Boat Insurance

Industry leaders gather for boating summit

2011-12-19T05:24:00.001-08:00

Approximately 160 marine industry leaders from around the country gathered Tuesday and Wednesday in Chicago for a first-of-its-kind Recreational Boating Stakeholder Growth Summit.

The summit was hosted by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and attended by leaders from all industry segments, including bankers, big-box retailers, consumer organizations, dealers, distributors, insurance companies, boat, engine and accessory manufacturers, marinas, boatyards, trade associations, publishers, yacht brokers, marine representatives and government groups.

It was the largest and most diverse all-industry discussion ever for the recreational boating industry, the NMMA said.

Prior to attending the summit, participants completed an extensive survey, answering questions and providing information to help the facilitators create a foundation that the group worked from to begin the all-industry dialogue.

Out of the survey came four “vision statements” for the industry to work on during the summit, including: “Visions for our industry in 2021: Unified Industry Cross Sector Collaboration Brings Results — Boating Now the Preferred Recreational Choice,” “Boating Participation Soars — New Generation, Highly Diverse, Family Friendly Lifestyle and Consumer Friendly,” “Expanded Access to the Water and the Lifestyle Has Been Achieved” and “Smarter and Fewer Regulations and Better Boating Education Results in Safe, Affordable and Enjoyable Boating.”

“I think a lot of participants were shocked at some of the missed opportunities, industry trends and overall need for our industry to adjust to the changing population in the U.S.,” NMMA president Thom Dammrich said in a statement. “The summit opened a lot of eyes and created a sense of urgency throughout all industry segments to put something in motion to build recreational boating that we can all work toward.”

Dammrich opened the summit with a presentation on “Trends in U.S. Recreational Boating,” which was followed by a presentation on “Changing U.S. Demographics and the Boating Industry,” from Steve Murdock, professor of sociology at Rice University and former director of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Over the course of two days, topics addressing each vision included, but weren’t limited to: existing and future demographics of the boating consumer; marketing and communication strategies; the boating experience; innovation and technology; industry collaboration; and legislation and regulation.

As a result of the summit, a universal recognition developed among all participants that all segments of the industry have an important stake in working together to develop approaches to grow the recreational boating industry.

During the next six weeks, the facilitators from the Consensus Center will compile a report of action items and focus areas agreed upon by summit participants that will act as a blueprint for the industry to work against.

Safeguard your boats with Boat Insurance

2011-11-29T23:20:00.000-08:00

When it comes to Boat insurance, many people are confused mainly due to doubts regarding insurance. The confusion drives them to get policies which don't provide several coverages. So, it's very important to clarify all your doubts before getting a policy. For example, your homeowner's policy may not include specialized coverages, such as Agreed Value or Total Loss Replacement, Personal Effects or Fuel Spill Coverage. There are several ways to avail boat insurance in a beneficial way, but most of them are unaware of this ways. Moreover, you won't get several benefits such as liability limits up to $500,000, a wide selection of deductibles, medical payment coverages and much more, if you insure your PWC on your homeowner's policy.

Are you asking, how to find a better solution for boat insurance? It's possible. At first you must find a reputed insurance company which has several years of experience in the field of insurance and moreover, get feedbacks from the insurance companies clients about that company. After selecting the insurance company, get the details regarding the benefits which the company provides and check whether it meets your expectations. Make sure that the insurance company would review your specific needs whether all business, pleasure or somewhere in between and design an insurance package to meet them and when you have a loss, check whether there would be an expert claim department. If you get all your expectations fulfilled then you can contact that insurance company and can get the best policy for your boat. You can also avail yacht insurance along with hull coverage in many insurance companies.

When you contact a reputed insurance company you would avail several benefits along with personal watercraft insurance. It would cover benefits such as: you won't have any time or location restrictions on your PWC insurance, you would get help with accidental fuel spills that are your legal responsibility, your sunglasses, clothing and cameras would also be covered under PWC insurance, you can get help if your towing vehicle or trailer breaks down, wreckage removal and your water skis would be covered at no additional cost. The most common mistake made by people when purchasing yacht insurance is the assumption that all policies are the same and price is the only difference. There are no standard yacht policies, and most owners discover the gaps in their policy when they have a loss.

Homeowner's or render's policy does cover your personal watercraft insurance, but it probably doesn't offer the total coverage you need, especially if you own any jet driven watercraft. Most of the time, physical damage coverage to the craft is not covered. So, get a best shield for your boat in the form of boat insurance and relieve your worries regarding the boat completely.

Obtain Sufficient Boat Insurance Before Exploring Britain's Waterways

2011-09-12T01:48:00.000-07:00

Each year, more and more boat enthusiasts decide to set off on Britain’s canals to enjoy some precious time away with friends and family whilst exploring all that Britain’s rivers and canal routes have to offer. Insure My Boat strongly advise boat lovers to take out appropriate boat insurance to give peace of mind so they can enjoy what they love most, free from the financial burdens that can arise if something goes wrong whilst on board an uninsured canal boat.

