to sea.

So no recommendations from me . . . . yet
Click to expand...

Perhaps the difficulty you have in getting cover says something about the risk. Many insurers refuse cover on a swinging mooring in the winter - particularly in exposed places. One of the ways they keep premiums down is by avoiding the most risky.
 
mick said:
I'm with Towergate Mardon. Seem competitive, but more importantly to me they were superb when I had to claim after my mast fell as a result of a boatyard accident. can't speak highly enough of their claims people.
Click to expand...

I got a quote from them this afternoon. They wouldn't cover me to leave my boat on a swinging mooring unless I remained on board.
 
I use De Novo - Lymington..... last years total premium was £367.11

1977 33footer, no racing with well up to date gismos etc. includes all British and European waters (not Biscay after Nov 1st or before April 1st) with a replacement hull/machinery value of 45K + 5K personal effects + £300 outboard + £350 dinghy + £500 liferaft + other items of 5K.
My policy allows others that are qualified and 'competant' to use the boat with my approval and it gives me Legal cover.
I can use the boat as a houseboat on land for 4 consecutive days/nights
total sum insured £56,150
6months afloat/6 months ashore...
Third party £30M
 
Last edited:
Slow_boat said:
I got a quote from them this afternoon. They wouldn't cover me to leave my boat on a swinging mooring unless I remained on board.
Click to expand...

Strange one that, considering that up until last season my boat was on a swinging mooring and they insured me without the condition you mention.
 
theoldsalt said:
It doesn't surprise me.

Do many boats stay in commission on the Scillies during winter ? I thought most local boats are hauled ashore for winter. The risk to the insurers must be quite high for a boat on a swinging mooring in the Isles of Scilly during winter.
Click to expand...

Over the years I have kept boats in over winter before and insurance was not a problem, we also had a motor cat as well which oddly enough was insured by GJW and was insured to be commission all year up until we sold that one last year. so yes some boats do stay in commission over here not many granted. More to the point in recent years the moorings have mostly gone from being privately owned/maintained to laid, owned and maintained by the harbour authority which is noticably better by far. There are hardly any incidents through the winters of note, most incidents happen in summer when the place is full and the slightest bit of weather seems to have visitors that have been a bit lax in how they secured to the moorings breaking away. Maybe that is the problem giving insurers a fairly false idea about the reality.
 
i have been with N&G for over 10 years about 5 years i asked to change to in commission for 12 months, no problem, have known several people since with N&G that coulnt get winter cover ! in out harbour
 
There is only one criterion.......

Go for a company that has a reputation for paying out on claims and avoid those who have a reputation for wriggling out of paying....

Chances are....the cheaper companies will come into the latter category.......so......if you`ve bought their product you`ve wasted all of your money...

conversely.......if you think you might have paid what you think might be slightly over the odds....but the company pays out........then you`ve only `wasted` a fraction of it...

What we really need to know are the names of the `wriggle companies` and the `payout companies`..

Sounds like a different thread coming on....I`m sorted...so I don`t need to do it..though I suspect one of you will volunteer?
 
Scillypete said:
Mine is also up for renewal very soon and I have been shopping around since early October on account of wanting to stay in commission through the winter, so far all the usual suspects (GJW, HKJ, N&G plus others) will not provide cover, current insurer will only offer third party which is not much of an offer.
Am now waiting to see what an almost local broker that actually understands the area can come up with. Right now feeling quite fed up with the whole episode, it seems they only want to cover the really safe bets that have absolutely no risk attached, ie boats in marinas that never go to sea.

So no recommendations from me . . . . yet
Click to expand...

I can understand insurers being nervous about St Marys moorings.

Bit different, but years ago in Hong Kong I had swinging moorings first In Tai Tam Bay, then in Deepwater Bay. Neither of these were regarded as very safe in typhoons, and insurance premiums were steep. Shortly after I moved into the "safer" typhoon shelter in Aberdeen - and got premiums almost halved - a really big typhoon completely took out both breakwaters seen in the photo at http://thehongkongtravelguide.com/pix/aberdeen.jpg

There were so many boats sunk and badly damaged that the insurance assessor came out in a hired sampan, glanced at my boat, which was still afloat though a bit battered, said "...send the bills", and went on to the next. He did not even step on board.
 
Good Service

I changed to Craftinsure three years ago and found them reasonable and very good when a claim arose.
We were rammed by a large yacht coming from behind on full power and, we later realised, left on autopilot.
This he claimed later was our fault but, skipping the details, the insurers referred it to the underwriters because of a counterclaim he made, they in turn used solicitors and eventually the counterclaim was dropped. Craftinsure reinstated my no claim bonus despite a large solicitors bill having been incurred. Although nominally an internet operation they answer the phone with knowledgeable staff, definitely not call centre treatment. Thoroughly recommended.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top