The ship is safe in the hall. But how safe is it really there?
The yacht season is coming to an end. Who his boat in Winter storage should ensure that it is adequately insured for this period as well. In winter, in particular, there are frequent cases of damage, warns MartinHellhoff from EsEuro Ship GmbH, the yacht insurance branch of Allianz. Hellhoff: "Well over a third of the damage we regulate occurs when the boats and yachts are on land during the cold season."
The most common cause of damage is fire. “The boats are often completely destroyed in hall fires,” explains the expert. "Every boat owner should therefore make sure that the ship is also insured in winter storage as part of his insurance contracts," says Hellhoff. The same applies to outward and inward water as well as overland transport to the berth.
Craning in and out should also be insured
In addition, due to climate change, the consequences of strong winds and hurricanes are increasingly becoming noticeable in the damage statistics of Es. Comprehensive comprehensive insurance helps in cases of force majeure. For example, in the event of damage caused by gusts of wind or exceptional snow pressure, which could not be avoided despite the greatest possible care, the hall operator's liability insurance generally does not apply. "If you don't want to be left with your damage, you need your own boat insurance," says Hellhoff.
Collapsed winter warehouse as a result of a storm
In addition to liability insurance, comprehensive insurance also makes sense for another reason: It also helps if your own boat is damaged by a third party. “Boat owners shouldn't rely on the perpetrator's liability insurance to cover the damage. Because for regulation they have to provide evidence that the polluter acted culpably,”explains Hellhoff. In addition, in some cases, such as arson, the perpetrator cannot be identified at all.
The yacht insurance broker Firmenich is currently pointing out a completely different, also often underestimated risk: Consequential damage. Thomas Gibson, Head of Department at Firmenich Yacht Insurance, says: "Consequential damage can put sailors in much greater distress."
As an example, he gives the grounding of a yacht. The owner does a visual inspection later in winter storage, based on which he only touches up a few scratches on the keel. That settles the matter for him. Two years later, however, the keel suspension suddenly loosens during a trip, the ship makes water and only reaches a port in the last resort. The previous ground contact turns out to be the cause.
Overturned ship as a result of a loss of the keel. Sometimes a groundbreaking much earlier is the cause of the average
“Unfortunately, such incidents happen more often,” explains Gibson. But what should the owner have done differently? "It would have been correct if he had reported the grounding to his insurer immediately," said the expert. If all-risk coverage was anchored in the contract, the insurer was obliged to hire an expert to check the seaworthiness of the ship.
Gibson: “It is important that owners bring their insurers on board. We prefer one phone call too many to the long-term consequences of a loss.”By the way: Because the owner did not report the first loss, the insurer may refuse or reduce the settlement of the consequential loss. Your settlement of the initial loss would have been much cheaper.
And in a four and a half minute video, yacht policy broker Pantaenius finally tackles the theft problem. Break-ins on yachts and the resulting consequences made themselves felt with an average of 15 percent in the annual balance of all damage.
How do I secure my boat against burglars? Advice from the Pantaenius expert