With Britain boasting more than 4,800 kilometres of beautifully tranquil canals and rivers, it is no surprise that more and more people are giving in to the temptation of exploring everything Britain’s great outdoors has to offer by boat. After all, canal boats provide an ultra-convenient method of exploring, doubling up as a reliable method of transport as well as providing cosy accommodation for you and your comrades. To give an idea of the sheer volume of people taking to Britain’s waters each year, currently canal boats are among 2 million boats in the waters in and around the UK. Worryingly, large proportions of boats are uninsured and are therefore completely unprotected in the unfortunate scenario that theft or accidental damage occurs.

“Canal boat owners up and down the country will be setting off in their boats this summer and autumn but unfortunately many people ignore the importance of boat insurance and an increasing number are falling victim to the excessive financial demands placed on them when they have an accident or suffer theft. Investing in boat insurance is vital to ensure Britain’s boat lovers are covered against all possible eventualities.” David Quick, Managing Director of Insure My Boat explains.

Statistics reveal that the top three reasons for boat owners making insurance claims in recent years are: accidental damage caused by hitting a submerged object, theft and collisions with other boats.

No matter how careful boat enthusiasts are when travelling on Britain’s canals, clearly accidents are as widespread as ever. The damage caused to canal boats in accidents can be extremely expensive to repair especially when another boat is involved. With this in mind, it is vital to ensure appropriate insurance is gained before taking to Britain’s waters.

In terms of theft, the stealing of canal boats remains relatively rare. However Britain has seen a recent surge in the number of thefts of brass ornaments and other high value materials from canal boats as well as personal possessions being targeted. Without a sufficient boat insurance policy, victims are not covered financially in the unfortunate event that they too fall victim to these opportunists.

To protect all boat enthusiasts against the potential problems that can occur when travelling on Britain’s waters, Insure My Boat have devised an extensive database that is easy to use in order to help find and compare boat insurance policies. This ensures customers get the very best value for money. For more information don’t hesitate to visit their website and get in touch via the contact page.

With fall just around the corner, many snowbirds are itching to finalize their travel plans to warmer climes. If you count yourself among these lucky-

2011-09-12T01:46:00.000-07:00

There's nothing quite as exhilarating as boating: the wind in your hair, the thrum of the wake against the hull, the snap of the mainsail and the buzz of an outbound fishing line.

It's no wonder 75 million people in the U.S. participate in recreational boating, according to 2010 data from the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

Where there are boaters, insurers will surely follow. A wide range of property and casualty companies offer boat insurance, including Allstate, Geico, The Hanover Insurance Group, Progressive, State Farm and Travelers.

It's easy to feel over your head when it comes to obtaining the proper insurance for your boat. That's because boats are a bit of an odd duck in the insurance world: Insuring a runabout has much in common with buying auto insurance while insuring a million-dollar yacht more closely resembles buying home insurance for a small house.

We assembled three knowledgeable insurance experts to answer six important questions about boat insurance.

Why Do I Need Boat Insurance?
If you're new to boating, you may be under the impression that your homeowners insurance will magically stretch to cover your boat. Sadly, in most cases it won't.

"Many homeowners policies will have a minimal amount of coverage for really small boats with either no engine or a very small engine, like a sailboat," says Mitch Jawitz, vice president of marketing and distribution at The Hanover Insurance Group. "But if you're buying a $10,000 or $20,000 boat, your homeowners policy is not going to cover you for what you need."

Lynne McChristian, the Florida representative for the Insurance Information Institute, says boats are unique and require their own policy.

"Your boat has nothing to do with your home, any more than your car can be covered under your homeowners insurance," she says. "Your home isn't mobile. Your boat, like your car, can go anywhere, so it requires a separate policy."

That said, you may save money by bundling your boat policy with your home or auto insurance.

"There's often a cross-sell discount," says Chantal Cyr, vice president of product management for Travelers. "At Travelers, if your boat is less than 30 feet and you have one or more policies, you can save 10% for one policy and 15% for the second."

How Does it Differ From Home or Auto Insurance?
In some ways, boat insurance is a mash-up of home and auto insurance.

Like home insurance, a boat policy covers you for liability if someone is injured on your craft and gives you the choice between replacement cost or cash value in a total loss.

Like auto insurance, boat coverage typically includes coverage for bodily injury that your boat inflicts on others, property damage your boat inflicts on docks and other boats, and physical damage to your boat should you hit something or run aground. You can also purchase comprehensive coverage against theft, vandalism, fire and flood, personal property coverage for your fishing gear, uninsured boater insurance and even roadside assistance in the event you need a tow.

Unlike home and auto, a boat policy may allow you to "lay up" or suspend coverage for specified periods when you're not using the boat.

"Sometimes boaters aren't aware of that and (on) some nice day in November, they take the boat out for the day and have an unfortunate incident, only to find out that their boat was to be out of the water from Oct. 15 to April 1," says Cyr.

How Do 'Agreed Value' and 'Market Value' Policies Differ?
"A boat is a lot like a car. The moment you drive it off the lot, it starts depreciating," says Cyr.

