Insurance Renewal - beware read the small print.

[Sailfree]

Old Insurance brokers Look taken over by A plan Insurance Group.

I needed to extend my cruising ground to include the Med and boat will be based in Nazare Portugal.

Max 5yr NCB.

All Ok and initially slightly lower premium. So I can now sail the Med, Atlantic etc etc until we came to a clause up to 12mls offshore!! I explained I could not even sail to France insured with that limitation. Now had it altered to 100mls offshore and slight increase in premium but wonder how that extra clause got inserted this year and are others doing it.

Then got to other exclusions which was mechanical breakdown and wear and tear but was concerned that it also excluded damaged caused by these exclusions. Is this normal?

Obviously I maintain yacht and would replace anything I see as necessary or sensible but always concerned that insurance companies try to wriggle out of any claims. So if say the standing rigging broke, mast goes, holes boat etc. They clarified that to say visible wear and tear.

Be grateful to hear about others experience with these sorts of clauses.

Problem with insurance is that you only find out how good they are when you need to claim.

Anyone advise of insurance companies that don't try to wriggle out of any claims.

 

[Tranona]

Suggest you go to Y Insurance as they have arguably the best policy and are competitive. Many here use them.

Insurance companies do not generally wriggle out of claims unless the risk was not covered by the policy, so reading your policy in detail is a must. You will find the Y policy very straightforward about what it covers and what it does not.

 

[Sailfree]

Got contact details and has anyone needed to claim from Y Insurance?

 

[sailorman]

Got contact details and has anyone needed to claim from Y Insurance?

try a search engine

 

[RobbieW]

Suggest you go to Y Insurance as they have arguably the best policy and are competitive. Many here use them.

Insurance companies do not generally wriggle out of claims unless the risk was not covered by the policy, so reading your policy in detail is a must. You will find the Y policy very straightforward about what it covers and what it does not.

Had a number of quotes from Y, all within pounds of Pantaenius for much the same cover. I've so far stuck with Pants as I have claimed a couple of times (lightning damage) and been very happy with the process.

 

[wully1]

Had a number of quotes from Y, all within pounds of Pantaenius for much the same cover. I've so far stuck with Pants as I have claimed a couple of times (lightning damage) and been very happy with the process.

Ive been with Pants for years, not claimed but when I touched a rock and called them they were great , they would have paid for the lift out but I didn't bother claiming for that or the surveyor. I've no doubt if I'd smacked the boat up they would have lived up to their reputation.

 

[Sailfree]

try a search engine

Thanks for the assistance!!

I assumed Y stood for a trade name that was not mentioned as advertising.

 

[Tranona]

www.yyachtinsurance.com

 

[Daydream believer]

I have to say that whilst GJW are expensive their claims dept were first class even paying for my wife to drive 500 miles to collect me while repairs were undertaken. Decisions taken over the phone or by return email within a few hours

 

[lpdsn]

Got contact details and has anyone needed to claim from Y Insurance?

I started a similar thread back around about mid to late April. The feedback was that they were good at paying out but no one seemed to have had experience of a large controversial claim. I eventually decide to switch from Pants to Y Yachting as there was a significant saving. Main thing I think I lost was the cruising range, so Bergen isn't automatically covered now, but they were flexible about the range I wanted and where I wanted to keep the boat.

You might get more feedback on the MoBo forum as there are posters with legal expertise who comment a lot on insurance terms and conditions.

 

[Seajet]

Sailfree,

thanks for your thread; my ins is up for renewal so I checked the details - probably wouldn't have bothered if it were not for your prompt - and I see my cruising area is now ' inland and coastal waters of the UK '.

I have always since starting cruising been covered ' Brest - Elbe '.

I will be calling Amlin ( previously Haven, previously St Margarets ) tomorrow to find exactly what they mean by this, and will also ask about singlehanded cover as I've seen this mentioned as a possible problem before.

IF this lot have reduced my cover making my normal sailing uninsured I consider that immoral and should be illegal and will change immediately, will keep you posted what answers I get.

 

[Sailfree]

Glad it helped Seajet.

I posted as with so many brokers buying out other brokers new terms are obviously creeping in and probably unnoticed by many.

Having paid for my degree by doing car repairs and many insurance crash repairs I start with a cynical view of how frequently insurance companies use small print to wriggle out of claims.

I have renewed now but will take time to shop around using the recommendations on here next year.

 

[Flica]

Y Yacht Insurance has (in my experience) amongst the lowest premiums on the market - on the one occasion I might have had to make a claim, on them, the rectification cost was within the excess, but their support magnificent.

GJW are, in my experience, also are generous at covering ones' claims - though their premiums have risen since I was with them.
My previous insurers' premium was slightly less than Y Yachting, but their syndicate's demand for a septannual survey made them uncompetitive in total costs.
The only drawback I could find with Y Yachting is that they limit single handed-sailing to a continuous period of 18 hours - my previous insurers (Yachtmaster) covered dusk - dawn, plus associated daylight hours; which meant up to 36 hours.
In practice I have found this no problem.
Y Yaching's response to a forestay failure, Sept 2016, was to mildly ask that the rest of the standing rigging be replaced within the course of the next two annual contract periods, without any limitations on cover in the meantime.
I've found their cover and premiums considerably superior to Pantanaeius. However the principal in the business used to be Pantanaeius UK MD.
The one insurer with whom I would be chary (from experience) of writing a contract would be Navigator's and General - not surprising as they're part of Zurich.
Most marine insurers are expensive and restrictive - they are in the business of making a profit, after all - and ALL insurers' fine print has to be carefully examined in detail and evaluated at every renewal.

 

[Seajet]

Glad it helped Seajet.

I posted as with so many brokers buying out other brokers new terms are obviously creeping in and probably unnoticed by many.

Having paid for my degree by doing car repairs and many insurance crash repairs I start with a cynical view of how frequently insurance companies use small print to wriggle out of claims.

I have renewed now but will take time to shop around using the recommendations on here next year.

Sailfree,

the latest; I left a message with Amlin yesterday - Sunday, amazingly there was a nice English Human lady to take my call saying I was dischuffed and arrange them to call back today, which they did at 10:00

I explained my problem, that I have sailed my 22' boat across the Channel 24 times, hope to sail to Ireland, and had always been covered ' Brest to Elbe '.

she did say off the spot I am insured for up to 18 hours singlehanded, which I'm happy with insurance wise but I reckon that's WAY more dangerous than taking a crewed boat across the Channel !

I kept getting ' the underwriters say 23' plus ' parrot fashion, until I explained I've been across the Channel a lot before under their predecessor's cover, three such boats have raced across the Atlantic, and if I didn't have my proper cover restored at no extra cost I was going elsewhere.

The last bit seemed to be the clincher, the nice young lady phoned me back to say the underwriters agreed and ' it had all been a misunderstanding '.

I've asked for everything in writing before I sign & pay...

So Thank You very much Sailfree, without your prompting I'd have been blithely trundling around uninsured if they felt like wriggling out of any incident.

Well Done !

Andy