Bareboar charter insurance. Advice please.

[peterandjeanette]

When SWMBO and I bareboat chartered a few weeks ago we were offered a choice of insurance/deposit.
Option 1 was a refundable deposit of 2000 euros and option 2 was a non refundable payment of 20 euros per day.
Can anyone explain to me, in simple terms, why we should pay the non refundable deposit ( 240 euros for a two week holiday) in place of the refundable 2000 euros?

And, has anyone had any bothers with insurance during a bareboat charter and what the implications are?

Many thanks

 

[Tranona]

The boat will be fully insured - but with an excess on each claim. The 20 Euros a day is to insure you for the excess that you will have to otherwise pay (just like any other insurance). Paying 2000 euros refundable is the equivalent of the excess, so if you damage the boat you could lose the lot. Paying the daily rate insures you against that. Which you take depends on your attitude to risk and your confidence in returning the boat without any damage!

No difference from car hire insurance and open to the same potential for an unscrupulous operator to withold part of your refundable deposit for damage that he claims you have done - so inspect the boat carefully and agree with him any damage that already exists.

 

[Heckler]

When SWMBO and I bareboat chartered a few weeks ago we were offered a choice of insurance/deposit.
Option 1 was a refundable deposit of 2000 euros and option 2 was a non refundable payment of 20 euros per day.
Can anyone explain to me, in simple terms, why we should pay the non refundable deposit ( 240 euros for a two week holiday) in place of the refundable 2000 euros?

And, has anyone had any bothers with insurance during a bareboat charter and what the implications are?

Many thanks

I went with Kiricoulis thru Sailing Holidays. It was a disaster. Anway, the Greek guy that dealt with us offered either he could take an imprint of my card OR I paid 20 euros a day. I paid the euros. The very thought of the man having the power to debit my card UNLIMITED funds filled me with horror.
Stu

 

[FistralG]

I went with Kiricoulis thru Sailing Holidays. It was a disaster. Anway, the Greek guy that dealt with us offered either he could take an imprint of my card OR I paid 20 euros a day. I paid the euros. The very thought of the man having the power to debit my card UNLIMITED funds filled me with horror.
Stu

When I chartered they wanted the deposit in cash! Apparently they didn't trust plastic. it was made worse that initially they asked for Euros (in a country where dollars are the norm) after I complained that it would be very inconvenient and costly to convert sterling to euros and then to dollars, they accepted the deposit in dollars.
I think they assume that all European countries have the euro as their currency.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Pay up and chill out.

I agree it is down to your assessment of risk. I always pay the few hundred euros and know I can just walk away at the end of the charter. I count it as part of the charter cost.

I am confident in my own ability to keep the boat intact but have seen so many gel-coat scraping, toe-rail bending scrapes during the evening scrum for the last berth that I just pay the damage waiver and relax. I don't need the hassle, it's supposed to be a holiday

 

[cgull]

I have had this dilema many times. I now pay the premium and divide up cost amongst crew. Used to put up the full deposit myself but this is a bit risky.

Did a charter last year from a Split base and there was no option on paying a premium, only huge deposit, so I took out a seperate insurance, cost £240.00 or so for 1 yr cover.
On that charter i was charged 40 euros for "polythene bag around prop"! No evidence available. I do find often charter companys at bases try it on for extras, ie deflated fenders, (at 80 euros)and i was once asked for more money for diesel as I hadnt used enough, I had filled it up to overflowing so couldnt get any more in and refused to pay.And i pumped up the fender myself.

 

[st599]

My crew lost a fender last year, luckily we were in a large fishing port with a massive chandlers. Replacement was 28euros. Charter company tried to charge 90 as it was a different fender.

 

[peterandjeanette]

Thanks for all the replys.
Looks like it's a "no brainer" - ie. pay the daily rate, be as careful as you can, check the inventory with minute detail and walk away at the end.
Doing another bareboat charter in SOF in September using a Dufour 405. Fingers crossed for some more decent weather.