To help boaters save money on insuring older vessels, insurers offer the option of "agreed value" (think sticker price) versus "market value" (think depreciation) in the case of a total loss.

"With agreed value, the insured and insurer agree on the value of the boat upfront. If something happens to the boat, you're going to get paid up to the agreed value," says Jawitz.

"With market value, the boat depreciates; so if the boat is destroyed, you're going to get enough money to replace the boat's (current) value. If you bought the boat in 2005, you're not going to get enough money to buy a 2011 model; you're going to get enough to buy a 2005 model," he says.

Like most insurers, Travelers offers a steep discount (25%) with market value policies.

"Owners of newer boats typically go with agreed value. As the boat ages and the value depreciates, and they don't have a loan on the boat, you'll see them switch to cash value," Cyr says.

Strangely enough, yes -- but not by your boat policy.

"When the boat is attached to your car or truck, you are covered by your auto policy should you back into somebody," says Jawitz. "Anytime you're trailering something, the car policy overrides."

The bad news is it's covered solely by your auto policy, and only to the limits contained therein.

"A yacht policy will not pay for loss of life, bodily injury or property damage that occurs when the insured property is being transported on land," says McChristian.

Your homeowners insurance may provide limited coverage if the boat is damaged while parked on your property, but it may not stretch to cover stolen contents or vandalism.

To protect your boat (and your assets) from terrestrial liability, Jawitz recommends an umbrella policy.

"If someone gets injured, the umbrella policy would come on top of your auto and homeowners and cover you to the additional limits. If you have a boat, it's not only one more asset but it's another opportunity for risk. You want to make sure you're covered," he says.

Is My Boat Covered Everywhere?
Novice boaters may be unaware of the navigational limits on their boat insurance policy.

"Most policies contain a navigational warranty," says Cyr. "It's usually the inland waters of the U.S. and Canada or the coastal waters of the U.S. and Canada for smaller boats up to 26 feet. For larger craft, we have 22 territories that are defined by geographical points. For instance, one of them goes from Eastport, Maine, to Cape Hatteras, N.C.; another goes from Eastport, Maine, all the way around Florida to the panhandle."

Be sure your policy provides coverage where you want to roam. It may exclude certain areas for political or security reasons (think Somali pirates).

"If you want to do a one-time trip, we provide the ability for the one-time trip, but you need to check in with your agent to make sure you have the coverage provided," Cyr says.

Some policies offer an optional endorsement that helps pay to move your boat out of harm's way when a named storm approaches. Travelers pays 50% of the cost to move or haul your boat up to $1,000 per occurrence and $2,000 per policy term.

How Can I Save Money on Boat Insurance?
Now that you know the basics of boat insurance, let's dig for some savings.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/08/18/dont-sail-off-without-boat-insurance/#ixzz1Xj5TQTVM

Boat Insurance

2011-03-09T02:38:00.000-08:00

Shopping for boat insurance can be a very tricky task. Unlike car insurance, it is a very selective field, as the amount of people who are boat owners in the UK is relatively low, therefore providers can afford to keep the price of their premiums at a relatively high rate, although it does depend on the type of boat you own and wish to insure.

There are a number of insurance providers who offer quotations and cover online or by phone for most classes of dinghy, sailboard, yacht, speedboat, RBI, narrowboat, rowing boat, houseboat and Jet Ski (the different forms of boat insurance). A third party policy is the minimum level of insurance offered.

A typical insurance policy will include:

Cover against accidental loss or damage to your boat, including fire, theft and malicious acts.
Third party liability cover (amount depends on insurer).
No Claim Discount (amount depends on insurer).
Claims help lines open 365 days.
How to make a claim
Whenever an incident occurs and another boat is involved, take a note of the details of the other persons/boats involved. You will also need to obtain the details of any potential witnesses, which can prove to be difficult whilst afloat, but note the name of the boat or the sail number and make contact once you are ashore.

The information you might require would include:

The name and address of the person who was in charge of the other vessel.
Are they the owner of the boat? If not, the name and address of the boat's owners will be required.
Their insurance company and policy number if is known.
Their boat name and / or sail number.
If possible, try and take photographs of the damage to the boat and email or post with your claim form.

You will also be required to arrange estimates for the repair or replacement items. Only one estimate may be required initially, but if the costs involved are large, further estimates may be required or a Surveyor may be appointed to inspect the boat or oversee the repairs.

Bear in mind it may be necessary to communicate with the other party involved, or their Insurers, before authority can be given to proceed with the repairs.

Important factors to remember when buying boat insurance:

Boat Insurance is not compulsory, but most owners do take out some boat insurance to help cover their large investment in the craft. It is important to remember that some harbours, marinas, or water authorities insist on third-party insurance cover of at least £1 million as a minimum if you are to be allowed to moor your boat.
First time boat users should be aware that boat insurance premiums can vary depending on their experience.
Type of boat, current value, and the current location of the boat can also affect the premium the boat owner should expect to pay.
Make sure all items within the boat are locked away as your boat insurance may not cover you for items stolen that were left on the deck.
Check through the small print of the boat insurance cover to make sure you are purchasing the cover that is right for you and doesn’t contain any unnecessary cover. Most policies will cover for damage, sinking, collision, theft etc, but make sure this is indicated in the policy document.
Commercial use of a boat is not normally covered, unless agreed at the time the policy was taken out.

