Insurance - Is this company any good?

[alorwin]

Hi

Just bought the boat of our dreams (Colvic Countess 33) not everybodies dream but the only one we can afford! We are searching around for an insurance company for a liveaboard in the Med and have come across Yachtmaster Insurance who are offering the most competitive quote for fully comp liveaboard for med. They are offering it in sections up to x degrees etc and ask you to extend the cruising area as you need it. Are they any good? Can anyone offer us any good or bad experiences of them?

We have also tried (on the advice of forum members) St Margarets who weren't too bad but still £100 higher premium. Pantaneius went through the roof at £200 more than yachtmaster one. Understand the wording is the most important bit so are we ok with the Yachtmaster Insurance company?

Would be grateful for a quick response as our dream sits uninsured by the end of the week!

Thanks for reading and will be awaiting your kind responses!

alorwin

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[Talbot]

Been very happy with St Margarets for the last 15 years! Only bit I dont like is their not allowing singlehanded passages at night.

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[jeanne]

St Margarets have always been good to us and a couple of claims dealt with quickly and painlessly..... and now we are on the Spanish 'Algarve' our premium has actually decreased! That's a first. They too seem to use incremental premiums depending on how far east you travel in the Med. Useful depending on how far you intend sailing in any year.


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[DavidJ]

I was with St Magarets but got a much better quote from Bishop Skinner who give a discount for RNLI membership. No claims so far which is the real proof of an insurance company.

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[charles_reed]

I\'ve used Max Burgess

For the last 12 years - and can recommend him as a straight dealer and an enthusiatic yottie.

Incidentally he's, like Pantanaeius, only a broker - the underwriters are Navigators and General, who are part of the Zurich Insurance Group. As they are the people with whom your risk will be placed you should be making enquiries about them.

My experience is that they are like all insurance companies loath to pay out if they can avoid it, but in simple open-and-shut cases they're quick and reasonably fair.

They're probably one of the most relaxed about single-handing, have a fairly high excess to avoid little claims and, under present market conditions, offer some of the most competitive premiums

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[charles_reed]

Suggest you change

and try Yachtmaster Insurance - you'll save about 20% on your premium plus no hassle over single-handing coastal passages - they will cover you single-handed trans-oceanic, but the exclusions make it almost a joke (admittedly in poor taste).

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[cartman]

I'm with Max Burgess at Yachtmaster and have found him brilliant. Always very helpful and flexible... doesn't hide behind a computer and read what it says but thinks about quotes etc. Good claims service too.

As fo St Margarets... they have a terrible reputation around here... and I've had bad experience of them too... nightmare claims service with folk who don't know what a halyard is when you speak to them. According to the yards round here too, they never pay up properly... some will not do insurance jobs if the insurance company is St Margarets.

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