"festival" insurance, anyone?

[Seagreen]

\"festival\" insurance, anyone?

Just a musing from a question sparking from a post about the perfect maritime festival..

What extra insurance cover, in addition to the usual, would one need if one was to make one's boat "open to the public" during a festival? If it wasn't for direct commercial gain, ie., not charging admission but just inviting a lot of strangers on board serially just to show the boat off, would the boat need Public Liability, or would this be covered by the festival organisers?

If the boat was just open to the public at the quayside only, need any of this matter?

 

[dombuckley]

Re: \"festival\" insurance, anyone?

MTB 102 was at the Lowestoft Boat Show a couple of years ago, and were told that they couldn't have visitors on board for insurance reasons. Of course all the other boats were open, but they were all owned by companies which had public liability insurance - apparently it put a real dent in their fundraising.
Similarly, apparently the organisers at Excel went apesh*t at Nic Compton for allowing people on board his boat at last year's LIBS: OK, it had no guardrails - but apparently it wasn't enough to tell people "be careful, there's no guardrails".
At the Woodbridge Maritime festival in 2005, about 20 classic boats were open to the public in the tidemill. Last year, there were just a few along the quay, but none were open: not sure why, perhaps someone here knows?
Unfortunately, it seems the ambulance-chasers have helped to create a risk-averse environment, where we can't be trusted to take responsibilty for our own actions/mistakes.
In short, it may be worth asking the organisers, but you'll probably find an awful lot of paperwork involved (H&S assessments and so on); you may be better off keeping schtum and just "inviting" people on board, and supervising them at all times.

 

[miket]

Re: \"festival\" insurance, anyone?

I am involved in the organisation of the Thames Traditional Boat Rally, and we set up a Risk Assessment manual (£4k using specialist consultant) which has to be updated annually. We have H&S inspections each year and our main policy covers us for public liability insurance.
This is really for the Rally site only.
The boats that attend (around 200) vary from open rowing skiffs to 50ft cruisers. All these are privately owned and we insist on sight of their 3rd party insurance cover (usually part of the normal cover for the boat).
Not really the same problem as none of the boats anticipate visitor tours of the interior of the boats.
To be sure, one would need to take specific advice but the letigious nature nowadays is putting a real damper on organising public events.

 

[Seanick]

Re: \"festival\" insurance, anyone?

[ QUOTE ]

Similarly, apparently the organisers at Excel went apesh*t at Nic Compton for allowing people on board his boat at last year's LIBS:

[/ QUOTE ]

Er I think you mean Dan Houston, the current editor of Plastic Stoat !