Finally, remember to shop around when searching for your insurance and compare policies using online tools.

Regime’s NITC ship insurance cover hit by sanctions

2011-03-09T02:35:00.000-08:00

NCRI – The Iranian regime’s biggest crude oil tanker operator NITC said on Friday its ship insurers had declined to renew policy cover for the coming year due to the impact of tightening sanctions in the European Union, Reuters reported on Friday.

The privately owned group said its four P&I clubs had declined to renew cover for the 2011/2012 policy year, Reuters said.

According to the news agency, Andrew Bardot, executive officer with the International Group of P&I Clubs, told Reuters while he was not privy to the specific negotiations he said that the clubs concerned had been liaising closely with NITC and with the UK Treasury “regarding the sanctions applicable to NITC's insurance arrangements.”

London ship insurers add Libya to high-risk list

2011-03-09T02:34:00.001-08:00

LONDON, March 4 (Reuters) - London's marine insurance market has added Libya to a list of areas deemed high risk as violence escalates in Africa's third-largest oil producer, a senior market official said on Friday.

Heavily armed rebels clashed with forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi on Friday on the outskirts of the key oil terminal of Ras Lanuf as the head of Libya's rebel council vowed "victory or death".

"The emerging risk had reached a level where as a matter of prudence insurers will require notification from vessels calling to Libyan ports or waters," said Neil Roberts, a senior technical executive with the Lloyd's Market Association (LMA), which represents the interests of all underwriting businesses in the Lloyd's market.

"On the issue of pricing, that's a matter for individual negotiation on a voyage-by-voyage basis. It's likely that things will change on a day-to-day basis," he told Reuters.

Marine insurance for shipping firms set to rise this year

2011-03-09T02:33:00.000-08:00

SINGAPORE : Marine insurance for shipping companies has increased significantly over the last year and it looks set to rise even higher this year.

Analysts said that a typical bulk carrier valued at US$50 million will now have to pay an estimated additional premium of US$50,000 a month.

This is partly due to rising piracy risks and political unrest in the region.

But analysts said the higher shipping costs would only be passed on to consumers and this would further add to their inflation woes.

Analysts said the outlook for the shipping industry looks rough this year.

Marine insurers are charging shipowners, such as Rickmers Maritime, higher insurance premiums and this will raise shipping rates.

Analysts said this is due to rising piracy risks globally.

Thomas Preben Hansen, CEO of Rickmers Trust Management, said: "There is no doubt, (with) additional war-risk premiums, which (are) put in place in the piracy-prone areas, the typical container carrier is faced with up to 30,000 to 40,000 dollars additional premiums (when) going through the piracy area."

Analysts added that with the political uncertainty in Korea and unrest in the Middle East, the insurance premiums for ships will rise even higher this year.

Teddy Tsai, deputy head of research at DnB Nor Bank, said: "Cargo cover will be influenced by higher events around the world. Last year, we saw things like the Korean missile test and things like that; some of these things can continue this year."

Shipping analysts added that Egypt's popular Suez Canal of the Red Sea is now considered a "higher risk area" by marine insurers.

As the majority of trade from Asia to Europe passes through the Suez Canal daily, most Asian shippers will have to incur these higher insurance premiums.

A spokesperson for General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) said that there are two main types of marine insurance - cargo and hull insurance.

GIA added that piracy and hijacking risks would have a greater impact on hull than cargo insurance, and in general, ship owners have to bear the higher insurance costs.

This is particularly so when the piracy involves the kidnapping of the captain and crew members for ransom.

However, shipping experts said that as shipping companies struggle to keep afloat and watch their bottomlines, they are unloading the bulk of these higher costs to their customers instead.

Mr Hansen said: "Whether there is an increase in fuel cost or insurance cost, or charter rates, ultimately it will be priced in the freight rate and passed on the consumer. So our carriers, our customers are paying these additional premiums, for the trade on most of our ships."

As a whole, however, analysts pointed out that overall insurance costs for shipping companies are still relatively low at less than 5 per cent.

Shipping analysts said that shipowners are passing the bulk of these increased costs to the shipliner companies, by charging them higher freight rates. These higher costs will eventually be absorbed by the average consumer on the street.

eap Boat Insurance Prices

2010-11-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

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2010-10-10T01:52:00.001-07:00

Progressive is now offering free pet injury coverage on boaters' dogs and cats.

If a boater's dog or cat is hurt in a boat accident, the company will pay the veterinary bills up to $1,000, Progressive said.

The coverage is free for those with comprehensive and collision coverage. It covers only dogs and cats if they're on a boat and injured in an incident such as a crash, theft, fire or flooding.

