Insurance for a Swift 18???

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teensailer

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Hi folks,

I recently got a swift 18 and have just been speaking to the local Fairways Committee about a swinging mooring and one of their requirements is to have third party insurance for a minimum cover of 3,000,000. I have absolutely no idea about insurance and we weren't even going to get any but this seems like a ridiculous sum and would surely cost a lot of money!

Does anyone know how much that kind of coverage would cost with the cheapest providers and if so, who you would use? To me this seems like a ridiculous amount but maybe it is not as much as it sounds? Also, generally what do people think about insuring small boats on swinging moorings, we will be sailing every weekend and checking on it regularly so to me it seems unnecessary but maybe not, but as I said I have no idea about this kind of thing.

Cheers
 
Definitely worth getting Third Party insurance cover - not least because your moorings require it. Cover up to £3m is pretty standard - even most sailing dinghy insurance covers at least that, and doesn’t need to be expensive. Worth checking covers wreck removal also, as often asked for.

Whether you bother with full comprehensive insurance for a small / low cost boat is just a matter of personal preference, and I suspect most don’t.
 
I'd say its likely any boat policy would give this kind of 3rd party cover.

Google boat insurance

Or start with Pataneus and work.your way along the brokers etc
 
PabloPicasso said:
I'd say its likely any boat policy would give this kind of 3rd party cover.

Google boat insurance

Or start with Pataneus and work.your way along the brokers etc
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I very much doubt if Pantaenius would offer third party only insurance to an 18 foot sailing boat - they are very much at the opposite end of the market, bigger more expensive boats.
I have no personal experience in this size range, but many suggest Visicover as an option.
 
teensailer said:
Also, generally what do people think about insuring small boats on swinging moorings, we will be sailing every weekend and checking on it regularly so to me it seems unnecessary
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Insurance is all about worst case scenarios - and few of us have deep enough pockets to cover the kind of costs that can ensue from injuries in particular.

The risks are small, so cover doesn't cost much.

FWIW - like cars I wouldn't be surprised if comprehensive insurance isn't cheaper than 3rd party only - it shows you care about your own stuff (however modest), so you're more likely to care about other people's stuff.
 
teensailer said:
Hi folks,

I recently got a swift 18 and have just been speaking to the local Fairways Committee about a swinging mooring and one of their requirements is to have third party insurance for a minimum cover of 3,000,000. I have absolutely no idea about insurance and we weren't even going to get any but this seems like a ridiculous sum and would surely cost a lot of money!

Does anyone know how much that kind of coverage would cost with the cheapest providers and if so, who you would use? To me this seems like a ridiculous amount but maybe it is not as much as it sounds? Also, generally what do people think about insuring small boats on swinging moorings, we will be sailing every weekend and checking on it regularly so to me it seems unnecessary but maybe not, but as I said I have no idea about this kind of thing.

Cheers
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Give Craft Insure a shout. They cover my Flying Fifteen so will probably quote for a Swift. Can pay monthly if that's better for you.
 
thanks for all the replies, I had no idea that cover for 3 million would only be about £100 a year! I somehow expected much worse but that seems totally manageable. I think we will definitely go for third party cover (we have to anyway!) and I will look at the different options you all suggested and find the best quote.
Cheers
 
It's always worth remembering that even a small vessel can cause disproportionate loss or damage to far more valuable vessels. Damage a commercial vessel and you're into loss of earnings, too. Even a minor "fender bender" incident with a ship could easily result in 6 figure costs. Such incidents are rare - hence the low cost of insurance - but they are feasible and could result in losses that make 3 million look small!
 
The other reason boat insurance is relatively cheap is because there are a vanishingly low number of injury claims which would lead to huge third party payouts.
 
Check that your policy gives you cover for wreck recovery and disposal. It is a major cost that you could be exposed to in the worst case scenario.
 
teensailer said:
Just got a quote for £87 by Craft Insure so will definitely go for that.
Thanks for helping me get clarity on this!
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Well done. You’ll find that useful if you take the boat to another mooring, or a marina, in your travels. They may not ask for proof, but it's probably in the terms and conditions. Sensible price for that, worth it for the peace of mind.
 
Boathook said:
Could also try Navigators and General. I think they do your size boat.
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I've got a leisure 17 3rd party with Navigators and General, no special recommendation as I never had to claim but I'm sure they'd cover a swift 18. I think it costs me just over 100/year.

The main reason I went with 3rd party was to avoid the need for surveys, by the time you add up surveyor fees + excess + 1 years premimum it would come to more than the value of the boat anyway. The excess is often £500 just by itself so comprehensive insurance didn't make sense to me on a low value boat say worth 1k. The other thing is that if you're comprehensive they'll put conditions like no single handing at night, not on a mooring at certain times of the year etc, Because you're covering the biggest risk yourself, typically 3rd party insurance is a lot less restrictive on what you do although it is important to read the policy.

Regardless of who you insure with, you do really need salvage/wreck removal cover, make sure of that. There's a low chance of it happening but if your boat sank in a fancy marina or somewhere else awkward that you couldn't deal with yourself, the bill you are going to be presented with could be eyewatering.

Otherwise the worst case scenario if you write off your own boat is that you remove anything with residual value (including scrap value), sell it, and chop the rest up. The residual parts/scrap value should be enough to cover GRP disposal in a legal manner or perhaps you could even come out with a profit depending on how much effort you're really willing to put in to the scrapping / disposal. Then save up for/buy a new boat.
 
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dunedin said:
I very much doubt if Pantaenius would offer third party only insurance to an 18 foot sailing boat - they are very much at the opposite end of the market, bigger more expensive boats.
I have no personal experience in this size range, but many suggest Visicover as an option.
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I contacted Pantaenius in Monaco for my 17ft Home built wooden cruiser and they were happy to cover. 3d party only. Around the £100.
 
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