Weather change at sea - mast break at wind force eight
Boat & Yacht Insurance
Weather change at sea - mast break at wind force eight
June, in Fehmarnsund, on the way to Großenbrode: Suddenly the weather changes, skipper and crew of the Hanse 341 have their hands full in a thunderstorm with gusts of force 8. Then there is a crash, a shroud tensioner breaks, the mast breaks. The shocked crew quickly realizes that fortunately no one is seriously injured and the ship is maneuverable.
Damage handling The skipper is able to bring the ship and crew to the marina. The insurance company is informed, and the following day an assessor arrives and finds signs of fatigue on the shroud tensioner. How does the claim settlement proceed now?
Scenario one: Yacht hull insurance excludes all damage resulting from wear and tear in ordinary use. In this case, the owner comes away empty-handed and has to pay for the damage himself.
Scenario two: In this case damage from wear and tear in ordinary use is excluded - but with the restriction "on the directly affected part, the resulting consequential damage is deemed to be co-insured". Only with this wording the owner is on the safe side - almost the entire damage is covered by the yacht hull insurance. The owner only has to bear the costs for the shroud tensioner and his agreed self-sharing.
Pay attention to the right wording Andreas Medicus, authorized signatory of the Hamburg yacht insurance company Schomacker, recommends taking a look at the fine print of the insurance contract. "Only with the right wording is an insurance policy worth its money. In the case described above, in addition to limiting the exclusion, the quality of the liability insurance is also crucial: claims among the crew should be included. So if a crew member had been injured in a rash reaction by the skipper, the insurance would have kicked in here, too." The crew of the Hamburg-based specialist broker will be happy to advise on any questions, including existing contracts.
