Conference vicki::boats

    BOAT/US will give you a quote regardless of whether you are a
    member.  1-800-435-8898

    To buy the insurance from them, you have to become a member.
    I believe membership is $15/year.

    I have insurance through them, and it is placed with
    Continental.

    You might also try MUA -- Marine Underwriters Agency, Inc.
    1-800-631-2147.  My experience with them is limited to
    reading their ad in some boating rag.

    	- Lee

    
    I went with ALLSTATE who also covers the house and the cars.  Coverage
    for a 9K boat with 1 million liability is about $135.  No hassles
    from the people who have all my other valuable possesions and they
    even knocked off 10% for attending a boat safety class (Coast Guard
    Aux).  Good Luck.
    
    Bob
    

    I second allstate, if you are inclined to do business with them.
    I pay $175. for a 45-MPH 19-foot bow-rider. 
    
    Mike

     RE.0
    
    I have ALLSTATE also, and I am happy with my coverage. I found them
    to be cheaper than my previous insurance, with was Sadler Ins, in
    Nashua, Sadler Ins is underwriten by N.H. Ins. One thing I notice
    with boat insurance companies, that they don't care for having
    anybody putting a claim in for any reason, and they check your driving
    record. When I first went to Allstate my Allstate agent called me
    and told me I would be receiving some mail and to disregard it.
    I ask him what it pertained to, he told me they refused me at first,
    because of a auto claim I made, I hit a deer in a snowstorm!
    
    
                                              Jeff
    

    Let me toss in my vote for Allstate.  I had a claim with them early
    this season for outdrive damage.  The adjuster (Bob Fitts) in 
    N.H. is an active "boater", understands what can happen, and despite
    the advanced old age of the boat and power unit came to a fair
    settlement with me.  No hassels, no delay. And, most of all, no
    penalty when they picked up the insurance on my new boat.

	Did you know that METPAY gives disconts for certain safety equipment.
	For example, I get a discount for...Depth Finder, Ship to shore, 
	Compass, Fire Extinguisher, and CG safe boating courses.  These 
	brought my Full coastwise coverage from over $400.00 down to slightly
	over $200.00.  Granted;  I have less boat than you but were you aware
	of this???  I also think that a Courtesy Marine Examination gives
	you a discount as well as "no juvy drivers listed.

	I've also heard that Boat US is good and will confirm the free quote!

	rgds__mike

    I got an extension off of my Homeowners top cover me for liability
    (soory, I can't see spending the big bucks for hull damamge). I have
    extra liability because I live on a lake where I have deeded access to
    my dock, so even though it is my neigboors land, I carry the liability
    if someone falls and hurts themselves around my right of way. My
    extension for a 17' 40 mph boat was all of $100. This also covers me
    for all trailer/boat highway or waterway liability - in state and out.
    I insure my house and boat liability with Liberty Mutual. 

    I only have liability also on my 10 year old boat.  Got a rider
    on my home owners for $25/year.
    
    Nelson
    

    RE: .-ALL
    
    Any of you folks have any problems with how many HP or MPH your
    boats have/can do?  I looked into some insurance companies that
    would not insure my boat because it could do 35+ mph and had 165
    HP in a boat that was less than 16'.  Of course, lying about the
    MPH is easy ("Oh it's a heavy boat, so even though it has 165hp
    it can only do 32mph!" :-)), but my registration lists the HP on
    it.
    
    					...Roger...

    Tell them its 16 foot then. Or say "it's only 120 hp at the prop".
    Don't lie, just stretch the truth.
    
    .jim.

A word of caution: My lawyer brother-in-law once told me that if you 
make a false statement when applying for insurance, the insurance 
company can, if you make a claim and the company discovers your false 
statement, simply refund your premium and refuse to pay the claim. 

    re: .10
    
    .jim. ... Yeah, stretching the truth is an easy way to pay cheaper
    rates.  In fact, (and at the risk of someone reading this being
    a part time DEM registry official) I register my boat as 15' 9"
    (that's the distance between the lifting rings) and only pay $5.00
    a year as opposed to the $20.00 or so for boats over 16'.  Cheap,
    I know, but I have documents from Correct Craft that state those
    numbers on it.  :-)
    
    re: .11
    
    Yes Alan, I'm very careful not to out-and-out lie to the insurance
    company.  It's just a bummer when a company simply WON'T insure
    a boat that they've classified as "over-powered."  I'd like to know
    how they come to the conclusion that "X horsepower per N feet of
    boat" constitutes over-powered.  I guess it's just one of the tougher
    things about owning a ski boat...you want the beef, you gotta pay!
    C'est la vie.
    
