Insurance...... got kicked to the curb by NMU

[JimmyB]

There is a good thread about insurance going on the Trawler site right now. They reference an Al Golden as an agent. I have seen his name over the past few years. If the link is inappropiate please remove it.
Jimmy

http://lists.samurai.com/pipermail/trawlers-and-trawlering/2010-February/147238.html

 

[solanderi]

FWIW,

Just got off the phone with Markel and they are happy to cover my 1985 45C but not for hurricanes. While I may run down my dock on a wild hair day, I kinda think that risk is a low percentage one. So no hurricane coverage kinda seals the deal for no deal.

I promised the Markel representative that I would update the HOF site appropriately.

Greg
1985 45C
Hat Time
North Bay Village, FL

 

[Angela]

Interesting...it was Markel that actually offered me insurance, with hurricane coverage, in Miami, FL on a 1980 motoryacht when no one else would. It did come a five-figure price, though. I was with Markel for a couple of years until I went with Seaworthy this summer and cut my premium in half while tripling my liability coverage. And I still have named storm coverage. I'm not loyal to any insurance company when we're talking about this kind of money, and I shop for it every year to see what I can find. This year, it was a prize, indeed.

Just goes to show that no one gets the same response from the same insurer - it's like rolling the dice to see what comes up.

 

[OBXTucker]

Markel covers mine, including named storms and picks up 1/2 my haulout.
I know them well and can PM you a contact.

Edit: I see that you're in Florida. While they cover my cruising.there and in the Bahamas, their coverage may be different since you're there year round. Still happy to give you the name of the guy that runs the entire division.

 

[Angela]

Funny...Makel would not let me go to the Bahamas - could not get more than 25 miles off shore.

Reminds me of Forrest Gump: "Insurance is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get."

My new insurance company, that came at half the rate of Markel, will let me cruise the entire Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, the Gulf, etc., but not the entire Pacific - just coastal Pacific. Fine by me! There's that box of chocolates thing again.

 

[fissioneng]

Reminds me of Forrest Gump: "Insurance is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get."

LOL, exactly. My guess is that they are constantly re-assessing risk based on recent claims and then changing what they offer to new buyers. As you say, that's why it pays to shop around. I was with Markel and found them difficult to deal with so now I'm with Travelers. Better coverage, less money.

 

[solanderi]

FWIW,

Travelers said Florida ? No Thanks

Here's Haggerty's deal:

Hagerty Classic Marine Insurance Agency is not currently able to offer new coverage for cruisers, trawlers, sailboats or for any coastal navigation in Florida. Additionally, Hagerty is not currently able to offer coverage for any sailboats for coastal navigation in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, & Texas. Other types of vessels may be considered in these areas.

The search continues........

Greg
1985 45C
N. Bay Village, FL

 

[fissioneng]

Travelers said Florida ? No Thanks

No, I'm in the Chesapeake.

Maybe it's time for the big boating conglomerates of the world to offer insurance. (Brunswick, Feretti, the pieces of Genmar that are left, etc.) You would think they would be worried about insurance availability although they have enough problems right now. Even BOATUS is really just a broker I believe.

Let's hope that there are many choices for us. I would hate to have the West Marine/BOAT US Stores/Boater's World thing to happen in the insurance industry.

 

[Robby]

todd, try jack martin and associates, agents name is jon horton. tell him i sent you.. this is where i went when i was dropped by NMU. bigbill

Thats where we are also.Robby

 

[lumina]

Hi All,

Like many of you I was kicked to the curb by an insurance company, in my case it was Zurich....right out of the blue.

When I began the search for another provider many would not even consider insuring someone unless your boat was post 1985 or if older than that they wanted an extensive current (last 12 months) structural and technical out of the water survey, and even with that the coverage was barely adequate, the deductables high and the premiums outrageous.

In almost desperation I turned to Boat US. They were actually very cooperative and worked with me. They accepted my last major survey which at the time was 22 months old.

I wasn't very happy with their "accepted value" concept especially since I had no say in it and totally disagreed with it. That said, it provides good overall liability, environmental and personal property coverage.

Boat & Boating Equipment Deductible : $980.00
Current Annual Premium : $1,921.00

 

[jim rosenthal]

BoatUS isn't bad, at least up here. We have had periodic disagreements about the value of the boat, but so far, so good. (fingers crossed) Several of the agents you mentioned are up here as well (Al Golden, Jack Martin, to name two) BoatUS is a broker, you are right about that, they reinsure with whoever gives them the best deal. Used to be Continental, before that Firemen's, I think. Their marine insurance division is one of the few livings pieces left of BoatUS, after its evisceration by WM.

Incidentally, WM used to have a marine insurance division. I don't know whether it's actually just BoatUS rebranded, or a separate division. Much as I would hate to give WM any business, it might be worth looking into.

 

[BlackPearl36c]

Call me I'll shop it around for you 631-765-2777 ask for James. I specialize in marine insurance and have all the markets

 

[GJH]

Markel covers mine, including named storms and picks up 1/2 my haulout.
I know them well and can PM you a contact.

Edit: I see that you're in Florida. While they cover my cruising.there and in the Bahamas, their coverage may be different since you're there year round. Still happy to give you the name of the guy that runs the entire division.

Jeff, who is your agent or contact at Markel? While I am very happy with my agent (Dawn Speros at Gowrie) and policy (ACE) so far, as they say, money is money.

I saw Al Golden's group mentioned on this thread. I had an absolutely horrid experience with them when I was trying to buy my boat; I was on the verge of killing the deal and going to live in Europe, do the canals and some charters for a couple of years instead (admittedly not the worst option). Dawn came in and solved the issues in about 15 minutes that those bozos were completely bumbling.

It is important to know where you will be using the boat. We could save money if we confined ourselves to a smaller area, which may be the case this coming year.

 

[fissioneng]

I saw Al Golden's group mentioned on this thread. I had an absolutely horrid experience with them when I was trying to buy my boat; I was on the verge of killing the deal and going to live in Europe, do the canals and some charters for a couple of years instead (admittedly not the worst option). Dawn came in and solved the issues in about 15 minutes that those bozos were completely bumbling.

Interesting, George. My EXACT experience with Al's company when I bought my current boat. And believe it or not, at the time I was with them and Markel for 9 years with my previous boat! I went somewhere else and it was done in minutes.