Protect your marine investment and you could avoid a claim

Coleman Marine Insurance’s Yacht and Commercial Craft Executive, Tony Pauffley is looking at ways that marine boat owners protect their vessels whilst not in the same location and in doing so may avoid the need to make an insurance claim.

Tony advised, “Many of today’s boaters live at different locations to where their precious boats might be moored. Particularly in today’s challenging times, with the onset of the pandemic Coronavirus, boats might be left unoccupied for much longer than usual periods.”

Tony outlines a brief check list of some of the things you can do to protect your marine investment and avoid damage, commenting that almost half of all claims^[i] happen in a boat’s home mooring and that many could easily be avoided with forward thinking and planning.

* Try and find someone local to the boat that could keep an eye on her; having the right person on hand to check her out will give you peace of mind and early actions can be taken to prevent more extensive damage occurring.

* Invest in a good set of fenders and mooring warps and check these regularly for signs of wear.

* If the boat next door to yours looks like it could damage your vessel due to poor mooring equipment and it’s looking neglected, get on to the dock master or the owner to take corrective steps.

* Draw yourself up a check list for when leaving the boat, some ideas below include:

* Is she correctly berthed with room to move in storm conditions and is the passerelle stowed safely?

* Inspect the mooring warps for damage and replace as required. For a stern-to mooring you’ll need an extra fender or 2.

* Is the immersion heater isolated and turned off and are the batteries turned off. Bilge pumps should be wired directly and tested for auto operation. A solar panel via a regulator is a great way to keep batteries topped up.

* Are all exterior items stowed away securely and all port lights and windows properly closed?

* Are all sails stowed and reefing headsails secured or removed and cushions and covers secured or put away safely?

* The gas system needs to be completely turned off.

Concluding, Tony said, “At Coleman Marine Insurance, part of global insurance brokers Gallagher, our team is always on hand and accessible throughout the year to support our clients and offer any general advice that might be required.’

 www.colemanmarine.co.uk