Sorry I haven't been posting much in recent days. When I haven't been working my day job, I've been trying to solve a problem I have.
According to my current insurance I need to be north of Cape Hatteras by the beginning of the dreaded "H" (hurricane) season. This season runs from June 1 to November 1. Originally, we didn't think this would be an issue since we wanted to see the U.S. East coast and this bigger restriction fit with our plans. Of course getting the first house ready to sell took much more time than we anticipated and some other things have conspired to throw a wrench in the works.
The best option for moving the boat north would be to make a few overnight hops "on the outside" (going up the coast instead of the ICW). Unfortunately, my wife is busy and can't come help so I'm by myself in Georgia and needing to move the boat pretty far up the coast in a month and a half. Given my current level of experience, I don't think it would be wise for me to do an overnight passage alone. This leaves me needing to find a deckhand to make the trip(s).
Right now I think I have a friend coming to help me move the boat from Brunswick to Charleston or so. From there, I still need to figure out the best option for continuing the trek north. I thought offering the chance to spend some time on a boat with room and board paid for in exchange for a minimum amount of help would entice some of my friends, but apparently not. Maybe I'm not selling it right...how does "come spend a few days basking in the sun on catamaran instead of shoveling that snow back home" sound?
I also need to figure out my "final destination". I'm thinking somewhere in the Chesapeake. I'd like to find a place that is reasonably priced and near "services" so I can get some work done that I simply cannot handle (I'm somewhat sewing and welding challenged). While Annapolis is probably an excellent location for everything sailboat repair, I think that location usually comes with a high price tag.
So, I have been spending a lot of time looking through Active Captain, checking for marinas and services and their prices and trying to come up with a loose plan for how to get north of our insurance line before the deadline.
On a semi-related note, part of the reason my wife cannot come down right now is good news in that she will be closing the sale on her father's house. Apparently the housing market is pretty good in Denver right now, at least for smaller homes. We had listed the house at what we thought was a fair price for the renewed condition and in less than a week we had numerous offers and were under contract for over asking price. We really need to get our house on the market soon.
So, I have to ask: is your insurance company wanting it north of the line and out of the water.....or just north of the line? My understanding with our insurance company is that you have to have "a hurricane plan" in place. Ours is the same as it was at the end of last season: sitting on the hard in Florida, and making sure nothing is left on the boat that would make it want to blow away, ie taking the sails down and any canvas work. Am I wrong here? Because I wasn't planning on moving mine.
ReplyDeleteHey Kevin,
DeleteThey don't want it out of the water, they just want it north of the cape between June 1 and November 1...or more precise, they won't cover any damage from a "named storm" unless it is north of that line. Different insurance companies have different requirements and I'm sure we could pay extra to have the line removed. We also had to submit a hurricane plan that included removing sails, etc to help prevent damage from hurricane force winds.
Insurance is all about risk and the insurance company apparently believes the boat would be at greater risk further south...ironically...if you look at the historic data...seems like they are calculating incorrectly...but I got a decent rate and at the time we didn't think it would be an issue.
If I can't find some help to get the boat moved, I might end up calling and seeing what I can do to change the insurance restrictions. Still trying to figure it all out.
-Mike
Mike,
ReplyDeleteWhat I was trying to ask (and to make sure I am understandilng my insurance better) was does it make a difference if your boat was pulled out of the water? Basically, can you be "between the hurricane" lines if you were out of the water? Or does in not stipulate that? Does your insurance company just say it has to be above the line no matter' what - regardless if you're out of the water or not?
Sorry I misunderstood what you were asking. I don't *think* that it makes a difference but I could be wrong. Since my boat is in the water and having it on the hard from June through November wasn't an option for me, I didn't look specifically for that when I was reading through it last.
DeleteYeah, I'll be calling my insurance agent again on Monday just to touch basis again and to insure that my boat is nice and "covered" for the upcoming season although he's told me before that our current location and position was covered. But it makes me nervous sitting out there on the tip of the US. Good luck getting yours moved up. Oh, we are currently with Loyd's of London, who did you guys use?
ReplyDeleteYeah, insurance is confusing. The one thing I've learned about insurance is they will do anything they can to deny a claim so it is always good to look at the fine print.
DeleteAnd to that end I re-read my policy and it is confusing to me exactly what happens if I suffer damage from a named storm while I am below Cape Hatteras...so I sent a note to my agent to see if he could clarify it for me.
My insurance is written through Seaworthy through an agent my broker recommended after we had a hard time finding much on our own. I think we got a pretty reasonable rate...it was cheaper than my airplane insurance for a more expensive "vehicle" anyway.