Insurance discussion was: It's not fuel prices...
some asking around with some people I know in the insurance business.Apparently, even liability insurance is going to become hard to get.
The complete lack of common sense in the small boating world is
getting to them. For example, yesterday, I was talking with a DCR cop
before I launched (safety inspection of the boat) up at Lake
Chargogagoggmanchaugagoggchabungamungagogg, he said that him and his
partner wrote eleven tickets in 2 hours for everything from no PFDs to
overloaded boats with no PFDs, no fire extinguishers, children w/o
PFDs, etc. He wrote one pontoon boat up with 12 people on board with
open containers and the driver was .97 on the BA. I don't know this for a fact you understand - that's just what I was
told - but companies have been taking a beating on boat insurance to
the point where it's not profitable anymore. I know with my Ranger,
which has a total replacement policy, boat, motor, trailer and gear at
a stated value, when I installed the new E-TEC 200, I insured it for
full replacement value of $17,000 - my insurance doubled. I didn't
change the value of the boat or trailer - just the engine. I have never had a claim - ever - over 25 years with the same company
and they doubled my insurance premium. When I checked with two other
companies, I was surprised to learn they don't write stated value
replacement policies anymore and as to value, they will only write a
depreciated value - meaning that the lowest value even if the boat is
perfect and well maintained. It's only going to get worse. |
Shortwave
Aug 27
2006
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