Crossing Biscay

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Jesse

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Our insurance company is insisting that we need three on board to cross Biscay, but we are only two. Any body know of any insurance companies that are more liberal? Skipper is DTI endorsed, crew member partially qualified. All help/advice greatfully received. Ta Very Much
 
We're with Bishop Skinner and have not had 'three up' demands from them on any of our trips to northern Spain and on down, though we have been insured with them for many years which may have something to do with it.

Give 'em a call and speak to Bill Southgate, who is a very knowledgeable and 'down to earth' chap.
 
I have had no problems with various insurance companies - both for deliveries and my own crusing. Currently using Bishop Skinner. Have used St. Margs., Pant. and others in the past.

I generally tell them what I want and will accept and then they tell me how much. DOn't lte the insurance company/broker set the agenda and you will find you get what you need.
 
I am with craftinsure and although they have been quick to take our money there aftersales has been very poor and I wonder how they would be in the event of a claim, also note Boatshed.com no longer recommend there product.
 
i think for short handed cruising track record and logged experience is most important.i would advice contacting the company direct and asking to discuss specific requirements.we had a similar crew rider for our first biscay crossing but this was dropped following discussion and sumission of a written cv.this year we go azores and back two handed with insurance. expect to pay an increased premium and accept alarger excess
 
Just take third party.Im sailing soon from bourdeaux to Le Havre and my insc dostd just 40 euros!

You must first have confidence in your boat and your ability,no insc will save you from tides!

God help me out there!!

an outcast forced by povety to leave the walm mediteranian forced into the cold and danger of the seas of fical ways.May i please arrive whole.

And that my navic wind vane and garmin guide me to my waypoints safly.
Armen
 
[ QUOTE ]
Im sailing soon from bourdeaux to Le Havre

[/ QUOTE ]

"Profiter de la vie et saisir les opportunités lorsqu'elle se présentent". Bonne chance et bonne voyage! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
They will also accept autopilots. We don't have or want a wind vane and it's caused us no problems whatsoever with the insurance. Mind you, we do carry four!
 
i have a raymarine ST1000 I use that when im motorsailing??(with a 6HP jhonson) But it is possiable to drive the windwane.

All this talk of insc.??makes me wonder whats going on?I took insc becouse i was told i needed it in ports?That i understand.

But if a container boat hits you insc or not your dead write or wrong on your part!

My ever so small but very sea worthy boat has a wind vane an electric Ap GPS and other items i consider necassary for my saftey.

When your out there and the wind and sea pick up do you say "i want to get off" the meteo dident tell me it would be so--Or i wish i had a wind vane that i could go below or i wish i dident have rolling headsail that i could heave to with my jib thats your problem

You set your boat up to sail safley with you.Some things you must have but only you can know what you want to sail your boat,

If you have a BAV i suppose you would want a GOOD life raft with a folkboat you need a windvane.And walm clothing for the bay of gascon
 
Hi Trouville mon ami!!

We carry the 'extra' autopilots because we wanted a good back-up on our Atlantic circuits, and felt that relying on a 1984 Autohelm 2000, was pushing it a bit! In the event it steered most of the time, is still going strong, and will be 'helming' again when we push off cruising this year.

The spare Raymarine 2000+ units have not been used (other than to 'swing' the internal compasses) and in any case, cost a lot less in total than a quality windvane. We have sailed one and a half Atlantic circuits on other boats using windvanes and are definitely not impressed, except in heavy weather, when the Aries was good. But then it was next to useless in the Trades.

The other 'problems' for us were that, at 9.70 metres long, we are not much bigger than you and already carry a lot of weight whilst full time cruising, so adding a relatively heavy windvane to the stern didn't appeal. In addition, we didn't want to remove our centrally mounted stern boarding ladder.

Insurance is a different matter. We want to ensure that if we damage (or worse) another vessel, both it and us are covered for the cost of repairs. I have anchored/cruised with boats that were not insured and was very uneasy/unhappy about their views.

Interestingly, when it came on to blow in an anchorage, they were a damned sight more worried than we were, especially as for several we met, the vessel in which they were cruising represented virtually all their assets!! I can live without that sort of stress when I'm cruising to enjoy life!!

Frankly, the additional cost of insuring my boat in the Med for example, is only a tiny amount more than for cruising the usual Brest/Elbe area from the UK, and it includes single-handed sailing. OK, we've been cruising for a longish time and have a reasonable amount of experience I suppose, but sooner or later we'll make a more serious mistake or get hit by some extra lumpy weather.

Our boat is set up with the 'benefit' (!) of our nearly 34 years experience of offshore/ocean sailing, and whilst I'm certain that more experienced yachtsmen on these Forums would want to change things to suit their priorities if they owned her, we have gradually honed her systems to suit our own requirements and pleasure.

On a lighter note Trouville, I hope your trip to Le Havre goes well. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif When are you proposing to set off?
 
Thats a very good question!Id like to say im going down the Spanish coast,but i doubt i could afford the summer prices if there would be a place.

In fact id like to go anywhere except the Baltic.Im just pottering around tidying up,yesterday a Swedish boat was looking for a gas unit and were advertising their single burner Origo we swaped!My two burner and grill Stainless cooker and propane cube!!

Amazing the absolute extreems as far as safty goes!!Even i had reservations about useing Propane but last year in the frozen north proved it to be an excelent gas!It cooks very quickly!!

As for insc.Some years ago i insured my hillyard with the same company in Switzerland that i have my lake boat insured with and for several years they provided me with a writen insurance agreement for me to sail in the med,i had third party and insc incase of stranding all towing costs paid and repairs if i was blow ashore?? That cost £40 PA but one year they refused to renew?

Now im insured with an Italian company that dosent have a marine dept!!Their saving?? I almost fell over when i had to pay 29 euros PA again third party and towing salvage costs paid!!If i collide with the QE2 and sink her???? They pay!

The 2000 autopilot i liked very much!I have the idea its the only one they made thats at all waterproof! And i think the drive is screw not elastic bands!

Do you have roller reafing? If so could you take a jib cut off the hanks and feed it into the reefing foil?Or must you have a special sail made??

Where were you sailing in 1972??
 
Hi Trouville,

Yes we have a Hood Seafurl system with a Hood bi-radial headsail. Superb set-up but very expensive!

My very first trip on a sailing boat was from Plymouth to Guernsey (in the Channel Islands) and we later sailed to other Channel Isles and northern Brittany during that same year (1972). It was fantastic then, with few marinas and loads of great anchorages. Most of the latter have been defiled with marinas/moorings now, though there are a few left.

We really do detest marinas, but fortunately our many early years cruising the north and south of Brittany is filled with the less 'crowded' memories of fabulous evenings spent peacefully at anchor.

We hope to be shoving off for the Med again shortly, and will be anchoring wherever possible. Like you, we'll give the western Med a hugely wide berth!!! Dreadful area IMHO!
 
Hang on a minute I thought this was my question not a place for two old sea dogs to go off on their own tangent. Many thanks to you all,even the old sea dogs /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Sorry Jesse, you're quite right, it comes with the 'dribbling down your shirtfront' sort of age!!

Hope you get some joy from Bishop Skinner or other insurance company re the two-up. You should definitely be able to get cover for that although, as someone mentioned, you may find the excess increases a bit under those conditions.

For example, when I'm single-handing, my excess increases slightly during 'the hours of darkness' which seems fair enough to me, as the risk is likely to be higher.

Good luck on on your trip too!!
 
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