Jet Ski legislation on the way?

[DinghyMan]

I don't think it's a mountain - there's no way to prove ownership of a boat that's not Part 1 registered so you can claim pretty much any boat belongs to you - your kids are hardly going to contradict you and if they did who would a court believe, a coherent adult or a three year old who can barely talk and doesn't properly understand the concept of ownership.

...but it is still a fact that I couldn't find boat insurance available to under 18s. And it's still a fact that kids typically spend hours playing in the tender and AFAIK tenders don't have third party insurance.

I was hoping to be proved wrong. I'd be delighted if someone could just link to a boat insurance policy with no age restriction. I'd also be quite pleased to hear that if I scratch the paint of a superyacht with an oar in my tender my insurance firm will take the hit.

Jet Ski specific under 18 insurance cover: Young Users ~ RJP Marine Insurance states they will insure jet ski riders but also state "We therefore say that any one between the age of 12 and 16 years can be covered to drive a PW provided that they have the owners permission of course, are physically strong enough to do so, and have taken the RYA PW Proficiency course with a certificate to prove it. We also require that the youngster in question is named on the policy and has therefore been approved by us."

Looks like your kids could probably scratch the superyacht and sail away: Accidents caused by Children: Has your Child caused an Accident? - InBrief.co.uk

Insurance Proposal For Enterprise Dinghy Insurance - Newton Crum - looks like they will insure under 18's "If under 18 name of parent or guardian must be entered here with minor noted as an additional owner" Picked Enterprise as I had one
They also do "small powercraft" which looks suspiciously like a tender: Insurance Proposal For Motorboat up to 12' Insurance - Newton Crum

Disclaimer: not a lawyer but used to take kids kayaking, dinghy sailing, and diving and only ever thought about insurance when diving

 

[ashtead]

Try a few big leisure marina brokers like Towergate or such like . You might find simplest to ask on a jetski owners forum though.

 

[Mark-1]

Insurance Proposal For Enterprise Dinghy Insurance - Newton Crum - looks like they will insure under 18's "If under 18 name of parent or guardian must be entered here with minor noted as an additional owner"

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. I've used Newton Crum before and I'm pretty sure I claimed and they paid up which is reassuring.

used to take kids kayaking, dinghy sailing, and diving and only ever thought about insurance when diving

I'd agree, we have no insurance currently and it doesn't concern me much. But they will imminently start dinghy racing and at that point I think lack of insurance would be taking the piss in a big way.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Well my boat insurance states in the small print that, I the owner am the sole insurer of the vessel. And if an accident should occur, I am the only person it covers, that doesn't include the neighbour on the off-chance i let him take the helm...

Here's my small print:

The driver of the vehicle needs to be insured for the vehicle in question at the time of the accident or the insurance is "Null and void" and was pointless to have it insured in the first place. Might as well of saved the money because it is not "legally" covered in court and stands for nowt.

Not entirely true. The third-party element of car insurance is almost un-nullifiable. Even car thieves are covered by it. Of course the insurance company might chose to come after you (or them) if they thought you had been negligent, but they'll still pay up. Comprehensive cover is a different matter.

Just like fully comprehensive USED to mean you could drive ANY vehicle. NOW its totally pointless because most insurance companies now have stopped this "All vehicle" policy and only stands for your own.

"Driving other people's vehicles" used to be a feature of most comprehensive policies, and I still have it on both my classic policy and my modern car one. Some insurers have withdrawn it and some insist that the car in question has to be 3rd-party insured, but it's by no means unknown.

 

[JumbleDuck]

All we need now is someone to find boat insurance for under 18s and my day will be perfect.

Do you mean insurance which under-18s can take out, insurance which an adult can take out for boats owned by under-18s or insurance which an adult can take out for boats sailed by under-18s?

 

[Mark-1]

Do you mean insurance which under-18s can take out, insurance which an adult can take out for boats owned by under-18s or insurance which an adult can take out for boats sailed by under-18s?

I'm not sure there's a meaningful distinction between the first two, but yeah, I mean the first one. Dinghyman found Newton Crum do it which makes me suspect the others do as well even if their online interfaces don't allow it.