"Our new pet injury coverage for boaters gives them peace of mind their pets are protected if they get injured in an accident on the water," said Rick Stern, Progressive boat product manager, in a statement.

Regulator missed the boat on insurance company disclosures, says E&Y partner Ashvin Parekh

2010-10-10T01:51:00.001-07:00

Even as insurance companies are waiting for guidelines on Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) to be issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), Ashvin Parekh, partner and national leader – Global Financial Services, Ernst & Young Pvt Ltd, has sharply criticised the regulators for dragging their feet over disclosure norms of insurance companies, raising the question whether investors are in a position to evaluate an IPO from an insurance company.

Speaking about the challenges in the valuation process of insurance companies at a seminar in Mumbai recently, Mr Parekh said, “Disclosures for profitability of different product lines should have been made long ago. It would have helped not just for IPOs, but also for corporate governance. But the regulators have already missed the boat by 7-8 years. The authorities kept dragging their feet on Embedded Value (EV) disclosure even after three committees have gone into it. They kept saying it was too technical for them. If it is introduced, now it is impossible for investors to get (an) accurate picture from the disclosure that will be submitted to regulators as per the new guidelines. The regulators should have taken the lead, but confirmed the age-old belief that business is always ahead of regulators.”

Hemant Kaul, managing director & CEO of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co Ltd said, “Correct valuations to shareholders may not be available. It will take a strong promoter and brave investor to complete the IPO.”

According to Mr Parekh, “Insurance company valuations can be done based on Market Consistent Embedded Value (MCEV). The valuation of Indian life insurance companies will be done differently than their counterparts from Europe because of the ‘savings’ aspect (rather) than ‘protection’. The liability from protection is much less. The valuation of a general insurance company will be trickier due to the element of reinsurance, risk on balance sheet and volatility due to external factors like calamities, etc. Life insurance in India is more stable due to (the) ‘savings’ aspect. The actuarial surplus is an important parameter for judging an insurer. The valuation should consider 14.4% taxation impact on actuarial surplus. LIC paid Rs3,800 crore tax last year on actuarial surplus. For an IPO, it is important to look at underwriting profit with not much impact from investing profit.”

Progressive offers boat accident insurance for pets

2010-09-18T01:46:00.002-07:00

What you really need to know about boat insurance

2010-09-18T01:46:00.001-07:00

Boat insurance can be a dull, sleepy subject for many boaters and anglers. So why should you care about it?

BoatUS just released a short, three-minute video about boat insurance. It covers:

-Why your knowledge of home or auto insurance won't help you one bit when buying boat insurance.

-Why you should go home tonight to check your own boat's insurance policy for "Consequential Property Damage" coverage.

Boat Sharing vs Owning a Boat

2010-09-18T01:45:00.002-07:00

If you are a hardcore boating enthusiast or old salt who knows that you'll be distance cruising, or who wants to be able to spontaneously spend any day or night aboard whenever the whim hits you, or if you have as much fun working on boats as sailing them, or if you're particular about your personal possessions or personal space, then any form of boat sharing is probably not for you. On the other hand, boat sharing can be a fantastic option for new boaters, people on a tight budget, casual now-and-then boaters, those who want to sail in different locations without the long passages, and people with limited time to devote to the life aquatic (we've heard talk that there are other interests worth pursuing, though we've yet to see solid evidence).

Combining these different approaches can also offer a great option for those wanting to try out a number of different types of boats, and can provide a good way to see what you do and do not like before investing in a boat of your very own. You may find the boat of your dreams (or of your nightmares) by chartering, by sailing club boats, or through one of the other sharing methods. You may even find that variety is what does it for you, and you'd rather get experience on a multitude of craft all over the world than be bound to the costs and labor involved in any one particular boat and location.

Final advice: If you decide to charter, enter into a fractional ownership or timeshare, or even just join a club, shop around. We don't recommend particular boating businesses here at YachtPals.com, but you can! If you know of any good boat sharing companies and want to steer YachtPals members and readers in the right direction, or want to warn people about companies which are not so good, please spread the world using our review system.

Boat Clubs

2010-09-18T01:45:00.001-07:00

Boat club programs are a great way for people to get time on the water, and to try a variety of boats. These clubs are often available through boating or sailing schools, boating associations, boat cooperatives and even some charter and timeshare companies. Though these boat clubs do not generally offer actual ownership of a boat, they can be a cheap and easy way to get significant time on the water, and they have many other benefits. With boat clubs you generally get access to a fleet of power boats and/or sailboats at a specific location, and some clubs offer access to boats owned by the club in other locations as well. Since there are usually many boats available, scheduling is often pretty flexible (except on holiday weekends), unlike timeshares and fractional boat ownerships where you need to plan your boat time well in advance.

