Wansworth
Well-known member
Does the insurance cover for damage whilst navigating with defunct motor?
Dead engine sailing
- Thread starter zoidberg
- Start date
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
If the insurance if for a sailing boat the boat will mostly be navigating with the motor off or not in geat at least.
Would that be therefore unreasonable conditions
What if thr boat did not have an engine
jlavery
Well-known member
My view is that it's an auxiliary engine on a sailing boat.
MisterBaxter
Well-known member
I think if your engine failed while at sea, the insurers would have to recognise the limited options open to you... If you did something daft like ploughing through a marina under spinnaker that might not go down so well, but as long as you were taking a reasonable, cautious approach to the safety of your boat and crew, I'm sure they'd cover minor collateral damage
Poignard
Well-known member
When you fill out an insurance proposal form you have to give particulars of the engine, if any.
If the insurers agree to accept you, knowing you have no engine, they can't reasonably refuse a claim on the grounds that you should have made use of an engine you don't have.
donm
Active member
Back in the day many of us sailed with Stuart Turner engines - the very definition of dead engine sailing!
Poignard
Well-known member
Two definitions from my Policy Wording document:
Due Diligence - The duty of care expected from and ordinarily exercised by a prudent Insured.
Taking care - You and anyone using your Vessel or Craft must take all reasonable care to prevent loss, damage, accidents or injury.
So, the question is, would a 'prudent insured' be complying with his 'duty of care' , and taking 'all reasonable care to prevent loss, damage, accidents or injury', by sailing into a marina when his engine had failed, if he didn't need to.
I suppose the answer would be 'It all depends on the circumstances'.
Was there a more pressing reason for sailing in, rather than, say, anchoring off and awaiting a tow, than 'The pubs were about to close'?
Also, it isn't only what your insurer thinks that matters. What about the insurers of anything you might crash into and damage?
Due Diligence - The duty of care expected from and ordinarily exercised by a prudent Insured.
Taking care - You and anyone using your Vessel or Craft must take all reasonable care to prevent loss, damage, accidents or injury.
So, the question is, would a 'prudent insured' be complying with his 'duty of care' , and taking 'all reasonable care to prevent loss, damage, accidents or injury', by sailing into a marina when his engine had failed, if he didn't need to.
I suppose the answer would be 'It all depends on the circumstances'.
Was there a more pressing reason for sailing in, rather than, say, anchoring off and awaiting a tow, than 'The pubs were about to close'?
Also, it isn't only what your insurer thinks that matters. What about the insurers of anything you might crash into and damage?
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Frogmogman
Well-known member
Russian roulette sailing. You’re just not sure if the Stuart Turner will start. Almost certainly not, when your trying to claw yourself off a lee shore.
Snowgoose-1
Well-known member
Wansworth
Well-known member
As past president of the Stuart Turner appreciation society I strongly reject theses assertions as to the reliability of the motor
sailoppopotamus
Active member
Technically it seems to actually be illegal in Greece to sail "close to anchorages", as well as within 500m of harbours. Of course this doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it, but I guess the law might come into play in case of an accident, otherwise nobody really cares. Our club for instance places the start and finish lines of all its races right at the harbour entrance.
Wansworth
Well-known member
Bit like Spain lots of laws but nobody follows them
jlavery
Well-known member
That's interesting - didn't know that!
Chiara’s slave
Well-known member
I’m perfectly willing to admit that it’s my boat that is superior, not the skipper and crew.
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
Bit like Spain lots of laws but nobody follows them
And where I live plus people who think they have authority make up rules to suit themselves and obtain in contravention to laws that protect the consumer
sailoppopotamus
Active member
For what it's worth, I'm Greek and own a boat here and only found out about this a couple of weeks ago.
Wansworth
Well-known member
Welcome aboard …….have you been affected by the fires?
LittleSister
Well-known member
I disagree. We are insuring a boat so that we can use it. All sailing involves some risk. I don't think 'taking all reasonable care' excludes sailing merely because there are alternatives, but it does mean avoiding unreasonable risks.
Poignard
Well-known member
Well I suppose the opposite of prudent is foolhardy.
The prudent mariner is rewarded, or should I say not punished, by his insurers, and by the appreciation of the owners of other boats.
The foolhardy mariner, on the other hand, is punished by his insurers and cursed by the owners of the boats he crashes into.
The prudent mariner is rewarded, or should I say not punished, by his insurers, and by the appreciation of the owners of other boats.
The foolhardy mariner, on the other hand, is punished by his insurers and cursed by the owners of the boats he crashes into.
capnsensible
Well-known member
There are plenty of boat owners who are capable of using sails to control a yacht in confined waters and have been trained and tested in their ability to do so.
Hurrah.
Hurrah.