My Insurance Co wants to paint my 6 month old boat

[chrisrixon]

My Insurance Company (nameless for now) has obtained a quote for repairs that includes painting the topsides rather than repairing with gel coat. I maintain that this is not accepted practise on a boat of this age. They have asked me for evidence in writing to prove I am correct.

 

[steffen]

I thouoght the insurance company is unuder the obligation to restore the boat to its original state after a damage, so i would absolutely not accept painting iso repairing gelcoat.
Furthermore i think that asking you for writen proof is turning things around. Ask them why they want to paint rather than repair.
What doe the policy say about it??

All IMHO of course.

Happy sailing, Steffen

 

[claymore]

They could come and do my house

If they want - sounds a bit of a nonsense.
Are they a marine specialist company - you don't need to give the name- but it does sound more like a company more used to dealing with auto repairs

regards
Claymore

 

[jonjo]

What percentage of the topsides require restoration?

Get your own quote for the repair from a yard with a resident grp expert having the skills for this demanding job.

From a buyers perspective I would view painted topsides as a negative on a yacht under 15 years old. I was a buyer for a year until this month, happy to put it in writing.

 

[chrisrixon]

Say about 5-10% but I haven't measured it, it could be less than that (or more)

 

[steve_cronin]

Get your own surveyor on the job...

This repair would clearly reduce the value of the craft. Try Jim Pritchard and get a written report or get him to meet with your insurer's surveyor on site to agree a "Repair Spec."

jim.pritchard@btinternet.com

or 01703 455544

However there are some very restrictive terms in some insurance contracts about keeping claim costs to a minimum.

Steve Cronin

 

[andy_wilson]

I echo Steffen. Ask them how they can justify painting an entire deck when just a portion of it needs new Gel-coat.

Insist it is returned to original spec. You may need to provide alternative quotes. What are they doing organising that anyway, are you with Direct Line?

Most would agree that painted decks will devalue the craft. A broker or surveyor may be able to quantify that. In addition, there is an argument that areas of wear will require increased maintenance if painted.

Accept nothing less than back to spec.

 

[Sybarite]

If you think you will have to litigate to get satisfaction you should see if your contract covers legal costs.

I recently had a dispute with my (vehicle) insurance company and used this clause to hire (my own) lawyer (which they paid for) to sue them and win. You must stick strictly to the conditions about prior notification of your intention to hire the lawyer but going through this process might make them think twice.

There is understandingly little publicity about this possibility.

Good luck.

John

 

[TonyD]

Have you thought of contacting your boat's builder for a statement on the correct way to effect a repair? At 6 months old, I assume it's still under warranty and therefore they will be able to provide a statement on whether the insurer's suggested repair will be acceptable under the terms of the warranty.

Good luck & let us know the outcome

TonyD

 

[Miker]

Stick out and get a good surveyor. I had a varation of that in that the repairer of the hull didn't fancy the gel coating needed and wanted to paint the hull. The local agents of the boat manufacturer and the surveyor persuaded the insurance company that the proposal from the repairer should not be accepted. A specialist was employed and the hull repair was as good as new.

Best of luck.

 

[chrisrixon]

Yes I'm doing that but its taking a long time. The insurance company has at least accepted a gel coat repair now.

 

[jonjo]

Be aware that it can take 6 months, post impact, for the peripheral underlying laminate damage to show up as gel coat crazing.

A good laminate repairer will keep on swiping a grinder across the hull until dust stops settling on fissures. It is painful to see how far and how deep they go.

Suggest you ask repairer to show examples of gel coat colour matching skills.