Single Handing - Insurance

J

jollysailor17

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 Dec 2010
Messages
130
Location
North Wales
Visit site
I am hoping to make a cruise this summer to visit friends in arctic norway and perhaps visit western iceland and the faroe islands on the way home to north wales. I sail single handed. My insurance broker turned a whiter shade of pale at this and told me that 61 degrees north was the best he could do. Not really far enough north. So what am I to do? Does anyone know of a friendly broker who will extend cover for this voyage?
 
Mine is single handed Brest to the Elbe, but doesn't say how far north it goes!

GJW.

Always helpful when I have wanted more cover.
 
Pye_End said:
Mine is single handed Brest to the Elbe, but doesn't say how far north it goes!

GJW.

Always helpful when I have wanted more cover.
Click to expand...
GJW standard Brest to Elbe does not include European inland waters, ie lock into dutch canals, not covered. I extended at no cost with northerly limit N63 deg, W15 deg, just reaches SE corner of Iceland, not that I am going there, E15 deg & N42 deg..
 
another vote for GJW. Their standard policy might not cover it, but they have always been very helpful and flexible - just give them a ring and say what you want.
 
Perhaps you could find or negotiate a policy which gives you cover when in Coastal waters, regardless of where they might be.
You may agree when on the high seas that D. Providence is a safe bet or perhaps clerical medical will give you comfort if not cover.
 
deep denial said:
another vote for GJW. Their standard policy might not cover it, but they have always been very helpful and flexible - just give them a ring and say what you want.
Click to expand...

I have generally found GJW very helpful and they added singlehanded cover to my policy at no extra charge last year but the renewal came through the door last week - over £100 more than Pantaenius and £300 more than Bishop Skinner.

The point about Dutch inland waters is an interesting one, I wonder how many owners are unwittingly cruising those water uninsured?
 
simon14b said:
I have generally found GJW very helpful and they added singlehanded cover to my policy at no extra charge last year but the renewal came through the door last week - over £100 more than Pantaenius and £300 more than Bishop Skinner.

The point about Dutch inland waters is an interesting one, I wonder how many owners are unwittingly cruising those water uninsured?
Click to expand...
I did for 5 seasons until I found out, luckily without any need to call on the policy.
 
Stork_III said:
GJW standard Brest to Elbe does not include European inland waters, ie lock into dutch canals, not covered. I extended at no cost with northerly limit N63 deg, W15 deg, just reaches SE corner of Iceland, not that I am going there, E15 deg & N42 deg..
Click to expand...

Mmmm. I had always assumed that the wording of the area included inland waterways of Europe. Good thing you said this!

The most concise wording in the document I can find is:

.1. If the vessel is over 24 feet in length waterline we agree the Cruising Area
is Inland and Coastal waters of the United Kingdom, including the Channel
Islands, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Eire and the Continent of Europe not
North of 63 degrees North, not East of 15 degrees East, not West of 15
degrees West and not South of 44 degrees North.'

This is presumably an extended area as you found. I am not completely convinced on how to read the above - ie. whether it included European inland waterways. The basic schedule on the document does seem to exclude inland waterways.

I cannot see a definition of coastal, other than for 18ft and under.

Anyhow, the extended range seem to give the poster more insured area then he has found so far - whether it is negotiable remains to be seen. Perhaps their extended range is what they go up to after negotiation.

Thanks for bringing it up.
 
Insurance

Unfortunately i was previously covered by Pantaenius. It did not end well at all. If you are thinking using of them drop me a line.
 
Interesting I called GJW and all was well until I mentioned single handing. The lady on the phone informed me that they had never offered cover for single handing, nor would they! I told her that I heard on this forum that that was not the case, but she was adamant. What do you make of that?
 
April Fool perhaps? GJW typically offers single-handed coverage for daylight hours only which is enough to get across the Channel.
 
Bishop Skinner can be very flexible and good value for money. My cover was extended for singlehanded sailing after a brief phone call and a check with the underwriters.

The limitations were 24 hours max, 150 miles max between stopovers and a small increase in the excess.
 
jollysailor17 said:
Interesting I called GJW and all was well until I mentioned single handing. The lady on the phone informed me that they had never offered cover for single handing, nor would they! I told her that I heard on this forum that that was not the case, but she was adamant. What do you make of that?
Click to expand...

Was this rejection over their extended area - ie not just Brest to Elbe? Perhaps they allow single handed in the smaller area only.

If you do a search in the Jester forum for insurance there are one or two posts that might be worth following up on.
 
For what it's worth - my insurance (Navigators) covers me for single handed sailing, but only on passages not exceeding 24 hours.
Which seems to make sense.
 
jollysailor17 said:
Interesting I called GJW and all was well until I mentioned single handing. The lady on the phone informed me that they had never offered cover for single handing, nor would they! I told her that I heard on this forum that that was not the case, but she was adamant. What do you make of that?
Click to expand...

Ask to speak to a broker. Jumblie is insured with GJW and though single-handing is excluded in their standard contract, they were very happy to add daylight single-handing for me at no extra charge. They were also happy to extend "within 12 miles of the UK coastline" to cover the RoI coastline and the whole Irish Sea as well, again at no extra charge.
 
My policy is with Watkins Syndicate at Lloyds via Yachtmaster brokers. I phoned recently and they allowed me single-handed, "for passages with a planned duration not exceeding 18 hours and standard policy excess doubled whilst single handed".
That'll do for me for now. For any more duration they said they'd contact the underwriters and should be able to sort something.......but premium would go up natch.
 
jollysailor17 said:
Interesting I called GJW and all was well until I mentioned single handing. The lady on the phone informed me that they had never offered cover for single handing, nor would they! I told her that I heard on this forum that that was not the case, but she was adamant. What do you make of that?
Click to expand...

Very odd, after a brief discussion about what kit was on board they seemed happy enough to offer 'daylight only' on UK, English Channel & Brest/Elbe limits. I have been insured with them for quite a few years now so maybe single handed cover is only available for existing policy holders?

My policy now has the following - Endorsement 11 - 1 person during daylight hours only.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top