The downside is that boats in these types of clubs are generally smaller, and overnight boating time may not be allowed, or may be very limited. Like with chartering, you are only renting the boats, so you won't be gaining any equity (except in some cooperatives), and sometimes these rental boats are put to hard use, and it shows. If you're thinking of going this route, it's a good idea to visit the club mid week to check out its fleet (inside and out), and then again on the weekend to see what might be available in case you had a sudden hankering (and to see how efficiently its run when busy). Also, you might see if you can rent a boat just for a day to make sure you're comfortable getting in and out of the marina before you sign up for a longer term.

Boat Timeshares or Fractional Yacht Ownership

2010-08-14T20:37:00.002-07:00

Another option for sharing a boat is using a professional boat share program. Boat timeshares or fractional yacht ownership companies can be used to handle the ins and outs of sharing a vessel while removing the personal issues, and they can be a good option. These businesses offer watercraft from little fishing boats up to huge sailing mega yachts. Some of these fractional boat ownership programs sell actual 'shares' in the vessels, and other timeshares sell 'memberships,' where the dues you pay provide you access to the boats, but no actual equity ownership. It is very important when using these types of companies to be absolutely clear about what you will and won't get for your money, and to confirm that they have clear, written rules that are enforced. Don't let that beautiful boat lull you - do the same research as you would with any major purchase, and check out the company you plan to use as well.

Whether settling on a boat timeshare or a fractional yacht ownership, make sure you get firm prices in writing on not only initial payments and annual costs, but any other costs which might be incurred. Other questions that need to be answered include things like scheduling: How much time do you get on the boat? When can you get your time on the boat, and how far in advance do you generally need to plan? What about major vacation times - everybody wants the boat during holidays and at the height of vacation season, how are these dates negotiated? Then there's ownership: What happens if a partner sells or dies? Can you sell or transfer your share? What happens to your money if you do not receive ownership deeds as part of the deal and the holding company folds? And how about responsibility: How is the boat maintained, and what assurances do you have that it will be kept in good condition? Who cleans and preps the boat? What if the boat breaks down? What happens if you come for your two weeks and the boat is a mess?

Do your research, and get everything in writing. The timeshare/fractional boat company surely won't trust your word without a check, and you shouldn't trust theirs without a clearly written contract.

Sharing a Boat with Friends

2010-08-14T20:37:00.001-07:00

Buying a boat with friends can be a great way to get on the water for cheap, but it can also ruin friendships. What might seem like a fun and easy way to share a boat can quickly become a complicated mess, where feelings and pocketbooks take the punch. When planning to share a boat with friends, make sure you talk out all the logistics, and there are a lot of them. Don't think that it will all work out, because it probably won't, and if it's difficult to discuss before you get the boat, it will be much more difficult to discuss afterward.

To start, how will you determine who gets what dates? Does everyone understand the costs for not only buying the boat, but also the maintenance, taxes, registration, insurance, fuel, repairs, and improvements that will be needed over the years? What about labor? If one person thinks just rinsing her down once a month is enough, and one person thinks polishing every weekend is a must, this can be a real problem! Talk about how to deal with conflicts and resolutions, including how to let (or force) one owner out of his/her share. Set up a clear plan of how to get out before you ever get in!

Finally, draw up a firm written contract which you all sign. If you're talking about an expensive boat, having a lawyer look things over would also be a very good idea. If after all this you find that your passion for sharing a boat with friends has cooled a bit, count yourself lucky that you realized it before you lost the money or the friends. Many such partnerships work out well for decades, and sometimes it's the best of both worlds - like having your own boat every other weekend and finding that the maintenance fairy has come and fixed things while you were gone! Other times, it's like reliving your worst roommate experiences at many times the cost. Be careful!

Chartering a Boat

2010-08-14T20:36:00.001-07:00

Many people prefer to experience boating by renting or chartering instead of owning their own vessel. After all, many boaters only use their watercraft for a few weekends every year, and the apparently high cost of chartering a yacht is tiny when compared to owning and maintaining one year round. Plus, you can go sailing or boating in different locations around the world if you'd like, or not - many families choose to charter the same yacht every year so that they return to a boat which starts to feel like theirs (even as far as plastering their walls with photos of it!).

The other side of this coin is to charter out your own boat. This helps defer costs and maintenance, and can be the perfect solution for those who like to cruise in the off season. Some choose to go through a charter company, and others charter out their boats on their own. Obviously, make sure that you're covered by insurance and that everything is above board whichever way you decide to go, as you don't want to get the bill for damages after some newbie uses your pride and joy to wipe out a whole dock full of mega yachts.

British Marine Federation Statistics Highlight Value of Boat Insurance

2010-08-14T20:35:00.002-07:00

The British Marine Federation released their Spring 2010 Industry Trend Results last week in a report that will come as a welcome relief to industry professionals and enthusiasts alike. The research suggests that the marine and boating industry has managed to stay above water during the worst of the economic downturn, and is now progressing forward at what is being described as a ‘steady’ pace. But with the statistics suggesting that more crafts are due to return to Britain’s coasts and waterways, boat insurance specialists ‘Insure My Boat’ are highlighting the necessity of effective cover.

