Cranes and trucks - insurance?

[burgundyben]

Next weekend my new boat will be craned onto a lorry and transported by road.

At the pick up, the crane operator is a subcontractor to the yard where the boat is, they have booked the crane for someone else and he is lifting mine at the same time so we are sharing the cost.

I have booked the lorry.

At the drop off, the yard have their own crane and have been booked by my to do the job.

I haven't asked any of these people yet about their insurances or checked my own, that all planned for this week.

Would you ask the crane and lorry chaps to provide a copy of their insurance certificate? Or is that overkill?

 

[rafiki_]

I would be tempted to check with your insurance first. I'm not sure what the yards do, but when our boat was transported, the haulier was fully insured.

 

[Seastoke]

Next weekend my new boat will be craned onto a lorry and transported by road.

At the pick up, the crane operator is a subcontractor to the yard where the boat is, they have booked the crane for someone else and he is lifting mine at the same time so we are sharing the cost.

I have booked the lorry.

At the drop off, the yard have their own crane and have been booked by my to do the job.

I haven't asked any of these people yet about their insurances or checked my own, that all planned for this week.

Would you ask the crane and lorry chaps to provide a copy of their insurance certificate? Or is that overkill?

well if something goes wrong it might be to late ,maybe ask for risk assesments as well as your boat could damage anther ,but iam sure all will go well good luck

 

[omega2]

My insurer "covered" for transportation, but check with yours.

 

[superheat6k]

Be aware that if any of these operators are doing this 'as a favour' i.e. not paid, they are unlikely to take on any form of risk liability. This is where favours end and fees begin. If any form of fee is already being charged then they are not doing you a favour, so they should have appropriate cover for their liabilities.

The days of 'favours' concerning any form of mechanical handling are mostly a thing of bygone days. If you do start requesting Risk Assessments etc then expect to see fees increase, or reasons why they can't do the job due to being busy elsewhere. Even in this risk averse age many lower tech yards will look at you dumbly when you request a Risk Assessment.

However, if you want peace of mind then ask away.

Would you have asked such a question 10 years ago though ? Has the World become a more risky place, or would they then as now just loaded / unloaded your boat ?

 

[aquapower]

Make sure crane hire at all times is contract lift as this will be safest way and transport company should have adequate cover for 'goods in transit' and not just basic hauliers insurance which won't cover the value of boat.
I have spent most of my working life dealing with these kind of risks and find that the reputable company's are nothing to worry about however when someone comes in with a ridiculously cheap quote it usually means corners are cut.

 

[Andy Bav]

When we had ours lifted the crane operators website stated that he had insurance. I enquired of the haulage company as well - and whilst he stated he had insurance up to a certain amount, I can't remember, it was in excess of the value of the boat - I also checked my own insurance and they said she was covered whilst in transit.

I didn't get any paper copies to back them up, as the crane operator is the only one in town and the haulier had moved many boats, so both were well known. I didn't even think about the yard insurance at SCM ! Based on that, depending on how well known the operators are, may dictate if you think asking for copies is required to back up any verbal assurances.

Very best of luck with the move...

 

[Bandit]

You have too many elements, I assume a Foreign lift out ( good luck claiming off them if it goes tits up) a haulier and a re launch in another marina.

Each will blame the other and the foreign ones will go to ground, it would take years to get paid if at all.

Confirm if your insurance covers this move in full or if not seek an additional policy from your insurer for the move, if it goes wrong your insurer pays you and then goes after the person they deem liable.

 

[Jim@sea]

And be there.
Perhaps 30 years ago I was driving past the boatyard in Holyhead and glanced down the long private road and saw that a friends boat had been loaded onto transport and was slowly making its way up to the road. So I stopped to watch. I knew that the boat had some storm damage and was going off to be repaired. As the boat was going through the gates the hull on the Port side was catching on the brick pillar and was gouging grooves along the hull.
I mentioned this to the boat owner and he said that the boatyard who was doing the work had tried to charge him for the scratches by saying that the scratches were there when they lifted the boat onto the transport.

 

[burgundyben]

What I should have done in the first place is read my Y Yacht insurance policy document.

What is covered
1 Whilst ashore or afloat, being lifted, hauled out or launched, in transit by road,
rail, air or car ferry the Vessel is covered for losses arising from:
1.1 all risks of accidental damage;

 

[JumbleDuck]

Would you ask the crane and lorry chaps to provide a copy of their insurance certificate? Or is that overkill?

I would ask, and I would check the details. There was a case reported on Scuttlebutt last year - autumn, I think - of a boat which was damaged while on a lorry but the insurance company disclaimed liability because the driver hadn't signed a form when accepting the load. Amongst other things the mast had been dragged along the ground for many miles and several parked cars were hit by it. No cover, though.

 

[jfm]

You need your own cover, not someone else's. I see you've checked that Y cover you:encouragement:

Someone else's will typically cover their third party risk only, eg if they negligently smash your boat. It will typically not cover your boat if the lorry/crane guy/firms are not themselves liable to you eg they were not negligent

The whole concept of someone else's insurance covering your risks is founded on some sort of misconception. There's no reasons why would someone else should cover your risks

 

[Bandit]

What I should have done in the first place is read my Y Yacht insurance policy document.

What is covered
1 Whilst ashore or afloat, being lifted, hauled out or launched, in transit by road,
rail, air or car ferry the Vessel is covered for losses arising from:
1.1 all risks of accidental damage;

That is a good start.

I would drop a letter or email to the Broker or to The insurance company if you are dealing with them direct to inform that that you will be moving the boat from Port A to Port B , stating which company will be lifting the boat out, which company will be moving it by road and which company will be re launching it and that you notice from the terms of your insurance that your policy covers this type of risk and asking them if they require any further information? This way you should flush out any gaps in the insurance.

 

[burgundyben]

That is a good start.

I would drop a letter or email to the Broker or to The insurance company if you are dealing with them direct to inform that that you will be moving the boat from Port A to Port B , stating which company will be lifting the boat out, which company will be moving it by road and which company will be re launching it and that you notice from the terms of your insurance that your policy covers this type of risk and asking them if they require any further information? This way you should flush out any gaps in the insurance.

Funnily enough I have just done exactly that.