    					...Roger...

    Is a minimum of coverage required (by the finance companies) for
    those of us with hefty loans?  and is insuring a boat simpler than
    our road vehicles.
    
    I'm presently shopping for an insurance co. for my policy.
                      
    /MArk
    

    Call a guy by the name of Bob Gauthier on Mt. Washington St. in
    Lowell, Ma. 
    He is a Prudential Agent an got me the best deal in New England
    on insurance for my new 30 ft Alura. I checked from Maine to New
    Jersey and he had the best rate and the best coverage.
    
    I got a piece of the Rock as they say.
    
                                  
    Sorry I don't have his Phone # handy  try 555-1212
    
                                    Walt
    

        I believe I'm paying around $220 with State Farm for a 24' cuddy
        cabin with 235 outboard. That's with a 10% discount for having
        taken the USPS course.
        
        It's a million liability, I think, and good only out to 75 miles.
        That's almost twice as far as I've ever gone. 42 miles out to the
        northern tip of Jeffrey's Ledge is as far as I'll ever willingly
        go anyway.
        
        Oh yeah... there's a cool $1000 deductible.

    re .-1
    
    Capt Bligh,
    
    What year is your boat?  It sounds like you've got a great deal.
    I'm paying $480/year for a 24' cuddy cabin with a 200hp engine.
    I called all around, and most insurance companies felt that the
    boat was overpowered and wouldn't touch it.  This was the best I
    could find, but I think I'll call State Farm, soon.
    
    Joe A.
    
    p.s.  I also took the usps course.  And I fish the same areas as
    you, so it sounds like I'ld better get on the phone.

        I bought the whole rig late in the fall of 1983. Snow was flying
        with I brought it home. The boat is a 1983, the engine 1984. I
        was told I got the first VRO 235 to arrive in New England. VRO
        was new that year.
        
        It seems as though I paid more than $300 the first year, then it
        dropped. I don't know why.
        
        Our homeowners and vehicle insurance is also with State Farm.
        House, three cars (one is a 427 Vette), three motorcycles, two
        boats, expensive toys on insurance riders... we're good business
        for the State Farm agent. I only mention this to explain that,
        maybe he cuts us a break.
        
        Art

    Sounds like the in the 
    "Whoever dies with the most toys wins"
    department, you've got a good start :-)  BTW, nice car.
    Joe

    Joe and Cap't bligh and whoever it was that started this note.
    
    First 200 horse on joes boat is no where near over powered ?? Crazy
    Insurance Co.
    
    For my boat the coverage ran a bit over $400. from Prudential, Every
    where else wanted at least $700 to $900. And I have all the discounts
    any would provide. A good rule of thumb. The bank is going to require
    as much coverage as the loan you took.
    How much electronics/tackle and whatever else you have onboard can
    you afford to loose? If you can't . Insure it. The discounts you
    get for having Halon, a sniffer, VHF, Loran, Radar, will usually
    pay for the gear outright. So why not have them?
    
    Finnally- As owner/Cap't - You are responsible for all people on
    board. If you don't have good insurance and you get sued by some
    wimpy irate survivor or reletive of a late passenger . Then you
    will really know how much you saved with a cheap policy.
    
                                 Have Fun Boating.
    
    P.S. I,ve also full east coast coverage Can. to Key West. Watch
    this item, I saw one that stopped at cape ann??? another at Cape
    Cod??? Wouldn't that be the way.
    
    

    My search for Boat Ins. quotations has turned up what what .19
    mentioned. Alot of ins. co. have the 'area of navagation' provided
    for under the policy, divided up somewhat strangely. I'll be coming
    out of the Parker River in Newbury Mass. At the mouth will be the
    Anisquam (sp?) or essentially Cape Ann. Some of the Ins. quotes
    I've received divide up the Atlantic coast in 2 sections...:
    From East Port Maine to Cape Ann -AND- from Cape Ann to Pencicolla Fl.
    Since I'll be doing my general boating from say...the Isle of Sholes
    to Nantucket Mass. I'll need to capture both of the above named
    sections or > Atlantic Coastal Waters < . Of course this changes
    the premium abit! Fortuneatly I have also found a few ins. co. which
    simply quote Atlantic Coastal Waters as the area of general navagation
    with a more reasonable premium...These being Prudential & Allstate.
    
