Insurance Considerations - trip to bermuda

[Alisske]

Hello to the group.

I have posted before about a trip that is planned to Bermuda in October. I have been “knuckle busting” getting the boat ready for a year. I feel the boat is ready. I have also made go plans in regards to safety/weather etc….

Now that I have a handle on the essentials, I wanted to ask folks for their opinions on insurance coverage. In particular, what I should look for in regards to traveling to the Bahamas. The boat is a Downeast style Groverbuilt 26 with single screw diesel. I have owned boats for over 25 years and insured them (no claims, thank god). I have a 100 ton license. I will be aingle handing to Bermuda, then meeting someone for the trip from Bermuda to Bahamas

My main concern is I don’t want the insurance company to deny any claims because I was “X amount of miles away from the coast” etc…. I am not talking about coverage for little stuff like scrapped up hull or small items, but really about catastrophic coverage. I have read through about half the posts on this site related to insurance, but did not really see a comparable post.

I don't feel comfortable calling gieco or boats US until i have a better understanding of what i should be concerned with etc…

I know sometimes talking about insurance is not as exciting as other topics, but i could use some help

Thanks in advance

 

[Crusty Chief]

We have postponed our trip this winter due to Covid. With regards to insurance, expect an increase for coverage in that area, assuming your plans call for after Nov. 1st entry and exit by June 1st the following year.
Might want to consider discussing this with Peter at Novamar to help ya out, as he has helped us out many times during our travels.

 

[Alisske]

Thanks. I have Peters info. I was planning on reaching out Monday.

Why did you decide to cancel the trip to Bermuda? The hassle of testing etc… and safety concerns.

Thanks again

 

[twistedtree]

Where are you starting from? A 26’ down east seems pretty small for such a trip. What’s your range?

 

[Alisske]

Where are you starting from? A 26’ down east seems pretty small for such a trip. What’s your range?

Every starting point is about 700 miles, lol. Leaving from long island NY. That being said, range is 1000 miles with 350 gallons of diesel.

 

[twistedtree]

I'm no insurance expert, but I suspect it will be difficult to get coverage to/from Bermuda for a 26' down east boat.

 

[Comodave]

I'm no insurance expert, but I suspect it will be difficult to get coverage to/from Bermuda for a 26' down east boat.

My thoughts exactly. Maybe Peter can steer you to someone like Lloyds.

 

[Crusty Chief]

Thanks. I have Peters info. I was planning on reaching out Monday.

Why did you decide to cancel the trip to Bermuda? The hassle of testing etc… and safety concerns.

Thanks again

We recently completed a trip down the west coast and through the canal. Covid has impacted all the countries so much that we decided to either wait and see if it gets better, or sell the boat. Bermuda, Bahamas and such have restrictions in place. Covid and the last few years of hurricane damage have not been kind to these area’s. Just our thoughts, we certainly dont want others to miss out their adventures.

Hope that explains things.

 

[Hippocampus]

Used to do races to Bermuda every year. Used to be two choices. Either get coastal insurance and then a rider for the individual races or get offshore insurance which covered you regardless of how far offshore you were for the whole year. Surprisingly depending upon the vendor and the particular year sometimes being insured offshore for the whole year was cheaper and even had lower deductibles or better coverage. Recently been doing two long voyages per year. Looked into the option of riders for those trips with expanded international coverage v yearly expanded cruising grounds and international coverage Very few choices for individual riders available. Told riders aren’t popular with vendors and they don’t like to do them. Ended up just having the voyages included in the cruising grounds.
As others have said you may have to go bare with only liability coverage or pay a large amount even with a big deductible. Don’t know your background. They will care more if you’ve done this transit in the past on a similar boat and if your crew has as well. You obviously have a lot of blue water under your keel but it isn’t as important as having done similar trips on similar boats. They will want sailing resumes on your crew and probably stipulate a minimum numbers of crew. Days of paying short money to be insured for a Bermuda one two are gone.
Will endorse statements of others. Have caught significant weather on this trip. On our yearly trips from New England to leewards or windwards try to miss Bermuda altogether and get a decent distance south. Even though we want to get our east in as soon as we can aim 150-300 m south of Bermuda if we can. Find line squalls and bad systems less frequent south of Bermuda. So agree it would be a very unusual ask for a insurance vendor to agree to insure a 26’ motor boat with a single screw that’s being single handed. I’ve done that trip multiple times in the past. Never asked for crew list. Even allowed to single. Not any more. Lowest number they will accept at anything approaching reasonable rates is three crew. Four if one isn’t sufficiently experienced. We’ve gotten a quote for two but it was very expensive and that was for the least distance ( Newport Bermuda) even though we were both experienced according in the vendor. Ended up taking a third.

 

[Alisske]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Not too surprised, lol. Hippo- thanks for the details and additional info. .

Ill sort things out best I can.

Thank you all again

A