Single handed, Offshore and Insurance

[scruff]

I'm planning my summer jaunt just now - Planning on sailing out of the Clyde, up to St Kilda and if weather looks fair, nipping round Rockall on return leg to the Clyde. This is in prep of my potential Jester Challenge next year; I need to see if I like solo offshore stuff in reality as much as the idea of it.

My boat is currently well founded and I am confident that both I and Minerva are up to the task in hand.

My current insurers are unable to insure me for more than 18hrs non stop single handed sailing. I have spoken to Panateneus and their underwriters are currently considering insuring me.

However, if they do not, how much of a folly does the hive mind think it would be to head off and be uninsured for the Offshore element.

Please note I am not talking about potentially bashing into your boat in a Marina - that risk is covered by my current insurance, it is however the offshore bit that would be uninsured...

 

[Athene V30]

I am with GJW and have unlimited singlehanded cover Brest to the Elbe. The only bit that changes is my excess doubles in hours of darkness.

Was toying with idea of Jester Azores myself back in 2012 but work / earning a living got in the way. From the looking I have done don't think getting comprehensive cover is easy. 3rd party might be possible though.

 

[scruff]

It is on a 3rd party basis I'm looking for cover - I don't have a recent survey and I cannot pull the boat out to get one between now and going away.

Besides, the boat is only worth around £6k so I am quite happy to self insure for the rest of the season and perhaps upgrade to fully comp during the winter when I could get her survey.

 

[Habebty]

I am with GJW and have unlimited singlehanded cover Brest to the Elbe. The only bit that changes is my excess doubles in hours of darkness.

Same for me.

 

[cryan]

If your out at Rockall and you sink what will you need insurance for? You won't be around to claim it.

In all seriousness the insurance issue is probably down to you not being able to maintain a proper watch and so the asset they're insuring would be on the ocean with nobody looking after it in their eyes.

 

[prv]

Besides, the boat is only worth around £6k so I am quite happy to self insure

There's your answer, then. Provided you have cover for the inshore bits where you might scratch somebody's gin palace or sink in the middle of a busy ferry berth, what are you expecting to do out by Rockall that will cost you? If the boat goes down and you're lucky enough to get rescued, I suspect the 6k will not be at the forefront of your mind.

It used to be standard for blue-water sailors, couples as well as single-handers, to be insured only for the coastal bits, as a few decades ago nobody would cover them offshore. Cover became available as more people started doing it (including older, more risk-averse people in more expensive boats, who absolutely require insurance) but the sea hasn't changed in the meantime.

Pete

 

[Seajet]

scruff,

maybe your best insurance would be a watertight forward bulkhead, powerful electric bilge pumps to let you get on with sorting an emergency, and a good backup autopilot to help keep fatigue - the greatest enemy - at bay.

I expect you have all this anyway, as well as a Plan B liferaft !

Again I expect you're way ahead of me, but I'll just mention there are a lot of self-heating meals available through Amazon which could be a real boon to a hard pressed singlehander.

 

[Neil_Y]

I've sailed uninsured on ocean crossings due to being short handed, I don't see it as an issue and maybe even a greater incentive (if you needed one) to make sure you and the boat are well sorted. 3rd party risk is almost non existent, as most boats you will meet will be large and steel.

 

[scruff]

Ok, thanks Chaps. The self insure was what I deemed to the most suitable, however I was worried that in thinking so I was omitting something glaringly obvious.

One less thing to worry about.

 

[[3889]]

Google Windigo Beneteau to see why 3rd party offshore insurance is a good idea (abandoned at sea and ended up on the beach in a National Park -mucho $$$).
In relation to self-insuring whilst outside area of cover, does anyone know (rather than surmise) if this affects the cover at all? e.g. If I cross Biscay with only Western Europe coastal cover, and am out of the area of cover en route, does cover definitely resume when I re-enter coastal waters?

 

[Pye_End]

In relation to self-insuring whilst outside area of cover, does anyone know (rather than surmise) if this affects the cover at all? e.g. If I cross Biscay with only Western Europe coastal cover, and am out of the area of cover en route, does cover definitely resume when I re-enter coastal waters?

The deal I had on the Jester was that normal cover re-started when I re-entered a UK port (and was insured in Azores ports), so the passages themselves were clearly defined as the different.

I took out 3rd party for the passages for unforeseen costs for salvage or abandonment or pollution control or anything else I didn't know about. It was not expensive, but at the time was not convinced I understood under what circumstances a claim would need to be made under this (and still don't!).

 

[Angele]

The deal I had on the Jester was that normal cover re-started when I re-entered a UK port (and was insured in Azores ports), so the passages themselves were clearly defined as the different.

I took out 3rd party for the passages for unforeseen costs for salvage or abandonment or pollution control or anything else I didn't know about. It was not expensive, but at the time was not convinced I understood under what circumstances a claim would need to be made under this (and still don't!).

Good point.

If I were the OP, I would be looking for specific confirmation (in writing) from my insurers that cover would indeed restart as soon as I re-entered coastal waters. If they have imposed a limit on the duration of single handed sailing then they are either concered about one or both of (a) inadequate lookout (because you are asleep); or (b) fatigue.

If the latter, then fatigue doesn't suddenly disappear when you return in sight of land, so it would appear a plausible basis on which to deny payout if you made a claim in coastal waters, but after a long offshore single-handed passage.

 

[sighmoon]

I am with GJW and have unlimited singlehanded cover Brest to the Elbe. The only bit that changes is my excess doubles in hours of darkness.

Me too, after an embarrassing phone call:

Do you have Radar?
Err, no.
Do you have an Autopilot?
No
Have you sailed singlehanded at night before?
Actually, no.
Have you sailed much singlehanded before?
Not really.
No problem sir, we can cover you with no increase in premium.