Cover my boat news

Boat insurance is probably the oldest type of insurance cover. From the 17th century London as a trade centre has been accumulating ships from all over the world, creating demand for ship and cargo insurance. During the industrial revolution the river Thames became overloaded with cargo vessels. Though it boosted the boat insurance market even further, it was an environmental disaster for the British capital. Because of the amount of coal burnt, by the year 1954 the river Thames was sank in the ‘pea-souper’ Great Smog. About 4 000 people died that year in London with respiratory related problems.

One can get an idea of the scale of pollution from the series of paintings by Claude Monet. The painting Houses of Parliament was not created from an artist’s imagination, but was purely based on actual observation.

Houses of Parliament.Claude Monet.

To tackle the problem, a number of measures have been put in place to reduce pollutants cased by commercial cargo vessels and boats.
Today however, boating is considered to be one of the most green leisure activities. There are even more new green technologies available- like boat solar panels or biofuels to insure your boat has the least impact on the environment.

Sunken boats are becoming a familiar sight in Tewkesbury. Photo: Cara Hurren

With a climate change, rising water levels and increased flood risks, the standard of new buildings should be improved, the Association of British Insurers announced today.

Last summer’s floods cost the insurance industry more than £3bn. It’s not just the house insurance market that has been affected, but the boat and marine insurance market as well.

Though a small inflatable boat or canoe stored in a garage can assist in the case of a flood, boats and yachts can be affected to the “beyond repair” extent. In a flood situation, boats can be forced by the current, float uncontrollably and then hit bridges or buildings.

This narrow boat floated into the tunnel as the water level rose, until it filled up with water and sank. Photo: Patrick Campbell

If you are a boat owner, you will be responsible for recovering the vessel, which can be a difficult and expensive task when the water level finally drops. Even worse, you might be responsible for the damage your boat causes to someone else’s property. So, to avoid major financial loss, ensure you have fully comprehensive boat insurance or at least be covered by third party boat insurance.

Before you hand-over your money to buy the glamorous boat of your dreams, don’t neglect paying for a professional boat survey. In fact, a good survey could save you thousands in costs, for repairs or adjustments noticed after the purchase. Upon completion of a survey, you should be provided with a professionally prepared report that will be accepted by your bank or boat insurance underwriter.

Don’t simply hire the surveyor recommended by the seller and don’t rely on a report paid for previously by the seller. Find a reputable professional for the job yourself instead.
Look for a certified marine surveyor, who is accredited in professional bodies that require strict technical and ethical standards. Ask for the criteria your boat will be evaluated upon and exactly what will be covered in the report. It is worth paying to have an ‘out of water’ inspection to see whether the boat has been grounded or if there is keel damage. When arranging the date and time for the inspection, arrange to be present yourself. It’s a great chance to learn about your boat from an expert.

Remember, the survey is an overview of the boat condition on the day of inspection and problems hidden by the permanent structure of a boat may not be detected. A good survey could save you the value of your boat many times over in repairs alone.

Sailing in wintertime can prove to be a harsh experience. Cold waters welcome sailors with freezing winds, and if the thought of numb toes and multiple layers of clothes that fail to keep you warm, makes you shiver, we have some advice for you.
The best suggestion is to not sail your yacht, boat or dinghy, but to use the winter time for more cosy and pleasurable boating experiences. Visiting the Grand Boat Show will offer you the opportunity to catch up with the latest marine products, the finest luxury yachts, the cheapest boat insurance and marine insurance deals on offer.

Here are the major boat shows that will keep sailors, boat owners and their families busy and entertained this winter.

11th - 20th January 2008, London
Collins Stewart London Boat Show will feature over 1000 boats and around 650 companies exhibiting marine based products. On 60,000 square metres of covered space and over 100 acres of water, the show will have everything for your boating needs.
There will be something for everyone: a range of fun and educational boat activities for young children; an aerial spectacular Sea Queen Show performed by circus dancers; a Royal Navy Destroyer- a vessel equipped with the air defence missile system will be moored outside on the show’s spectacular marina in the Royal Victoria Dock.

Tickets range from £10.00 to £17.50 and can be booked online.
Visit the website

February 19th -24th 2008, Birmingham
The National Boat Caravan and Outdoor Show will not only feature boats and marine products, but also caravans and tents, cars and motor homes will be on offer.
Two hundred thousand square metres of display space at the National Exhibition Centre allows plenty of room to host free family activities including canoeing, kayaking, archery, climbing plus caravan towing and motor home manoeuvring courses.

Tickets range from £8.00 to £14.00 and can be booked online.
Visit the website

28th February - 2nd March 2008, Mumbai, India
With the British Marine Federation as a strategic partner in the Mumbai International Boat Show, it is the largest boat show in India. On a 10,000 square metre space, a wide range of small and medium sized boats, boat engines, water sports equipment and luxury products will be displayed. Press conference with international speakers from marine and boating industries, VIP preview evening, Networking dinner and other sponsored events will make marine experience in the ‘Gateway to India’ city Mumbai unforgettable.

Tickets range from £2.00 to £9.00 and can be booked online, by wire transfer or bankers draft. When visiting the site please note that prices are shown in Indian Rupees (100PS=1.28GBP)
Visit the website

People who are selling their Yachts need to be aware of fraudulent activities currently occuring. The deception begins when a potential buyer contacts the seller via email. The buyer makes enquiries and requests photos, stating he/she would like the boat to be shipped abroad and promises to pay by cheque.

