Any suggestions for reputable boat insurers for the race?
Any suggestions for reputable boat insurers for the race?
This gets asked every race and the short answer is No.
Don't tell them you're singlehanding and make sure there's no exclusion for it. That may get you to 200 nm offshore. Beyond that, you're probably self-insured.
If someone knows differently for a solo race to Hawaii, please let us know.
Yep, that's my conclusion. My policy says I'm covered in "coastal waters of the US and Canada", and offers no definition of that term. The US exerts authority over its coastal waters out to 200 nm, so arguably I'm covered for the first 200 and last 200 nm of each crossing. Not a definitive answer, but good enough for me.
Lee
s/v Morning Star
Valiant 32
I concur with what has been said. In 2019 I extended my insurance coverage to Mexico. The addendum came back written with the clause “must have a minimum of three sailors on board.”
I found my insurance company (GEICO) interprets their language to mean the policy becomes void and is automatically cancelled for breach of contract if I leave the covered area. They don't consider it just suspended while I'm outside the 200 mile limit, and they don't consider it an active policy just because I re-enter the covered area later. Mine found out, well after the fact, that I had done the 2018 SHTP without telling them and threatened to cancel/not renew just a couple of months ago for 2021. This time I know they are watching both the PACCUP and SHTP sites to see if boats they cover are racing without telling them. It can be a bad thing if they cancel your policy for a breach -- if you try to get coverage later they may consider you a "bad risk" for having broken their rules. This year I'll do what I did do once several years ago, i.e. cancel the policy myself as " no longer needed" when I cross the 200 mile point, then apply for a new policy when I get back, all with the help of my good agent.
This is also exactly the same thing as what I heard from my insurance. It's better to cancel it right before the race. That's why I would have to get the boat re-surveyed once I get to Kauai for the crew delivery trip home in the original 2020 SHTP race in order to get the boat insured again. In 2021, they don't want to do anything like this at all.
Not even Pantaenius?
...though they probably won't cover singlehanders.
1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"
George McKay on his Capo 30 can't even get insurance to race the Los Angeles Transpac in July with a full crew. Boat "too old (1984)." That other Transpac requires insurance (thankfully not the SHTP). So George has spent a lot of time and money, now withdrawn his entry, and his double axle trailer is available.
Last edited by sleddog; 03-30-2021 at 08:42 AM.
As I recall in '13 the Transpac dropped the insurance requirement as like 1/3 off the fleet couldn't get coverage. Are they standing firm on this now?
$1 million of liability coverage. No mention of hull coverage so maybe a big umbrella policy could work. See 4.3.1 (L):
https://transpacyc.com/assets/docume...nspac-2021.pdf
But 'ya know - this is another thing that sets our race apart. You don't have to have an engine, and you don't have to have insurance. May it long be so!