Insurance: geographical limits?

[Tim Good]

My policy says we are covered for North Sea, Biscay, Norwegian Sea and North Atlantic from 12 East to 26 North. This basically covers 99% of the passage to the Canarynislands but not the actual Islands themselves.

I called Pantaeneus and they told me I wasn't covered for the passage. I questioned this that the passage did appear to be covered but not when we got within about 20nm the actual Canary Islands... i.e passing from East 12-13.. How would you translated this?

Reason I'm asking is that I thought I was covered and we want to leave today but any policy changes are going to take 48 hours. Yes I should have double checked all this before but here we are.

Thoughts?

 

[greeny]

My policy says we are covered for North Sea, Biscay, Norwegian Sea and North Atlantic from 12 East to 26 North. This basically covers 99% of the passage to the Canarynislands but not the actual Islands themselves.

I called Pantaeneus and they told me I wasn't covered for the passage. I questioned this that the passage did appear to be covered but not when we got within about 20nm the actual Canary Islands... i.e passing from East 12-13.. How would you translated this?

Reason I'm asking is that I thought I was covered and we want to leave today but any policy changes are going to take 48 hours. Yes I should have double checked all this before but here we are.

Thoughts?

Where are you at the moment, surely it'll take more than 48hrs to get out of your current insurance zone. By then the changes will be in effect if you make the policy change now. I suppose ideally you should contact them to check the cover has been confirmed but that wouldn't stop me from going.

 

[Graham376]

We were covered for "Atlantic Islands" but deleted them. I see our cover is still 200nm offshore but no mention of islands. We tended to remove areas and add new as we moved around. Suggest you obtain an email advising that cover will be in force from(date) and then set off.

 

[macd]

My policy says we are covered...North Atlantic from 12 East to 26 North.

Sorry, that seems not to make sense, as well as being ambiguous. Do you the mean N Atlantic east of 12W, and north of 26N? You need to get to the Lofoten Islands before you're at 12E anywhere in the N Atlantic. (The southern extremity of the N Atlantic, by the way, is the equator.)

 

[Tim Good]

Sorry, that seems not to make sense, as well as being ambiguous. Do you the mean N Atlantic east of 12W, and north of 26N? You need to get to the Lofoten Islands before you're at 12E anywhere in the N Atlantic. (The southern extremity of the N Atlantic, by the way, is the equator.)

Here's the wording

 

[Yngmar]

Where are you at the moment, surely it'll take more than 48hrs to get out of your current insurance zone. By then the changes will be in effect if you make the policy change now. I suppose ideally you should contact them to check the cover has been confirmed but that wouldn't stop me from going.

+1 - last time we extended cruising area (to the same you have now, which does indeed exclude the islands), it took more like 24 hours and there was no further action needed, they just sent a "your new cruising area is such and such" email and some PDF docs and the next year the fee went up a few quid.

So ask for it and go. Confirmation should be there when you arrive

 

[macd]

Thanks, northcave.
That's a bit different: N Atlantic between latitudes 28N and 67N; and between longitudes 12W and 30E.

So it neatly misses the Canaries, by around 75nM.
(Odd that they so generously threw in the 30E: the furthest east you can get within the latitude limits is around 14E near Bodoe, Norway.)

 

[jdc]

12W to 30E and 28N to 67N. 30E is Appropriate for the Baltic.

 

[Tim Good]

Ok so they just came back and said to add the Canary Islands it is £1280 pa. My last policy to cover all of Europe was £580.

How can they justify double the premium for just bolting the Canary Islands on top!!!

 

[macd]

30E is Appropriate for the Baltic.

Or the Murmansk convoys

Agreed, but I suspect an insurer accepting risks for the Baltic would be specific about it. I very much doubt they'd define it as part of the Atlantic.

 

[macd]

How can they justify double the premium for just bolting the Canary Islands on top!!!

I suppose if you stump up, that's all the justification they need.
But it does look like robbery.

 

[CJ13]

I’d change insurers. We’ve found Y Yacht to be excellent.

 

[Graham376]

I’d change insurers. We’ve found Y Yacht to be excellent.

+1

Our premium with Y when islands covered was less than your current premium but maybe lower insured value.

 

[Tranona]

Ok so they just came back and said to add the Canary Islands it is £1280 pa. My last policy to cover all of Europe was £580.

How can they justify double the premium for just bolting the Canary Islands on top!!!

Suspect it is more than just adding the Canaries. They may well have fixed areas and you might find this covers the whole of the N Atlantic.

Better to sort it now and perhaps find out what additional premium is for your future plans are as well.

Another recommendation for Y Yacht Insurance.

 

[jdc]

Or the Murmansk convoys

Agreed, but I suspect an insurer accepting risks for the Baltic would be specific about it. I very much doubt they'd define it as part of the Atlantic.

I'm also insured with Pantaenius, and have to agree that their definitions of cruising areas are usually phrased clumsily. The OP's area should be read as follows:

"The Baltic, the North Sea and the N. Atlantic, provided the ship stays within the geographic limits of N of 28N, S of 67N, E of 12W and west of 30E". Ie the geographic limits apply to all of the three seas, not just to the last one listed.

My current Pantaenius area is the same as the OP's, but last year it was:

"South Atlantic waters between 40°South and 10° North. Excluded are territorial waters of western African countries north of South Africa. European rivers and inland waters. European coastal waters up to 200 nm off the coast. Mediterranean waters, including the straits (Gibraltar and Dardanelles). Atlantic waters between the outlet of the English Channel (appr. 50° North) and 10° North, incl. the East coast of the USA and the Caribbean."

This is equally curiously worded because as written it could be read to mean that everything after the word 'excluded' should be excluded. But actually the exclusions only apply unto the next full stop, after which it's all allowed again, ie European Rivers, E coast USA, Caribbean etc are allowed. Bizarre! I suspect dyslexic of Plymouth to be responsible for the translation from German to English.