36% of the businesses consulted said that marine activity had increased over the last 6 months, as opposed to the 26% who disagreed. While this may seem negligible, it does result in a net balance of +10% which experts are citing as a good indication for continued growth during the second half of the year and into 2011. But while most would agree that the recent figures should be welcomed, it’s feared that an influx of sailors of all kinds could lead to a boost in collisions and organised crime.

David Quick, Director of Insure My Boat welcomed the return of increased opportunities for all in the marine sector, but urged caution in the face of these predictions. He said:

‘This report really does vindicate those industry professionals and enthusiasts who have stood by and supported the marine sector during the difficulties of the past few years. It would therefore be a terrible shame to see those sailors who return excitedly to the water suffer at the hands of marine craft theft or collisions of any kind. That’s why the Insure My Boat team feel that boat insurance is so essential.’

It’s clear that, should crime statistics begin to rise, the commercial marine sector will do everything it can to safeguard the crafts and possessions of private boat owners. The British Marine Federation report denotes an admirable optimism amongst those involved in the sector. As many as 40% of those surveyed viewed the coming six months as having good or excellent prospects, suggesting that criminals face a confident and united industry.

However experts are reminding commercial and private boat owners that only they have the power to truly protect their investments by sourcing effective boat insurance from a provider like Insure My Boat. The recession has reminded many sailors of the importance of protecting what equity they have, regardless of the commodity to which it is tied.

Boat Sharing

2010-08-14T20:35:00.001-07:00

When you add up the cost of buying a boat, insurance, and marina fees, not to mention the unavoidable maintenance costs, the thought of owning a yacht (or even a small boat) may be enough to scare you right out of the water. This is particularly true in today's tough and uncertain economy, when the last thing many of us want to do is add another set of monthly bills to our financial burdens. There may be options, however, that will help you spend time on the water without spending all your hard-earned cash in the process, and you might find one is the perfect solution for you.

If you're just interested in a short vacation on a yacht, chartering a boat might work for you, as the cost is usually not much more than a stay in a nice waterfront hotel. For those wanting more time on the water, sharing a boat among other owners is a popular option, allowing you to own a yacht while distributing the costs and responsibilities. Then there are boat clubs, a good way to try out many different sailboats and power boats, and to get a feel for one that might be right for you.

Sinking Boat Insurance Myths

2010-03-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

(NAPSI)-They don't believe in the Loch Ness Monster. They don't believe a friend caught Jaws fishing off the Florida coast. Yet some boaters think adding their boat to their homeowners policy protects them from all the incidents that happen on the water.

Leading boat insurer Progressive clears up those myths and shares tips so you have the information you need to choose the right insurance for yourself and your boat.

Myth: If I list my boat on my homeowners insurance policy, it's fully protected.

Fact: In some cases, you might cover your boat by adding it to your homeowners policy instead of buying specialized insurance. But specialized boat policies cover many incidents that a homeowners policy might not. For example, coverage available from Progressive will pay to clean up the spill if your boat leaks fuel, and pull your boat out of the water if it sinks. Homeowners policies won't provide that level of specialized coverage.

Getting stranded on the water can make for a long, expensive day, so consider buying specialized insurance to get towing coverage, too.

Myth: Boat insurance won't cover my fishing equipment if it's stolen.

Fact: With specialized boat insurance, you have the option to also cover personal belongings such as fishing equipment, cell phones and binoculars. So when you're buying your policy, review available optional coverages.

Myth: Specialized boat insurance is expensive.

Fact: A Progressive boat policy starts at around $100 and can provide more coverage than if you added your boat to your homeowners insurance.

Myth: Boat insurance covers me anywhere I go boating.

Fact: Some insurance companies only provide coverage where the boat is used most, and may limit coverage to within 100 nautical miles of your home port. Progressive provides coverage virtually anywhere you decide to go in the continental U.S. and Canada.

Canceling boat insurance policy can be costly

2010-03-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

I want to alert boat owners about a certain clause in boat insurance plans that I just stumbled across this past week. I was told by my agent that this clause is put in place by the majority of, if not all, insurance companies.

I had my boat insurance through Allstate Insurance and decided to cancel my policy due to better pricing with a competitor. Back in December, I paid for a full year of coverage. When I changed insurance companies, I received a check from Allstate for a little less than half of my annual premium.

I contacted my agent and was told that recreational vehicles (boats and motorcycles) are front-loaded, whereby the insurance company charges you more in the beginning months of your plan year than in the final months.

Therefore, in my case, I was charged for six months of coverage when I only received three months.

This is just another way for insurance companies to take advantage of the consumer, meanwhile reporting record profits. I hope one of our state or federal representatives will read this letter and do something about it.

In the meantime, boaters, beware when you are canceling your boat insurance policy.

Larry Jock

The right boat and yacht insurance cover for when tragedy strikes

2010-01-29T20:35:00.000-08:00

It’s always distressing to hear about the tragedies that occur near Christmas and the New Year and, unfortunately, this time of year brings many cases of theft. Whether this is in the home, of a car or boat, without the right insurance cover there is the added cost of repair and replacement. Insure My Boat specialise in providing a variety of boat insurance including, narrowboat, dinghy and yacht insurance to help people protect their belongings against such crime.

