Iceland, Insurance

[Fascadale]

My boat insurers JGW Direct say they are unable to provide cover for a voyage to Iceland. The Faroes, yes, Norway to 66 north yes, the Canaries, Biscay, the Med yes but Iceland no. No real explanation as to why not, just "we don't". Frustrating or what!

Any suggestions as to which companies to extend cover to Iceland

Thanks

 

[Sandy]

You may want to give Yacht insurance | Pantaenius UK a call.

 

[Minchsailor]

I have had little problem with Norway, at least as far North as the Loftoten Islands - thr Barents Sea was off limits.

Faeroes - pretty hefty premium.

Iceland - 3rd party only. My broker said that as Iceland has very poor infrastructure for yacht repair even quite minor damage might result in a claim for total loss.

 

[Sandy]

Iceland - 3rd party only. My broker said that as Iceland has very poor infrastructure for yacht repair even quite minor damage might result in a claim for total loss.

What parallel universe is your broker living in?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

What parallel universe is your broker living in?

Hedging.

 

[sarabande]

Contact the owner of Sumara of Weymouth via their website, and even a call to Sjóvá in Iceland may result in them (as personal and car insurance) being able to point you to a local yacht insurance co. Harbours may insist on seeing cover notes, BTW.

 

[jwilson]

The insurers of the boat on which I sailed to Iceland many years ago were not happy bunnies. After one total inversion and three more "keel in the air" knockdowns we finally sailed it in, engine and electronics dead and the interior pretty messy and wet, thanks to a broken window and a delightful mix of diesel and broken glass and jam (or was it marmalade) in the saloon. Also some structural damage. Insurers had to fly out both materials and GRP people to fix, though local resources may be better now.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

There's also the little matter of a volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is not predictable on the sort of timescale sailing speeds dictate. If you want to head for Reykjavik, you go right past it!

It's worth noting that the eruptions emit a lot of sulphur dioxide, which is poisonous; they have had to evacuate some sites because of it. The very similar eruptions in the 18th century caused mass deaths in Iceland and Europe from sulphur dioxide. Laki - Wikipedia

It might be frustrating, but I can see why an insurer might be leery about covering a boat going there.

 

[Seven Spades]

GJW simply do not have the infrastructure in place to offer repair services globally so they don't offer global insurance. The two main companies are Pantanius and Admiral. We insure with Admiral and I think that they are a very well run company, they seem to have a small team and I feel that we know the people that are insuring our boat. Others I know that use Admiral feel the same way.

 

[Sadlermike]

My insurance cover for Iceland was provided by Pantaenius without any problems. I had to make a claim for injuries to my wife and this was also hassle free.

 

[Dockhead]

My insurance cover for Iceland was provided by Pantaenius without any problems. I had to make a claim for injuries to my wife and this was also hassle free.

Same here. Pants was fine about Iceland. They also gave me cover beyond the Arctic Circle to Greenland, but for extra cost, and up to enough latitude to cover Scoresby Sund, where I was forced to self-insure.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Same here. Pants was fine about Iceland. They also gave me cover beyond the Arctic Circle to Greenland, but for extra cost, and up to enough latitude to cover Scoresby Sund, where I was forced to self-insure.

Extreme pedantry here, but a substantial part of Greenland is below the Arctic Circle - indeed, the southernmost point (Cape Farewell) is south of 60°N - it's further south than the Shetland Islands! Scoresbysund is actually further south than Northern Norway; Tromso is further north! Of course, the climate is very different!

PS I was involved in the creation of Antarctica and the Arctic - British Antarctic Survey ; I sourced a lot of the data!

 

[Sybarite]

My boat insurers JGW Direct say they are unable to provide cover for a voyage to Iceland. The Faroes, yes, Norway to 66 north yes, the Canaries, Biscay, the Med yes but Iceland no. No real explanation as to why not, just "we don't". Frustrating or what!

Any suggestions as to which companies to extend cover to Iceland

Thanks

As a student I worked in a fish factory in Vestmannaejar for the summer. During a summer storm I saw a trawler sunk - inside the harbour.

During a period of record catches I saw trawlers coming back into harbour with their liferafts already inflated on deck.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

As a student I worked in a fish factory in Vestmannaejar for the summer. During a summer storm I saw a trawler sunk - inside the harbour.

During a period of record catches I saw trawlers coming back into harbour with their liferafts already inflated on deck.

Were you there when Surtsey appeared? The Vestmannaejar are another volcanic area.

 

[Sybarite]

Were you there when Surtsey appeared? The Vestmannaejar are another volcanic area.

I was there the year after Sursey appeared. It was still smoking.

We had a mid-summer midnight picnic in the crater of a dormant volcano at Vestmannaejar. It erupted a few years later and engulfed a large part of the town and port.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I was there the year after Sursey appeared. It was still smoking.

We had a mid-summer midnight picnic in the crater of a dormant volcano at Vestmannaejar. It erupted a few years later and engulfed a large part of the town and port.

That would be Eldfjell on Heimay.