Although the cheque is fake or stolen, it appears to clear long enough for the boat to be delivered, but then the funds are denied by the bank.

Precautions to take, according to Yachting Monthly :

If in doubt please seek professional advice or talk to the police.

An alarming number of cases have been reported over the last few years, of yachts being stolen to move illegal immigrants across international borders. The problem has been particularly bad in the coastal regions of Greece and Turkey where an established network of immigrant smugglers are targeting tourist yachts.

By choosing larger tourist-owned yachts, the smugglers are able to transport a large number of immigrants while appearing to be holidaymakers. They often fill the boat in Turkey and then sail to either the Greek or Italian coast where the immigrants are off-loaded. The yacht will then be scuppered or dumped to avoid being caught.

To make matters worse, communication between Turkish and Greek Coastguards is minimal (even though there is only 2 miles separating them), which makes tracking stolen yachts even more laborious. Smugglers are aware of this and can use it to their advantage.

If you intend to sail to these regions, here are some helpful tips on securing your yacht:

Invest in a Yacht Alarm
Even a simple alarm fitted to entry hatches and doors can prevent thieves from sailing away in your pride and joy.

Yachts are often moored alongside 100’s of other vessels – so if thieves see that your yacht is alarmed but your neighbour’s isn’t – which one will they pick to steal? The latest yacht alarms allow you to monitor your yacht by CCTV so that you can access the camera via the internet using your laptop – giving you real-time footage.

Hatch and Door Locks
Simply improving locks and padlocks can prove to be a visible deterrent, especially on older boats where entrances consist of a drop-in board and a sliding hatch.

Window Locks
Windows are often held in place by very weak plastic catches that can be easily broken, making entry to the yacht very easy. It is inexpensive to upgrade the window catches and locks and could prove an invaluable addition.

Choose Your Mooring Location Carefully
With larger marinas, it is reasonable to assume there will be more staff and fellow sailors which will mean yachts are under constant surveillance. It is also likely that CCTV will be employed, so try to moor close to a camera if possible.

Try to avoid leaving your vessel in areas where there are few people such as a bank side or enclosed bay.

A new era in British warship construction has been announced with the launch of HMS Daring ….

The beginning of February 2006 saw the launch of HMS Daring into the Clyde River at Glasgow. This is the first of the Type-45 destroyers, which measures a colossal 153 metres in length, weighs 7,350 tonnes and costs an equally immense £650 million. BAE Systems intend to produce a further seven Type-45 destroyers within the next ten years which marks the start of a £6 billion project to equip the Royal Navy with a totally new class of warships.

The Countess of Wessex attended the ceremony along with more than 11,000 on-lookers as the ship surged into the Clyde. Due to the narrow river, the ship had to be restrained with numerous chains to stop it from colliding with the dock.

HMS Daring is the most powerful frontline warship since WWII and is regarded as strong acknowledgment of the highly skilled British ship building industry.

Proving that it is more than brawn alone, the Type-45 took to the water as the worlds most advanced air defence ship, boasting a hugely powerful radar, stealth technology, all-electric propulsion and anti-aircraft missile systems.

Sea trials are expected to start in 2007 when the true capabilities of the T-45 will be tested. In addition, there will be two new aircraft carriers built along with Astute submarines and a supply ship project known as MARS (Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability) which will cost over £2 billion.

The Sea Fish Industry Authority are currently carrying out investigations at sea to try and discover if fishing boats can use vegetable oil to fuel boats. Engines are being created and existing engines modified to convert vegetable oil into the correct energy to power the fishing boat. Soon our fish could be caught by oil not just cooked in it.

The project is trying to help the fishing community by potentially cutting their fuel costs. Vegetable oil is of course far cheaper to use than conventional petrol or diesel.

The study was initiated as a result of the massive increase in fuel prices, which have hit the fishing industry incredibly hard. Independent fishing is a dying trade and the Seafish authority wish to prevent it dying out all together, by making it less expensive for them to run their boats.

The importance of this study is clear to the fisherman but it is also vital to the environment. Diesel used by boats has a much higher sulphur content therefore the emissions at sea are fairly high causing acid rain. These are thought to reduce by more than 99% if vegetable oil and other bio fuels are used.

It is considered relatively easier to convert marine engines to vegetable oil than those of land vehicles, as boats are usually lower revving and can tolerate different fuels.

Even though the actual running costs of a vegetable oil engine are lower than that of diesel there are modification costs. So it will only work if fisherman can afford the upfront costs of modifying their engines and will depend on the typical usage patterns of the boat.

Seafish plan to investigate using vegetable oil as fuel on boats for commercial use by the end of 2007.

When the ten Clipper yachts left Albert Docks in Liverpool back in September 2005, no-one expected the race could be suspended through safety fears. But when seven out of the ten vessels were discovered to have faulty bolts in the keel of the yachts, the organisers, Clipper Ventures, had little choice but to suspend the race.

Following over a month of rectification work at Subic Bay Yacht Club, all yachts have now been repaired and thoroughly examined and the race can commence once again on the 25th March 2006. In an attempt to return the race to the original schedule, organisers have dropped two stops, Curacao in the Caribbean and Yokohama in Japan.

The race consists of ten teams from around the globe, who are competing to win the 35,000 mile race:

You can keep up with the latest news here:
http://www.clipper-ventures.co.uk/2006/

About Clipper Ventures

Founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in 1995, Clipper Ventures Plc owns the rights to the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which began in Liverpool last September and will finish in Liverpool in July 2006.