    A question I have is how the ins. co. choose to cover the hull vs.
    the motor (an outboard in my case). Some co. cover the hull under
    an 'All Risk Agreed value policy' and the motor under 'Actual cash
    value'. Other companies cover the hull and engine under simply
    'Actual Cash Value' . 
    
    Why the difference?  and which is better?
    
    /MArk

   .0>  the motor (an outboard in my case). Some co. cover the hull under
   .0>  an 'All Risk Agreed value policy' and the motor under 'Actual cash
   .0>  value'. Other companies cover the hull and engine under simply
   .0>  'Actual Cash Value' . 
   .0>
   .0>  Why the difference?  and which is better?
     
        Better for you or better for the insurance company?
     
        An 'actual cash value' policy will reimburse you the depreciated
     or current market value of the boat and/or motor. So for example
     let's say you paid $35k for your boat 5 years ago. Today the boat
     has a book value of (example) $19k. If something happens to the
     boat and it's declared a total loss, the insurance company will
     only pay you the $19k.
     
        With an 'agreed value' policy, you and the insurance company
     set a predetermined value for the boat (at the time the policy
     is issued), and that is the amount which the insurance company
     will pay you in case of a total loss. So with the same $35k boat
     you bought 5 years ago, if you had an agreed value policy where
     the stated value of the boat was $35k, a total loss today would
     get you a check for $35k from the insurance company.
     
        Generally, it's safe to say that an agreed value policy will
     be more expensive than an actual cash value policy, but if you
     do lose the boat, it's also safe to say that you get enough money
     back from the insurance company to pay off your loan and put money
     down on a new boat. An actual cash value policy might or might
     not cover your mortgage balance (naturally, it depends on how much
     the boat has depreciated).
     
        Agreed value policies are good for those who have older (antique?)
     boats whose book value doesn't come close to their market and/or
     replacement value. (A friend of mine has a classic car which has
     a book value of about $600, but he has a stated value policy of
     $30k, which is more representative of the price he could get if
     the decided to sell the car.)
     
     
     Frank
     

Since I'll be picking up my new boat soon, I've been in the process of
getting insurance quotes.  The policy we've been pricing is as follows:

-   Fresh and saltwater coverage
-   $300K Liability
-   $10K Boat, motor, & trailer damage
-   $5K medical payment
-   $250 deductible

We were about to go with the same company we have our homeowner's policy
with for $247/year.  I've heard both good and bad things about Metpay,
but decided to price them out anyway just for the heck out.  Turns out,
they quoted me $150/year for the same policy, and will take it out of my
paycheck weekly.  We probably won't find a price that's much better, and
I don't feel like shopping forever just to save another $10-20.  My
question is, are the horror stories I've heard about "Mightpay" true? 
Have any of you ever filed a claim with them?

Thanks in advance,
Rick W.

    I was under the implession that metpay would only insure your boat
    if they had your other coverages as well. Is this so??
    
    Capt. Codfish
    

    I looked into metpay once. It was cheaper, but the liability limits
    dropped significantly when you were towing skiiers. I don't remember the
    amounts. You may want to ask that question and understand its impact
    on how you use your boat
    
    Scott

    I also was looking for insurance, and droped by metpay. I got a copy of
    their policy, and did read the fine print. It actually is less
    restrictive than most others that I looked into. For example, there is
    no clause about towing skiiers, or tubs, so that appears not to be
    excluded from the coverage. There is NO clause about alchol, so haveing a
    beer or two will not violate your insurance. There only comment about that,
    was that if you were completly sloshed, they might have a case that you
    were negligent... but even then they would probably pay, and cancell
    your policy later. It looked good to me, and they seem to have the best
    price around. I had also called BOAT/US, and they were the highest
    sorry, I don't have the numbers with me, but for the same insurance I
    believe it was about $300 for pretty much the same level insurance as
    you specified in .-1
    
    	Steve
    

    I don't  recall  the  rates  and  all  but  as  for Might Pay
    actually  paying, I had a pleasant experience with them.  The
    boat had a too close encounter of the bottom kind to the tune
    of  2700$.   Met  pay was at the dealers to do the adjustment
    before  I  could  get  the  boat  there and they paid equally
    quickly.   No  problem.   Actually I did a little checking on
    price  and  met  pay  was  about  the same, so with the added
    convience of auto paying I went for it.  No regrets.

    I'm covered through Metpay as well...  I havent checked the prices
    lately, but they had the best rates last time I looked.   
    
    btw: They offer a "discount" for depth finders.  In my case it amounted
    to $1.00.  Similar savings are available for radios....