Charity = Commercial?

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rhinorhino

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The recent deleted post on cost share vs commercial use got me thinking.

If I donate a days sailing for a charity auction and the charity gets say £500, is the use of my boat for the resulting sail commercial.

My boat and I are fully ligitimate for charter so i just ask out of interest?
 
After talking to my insurers I did offer a weekend sailing for auction in a fund raiser and will be delivering the goods this weekend.

My insurer was happy provided: a) the monies went directly to the cause and not to the cause via me, b) that I was not claiming any expenses and c) that I provided them with details, in advance, of the date of the trip, number of people involved and likely cruising area. Apparently this is quite a common occurrence and is not considered to be a charter as the crew are our guests.

My boat is not chartered and is not coded, but this was not considered to be a problem as I am not using the vessel for hire or reward. The vessel is, in many ways, equipped beyond the requirements for charter ie. in safety equipment.

All of the people attending the auction were known to us and the situation concerning insurance, lack of coding, etc. was fully explained to the bidders.

It didn't make £500, and will probably cost us as much as the lot raised, but it did prove to be the most expensive item in the auction and introduces a few more people to sailing.
 
Steve

Who is you insurer?

I have often been asked "can you offer something for an auction", never thought of a days sailing, so obvious to!


Stephen
 
Surely this is a question for the MCA, not just insurers.
Technically it could be seen as doing it for 'gain'.
Not yours obviously, but they are 'paying' even though its going into a charity coffer.
If something does (hopefully not) go pearshaped, will the insurance company still back you? If nothing else, I'd get all in writing, with any exclusions. Maybe talk about the 'customers' also signing some chit beforehand as well (assuming this has any legal meaning).
 
it's a lovely gesture, but i have seen a few sailing days up for auction and they attract only a very few bidders and £500 would be a great result - the bidders themselves also donate off-peak weeks in cottages etc and nobody quite has the time to go on all these jollies.

At the end of one auction we offered a special item which was *Nothing at all* brand new and still in the package with guarantee, which fetched £800...
 
My daughter's office was running one of these auctions & I was asked to donate a days sailing, which I was happy to do.
When I checked with my insurers they said that as it would be a commercial undertaking, [money changes hand], I would not be covered for passenger liability, so I had to retract my offer.
The irony was that the company organising the auction were in fact also my insurers.
Dan
 
Yes, would agree, used to be with BS, now with GJW, seem to be as helpful and a lot cheper. I will contact them to ask their permission.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have often been asked "can you offer something for an auction", never thought of a days sailing, so obvious to!

[/ QUOTE ]

Apart from the insurance, tips for anyone thinking of doing it (I have) is to make sure you spell out exactly what is on offer - now many you can accommodate, what happens if the weather doesn't work, how they get to the boat, what food is provided etc. Never promise a specific destination. One time I had a Sonata so could accommodate only 3 plus me for a day sail - I said that on the form but an organiser said to the winners "you'll be able to take 3 friends" - by the time I'd straightened that out they were already feeling they'd been cheated so the day got off to a bad start.
 
Three plus one would have been a tight fit on a Sonata!

All very good points. The winners thinking they have won a cruise in the sun with a lobster salad, finishing up with stair lod rain and a pack of sarnies at East Head!
 
We only really felt confident to make this offer as it was a closed auction, amongst a group of people that we know very well. The ground rules were very carefully explained at the auction and backed up, with the successful group, over a supper at our house. It was clearly pointed out that we could take 4 peeps max, they will be our guests and that I will be choosing destinations etc, I will, of course, try to accommodate any particular sight seeing request. The weather issue was well covered, to the extent of pointing out that they could well spend the weekend tied up at Bucklers Hard.

The bid will probably just about cover costs, especially taking into account this groups propensity for wine drinking. One of the guys is a CS and sails with Joint Services, he's hoping to get his swmbo and the other (related) couple hooked on the idea of flotilla holiday next year.

Anyway, weathers looking good so far, so here's hoping for a good weekend.
 
The reality was a day of drizzle, going from Gosport to Bembridge, sandwiches and cup-a-soup tied to a wet pontoon then the same back again.

I read an article in the Sunday Times by a reporter who hired a sailing boat for a week at Cannes or somewhere similar. He had no idea about sailing and just left it in the marina while he went tottie-hunting... "come down to my yacht". The dollies he picked up all thought they were going to be on a 100 ft gin palace and walked away when they saw a mere 35 foot sailboat. That's the sort of expectation generated by a day on a "yacht".
 
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