Chartering in Greece - what insurance?

[pika_pika_pika]

We are chartering a yacht in Greece for a couple of weeks and I am wondering whether anyone can advise on insurance to take out - other than our standard travel insurance. We've always assumed that personal liability, or other people damaging our chartered yacht/us whilst on the boat was covered by the charter company's insurance. Is this correct? What about theft of our possessions from the yacht? I've spent an afternoon digging around on the internet and am none the wiser, though close to going nuts! Can anyone tell me what sort of insurance they take out prior to chartering abroad? All advice gratefully received...

 

[Baggywrinkle]

It's personal preference really.

Health: Greece is EU so there is reciprocal health insurance with the U.K. you just need to apply for E111 European Health Insurance Card.

Yacht: Most charter companies will offer two options. You will be asked to pay a refundable deposit (quite a large sum) or you can pay a one-off fee for a damage waiver (smaller sum) and that is all you will pay but it is non-refundable.

The boat is insured anyway for 3rd party liability (you hitting someone) and for major damage to the boat done by you.

As for possessions it is preference, normal travel insurance should be fine but I would doubt very much that possessions are covered by the charter insurance.

Give the charter company a ring and they should be able to clarify the deposit/damage waiver and cover offered.

 

[mjcoon]

We are chartering a yacht in Greece for a couple of weeks and I am wondering whether anyone can advise on insurance to take out - other than our standard travel insurance.

Check the small print. When renewing some years ago I discovered the terms had changed and yachting was no longer covered. They had not informed me of any changes. I queried it and got yachting re-instated for the same price.

Mike.

 

[xtiffer]

Check the small print. When renewing some years ago I discovered the terms had changed and yachting was no longer covered. They had not informed me of any changes. I queried it and got yachting re-instated for the same price.

Mike.

As Tom Waits once said: "The large print giveth, the small print taketh away"
Cheers,
Chris

 

[lufc71]

We went through the same painful exercise a couple of weeks ago, and finally settled on AMEX which has yachting (within 12 miles of land) as standard. All the others that we looked at either didn't mention sailing, or specifically mentioned it as not covered. We took out annual Europe multi-trip and it was around 40 quid for a couple.

 

[little_roundtop]

Health: Greece is EU so there is reciprocal health insurance with the U.K. you just need to apply for E111 European Health Insurance Card.

We liveaboard in Greece and I can confirm that the E111 (it's called the European Health Insurance Card now though) does work. In fact it gives us faster medical care than the locals get! I have assumed this is because they know that the NHS will pay them quickly whereas the Greek insurance companies probably don't.

The medical service is excellent here (I've been in a public hospital twice and a private one once) and the standard of medical care is superb. The nurses however only provide medical care, they don't give bed-baths and they won't take you to the toilet or help you deal with the paperwork - that's what families are for (as far as the Greeks are concerned). I did get free meals both times I was in a public hospital (and the Greeks often don't!).

The only thing you'll need medical insurance for is if you need to be repatriated because of a medical condition which prevents you using your scheduled airline.

Tony C.

 

[pika_pika_pika]

Thanks!

Thank you everyone for your helpful advice! We have our EHIC card and renewed our travel insurance with protectyourbubble.com who do cover inshore yachting and crewing (well, no personal liability and medical costs in relation to this, but the first is covered by the charter company and latter by by EHIC to some extent). Our old travel insurere's didn't cover yachting when we checked, so thanks for the tip to double check! Looking forward to our trip : )