How can I get small yacht insurance that "covers lifting"?

[Mark-1]

I’m just questioning if it’s actually based on sound legal advice or it’s an idea that has been repeated as gospel without scrutiny.

The fact that some marinas do ask for sight of a certificate suggests, if it is sound legal advice, it's certainly not universal.

 

[ylop]

Members are not allowed to do that type of work on their own. That was stopped for insurance reasons and only designated trained members can operate the club derrick for stepping and unstepping masts - insured by the club of course. Other if the mast is too big then cranes are hired usually by the rigging contractor so not unreasonable that the club should see evidence of insurance before carrying out such work on the premises.

It was meant as an example of how a member may damage someone else’s boat or cause injury to a third party not an appraisal of your clubs policy on risk. My point is your club has decided that a wide range of risks require the person to have insurance, but applied an inconsistent logic to when it’s a good idea to go beyond a self declared statement that someone is insured. That inconsistency is probably quite common at small yards around the country so I’m not criticising your club in particular. I’m just questioning how anyone concludes asking members to substantiate their insurance position exposes the club, but asking contractors protects it. i really don’t mind which approach a yard/club takes but as you will gather find it frustrating that people declare that doing basic due diligence is more risky than doing no diligence, especially when they wrap it in terms that sound like they are based in law like “become a party to the policy” and don’t back it up when asked.

 

[ylop]

Agreed that if only 3rd party cover ... but in that instance I was talking generally ...

you made the assertion that the insurer would sort it out for you right after recommending he buy basic 3rd party cover!

It is common that Yards do not ask for copy or sighting of Insurance Docs in UK

what I am telling you is that seems to be changing. In 30 yrs of boat ownership I’ve kept boats in at least 8 different yards or marinas for six months or more. All have required 3rd party insurance as part of their T&Cs. My boat is currently ashore at a marina, they explicitly asked for the insurance certificate to be emailed to them. The previous two winters she was in two different small boat yards, neither of which required asked for any insurance details. Previously she was in a marina, not part of a big chain, who asked for the company name and policy number but never saw the certificate. Prior to that I bought the boat with six months remaining at a different large chain marina. Almost the only thing they cared about when transferring the details was seeing the insurance certificate - I don’t remember if they took any details, but they definitely wanted to see it. That’s all in the last 5 yrs. Before that the only time I was ever asked for proof was at a council run facility.

- what happens in USA - is not UK....

no but they do understand a thing or two about covering their ass for liability! It may be overkill but that’s not what is alleged whenever this topic comes up - it’s claimed it’s worse to ask, not unnecessary to ask.

I have various Yards / Marina's comments to me personally as a Surveyor - that they do not ask copies - precisely to distance themselves from the insurance policy conditions.

but my question remains, is this based on actual legal advice or precedent or word of mouth. In any of your professional dealings with ship companies etc do they ever ask for proof of your insurance, and if they do/did would you lecture them on why they shouldn’t or just comply?

The two marina's I deal with here in Latvia - they state same as well !

well if the USA can’t be compared to the UK despite both being common law legal systems then Latvia’s civil law system is certainly not comparable.

 

[Iliade]

Just a thought, have they misunderstood a requirement for wreck recovery?

 

[Refueler]

you made the assertion that the insurer would sort it out for you right after recommending he buy basic 3rd party cover!

[/QUOTE]

OK ... but have a thought ... if you have 3rd party insurance and lift for some reason fails - not due to your fault or boat ... but yard claims against you ... surely the insurance you have - even though Basic 3rd party - would then want to know all information preceding - during and subsequent to the error ? Then I would expect Insurance to decide against claim and indicate crane operators insurance liable ?
Whether you have fully comprehensive insurance or basic 3rd party ... the issue here is 3rd party liability whichever way you look at it.