Boat insurance (no Marine Survey)

treegifts, Jan 27, 2:49am
Also placed in General but this may be the place to ask.

Do any boat owners (of yacht / sloop type vessels - older than 20/30 years ) know if there are any insurance companies that will insure without a Marine Survey.We are currently fixing the boat up and not quite ready for a Marine Survey but need to insure due to berth requirements.

We of course have googled and have rung a few companies but so far no luck.If you have any information that would be fab.Thanks for your time.

supernova2, Jan 27, 3:12am
Might have to try a Marine Insurance Broker.I'm assuming that the berth requirements are more to do with fire cover than the possibilty of your boat sinking/been stolen etc.

If it's like House Insurance the coy needs to be told that your boat is under repair otherwise you will have no cover anyway.

gammelvind, Jan 27, 3:27am
Just been through this one, eventually found an old boatbuilder who would do an insurance survey, not a full marine survey. After ringing the insurance company and eventually finding someone with a modecom of knowledge and responsibilty, all they want is a letter from a boatbuilder saying the boat won't sink or spontainiously combust. Finding that person may be a challenge but I found one in Thames and now my 1969 ferro boat is insured.

treegifts, Jan 27, 3:30am
I wonder if you would mind sharing the name of the boat builder in Thames so that we can perhaps start there as a point of call and he may be able to recommend someone in Wellington!That would be very helpful.

gammelvind, Jan 27, 3:36am
He is just a small one man band boatbuilder, knowing him quite well now I can't see he would be much use. May I suggest you go visiting the hardstands in your area and ask around. Explain to them what you are after, as this insurance requirement appears to be a recent thing.

purple666, Jan 27, 3:51am
Marine Insurance Broker will do it without inspection, if it for berthing then they just want you covered in case you crash into another boat. I think I got $1,000,000 cover for that and $25,000 agreed value on boat, can't remember the cost but it wasn't too much.

mm12345, Jan 27, 1:29pm
Nautical Insurance Ltd (brokers) may be worth a call.
(these people have been consistently less expensive than general insurers)
The "Insurance Survey" / or "hull survey" might be to answer a specific set of questions from the insurer / underwriter, so it would be advisable to get those specifics from the insurer before engaging someone to do the inspection. AFAIK, they're not in general requiring hull surveys on older glass boats, I hear rumours that they're requiring inspection on wooden hulls (incl glassed over).