There has been recent news just before Christmas about a boat theft on the Isle of Wight which has led to the call for any witnesses to come forward. Descriptions of the boat have been given and those companies within the boating industry are helping with the investigation, Insure My Boat being one of them.

Of course as much as this is distressing, it does highlight the importance of boat and yacht insurance regardless of what vessel you own. With so many different types of insurance out there it’s important to know of companies that provide a variety to choose from to ensure that you are fully covered at the best price possible.

“Insure My Boat provides a service which enables people to efficiently find the cover they need without the hassle of searching for hours. Our website allows people to find the right insurance they need at a click of a button so they can rest assured should incidences occur, we have provided the right cover for them.” David Quick. MD

The ongoing recession has meant that many people have struggled this Christmas and therefore are looking for cheaper alternatives to reduce outgoings. With this in mind, Insure My Boat pride themselves on providing a service that ensures people don’t have to reduce their spending on necessities such as insurance.

Unfortunately, the recession has also meant that theft has increased and there are many people that are being victims of crime. With this in mind, its essential people are aware of where they can turn to get the right cover they need to be able to claim should incidences occur that cannot be predicted.

No one likes the thought of their belongings being stolen or vandalised but reality shows that it does happen and people need to be prepared. Of course, insurance is essential and with Insure My Boat you can ensure that your yacht and boat is covered to your requirements.

Boat insurance protects against weather damage

2010-01-29T20:34:00.001-08:00

Boat owners are better off leaving their boats at the mercy of the ice than taking their chances trying to get them out, boat insurance providers have warned.

Craftinsure has customers who have tried to free their boats from ice; one spent the night trying to keep it at bay from their river cruiser in the Lake District, but the insurer warns they might do more harm than good.

As frozen slipways make it virtually impossible to take boats out of the water, it is safer for the boat and its owner to leave boats where they are trapped on icebound lakes and inland waterways until the ice melts, Craftinsure has said.

Surveyors and other marine trade experts are reassuring boat owners that even thick ice does not pose a particularly big threat to moored boats, but that breaking the ice and trying to remove them could cause damage to the paintwork and protective coatings.

Boat owners could also be putting their own safety at risk by trying to break through the ice, Craftinsure warns.

But boat owners should still be aware of the risks of cold weather to their boats, the boat insurance company said. For example running the heat and engines can help things from freezing up internally, though it probably will have little affect on the outside and water temperatures could be well below freezing.

Boats that are on dry land are still at risk too, even those inside are not safe from the perils of snow, as one boat insurance customer found when their barn roof collapsed under the weight of the snow and landed on their boat inside.

Where possible, snow should be removed from boat roofs, and they should be winterised as much as possible as engines are at risk from frost damage. Those who are affected will usually be covered by their boat insurance in this instance, Craftinsure reassures owners.

When the snow starts to melt, owners should also be on the lookout, the insurer warns: "As and when the thaw finally arrives, owners need to check their boats over carefully, and in some cases they made need to prepare for the additional risk of flooding as water levels rise again."

"For those living aboard, ensure the boat remains ventilated to minimise the risk of a build up of noxious fumes/gases, especially where naked flame type heating is in use. Avoid leaving such heaters unattended, and under no circumstances should combustible material such as clothing or paper be left on top of heaters of this type in case of fire."

Insure My Boat Emphasises The Importance Of Yacht Insurance After Thefts Occur Near Christmas

2010-01-10T04:04:00.001-08:00

Safe Boating Class starts Tuesday

2010-01-10T04:03:00.000-08:00

An eight-week public Safe Boating Class leading to a boater education card will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Arts Center Building Room 101 at Clatsop Community College. The class will include six weeks of lectures and discussions on safe boating operations, including piloting, required equipment, rules of the road, charts, compass, training an alternate skipper and more. One week will be dedicated to review of state and federal boating regulations, and the final week will be for an exam.

The cost for the class is $40 (family members or friends can share the course manual) and $15 for the plotter and divider needed for the course.

Mandatory boater education is now the law in Oregon and Washington, and the boater education card also saves money on boat insurance. All Oregon boaters need the card to operate or supervise youth operating a boat greater than 10 horsepower. Youth 12 to 15 years old operating a boat with 0 to 10 horsepower and all personal watercraft operators need a card. Boaters can be fined $97 for not having a card.

The state of Washington will issue a card to Washington residents completing this course. Their law states that all boaters younger than 30 years old must have a card.

Experienced boaters and qualified instructors from the Lower Columbia Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will teach the course. These organizations have worked jointly instructing this course for more than a decade on the North Coast. The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators also approves this course.

New Year brings new boating laws

2010-01-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

TAMPA – The New Year will bring about changes in Florida’s boating laws.

Effective Friday, Jan. 1, 2010, Florida boat operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 must complete and pass an approved boating safety education course to operate a motorboat of 10 horsepower or more.

The new law changes the age threshold for Florida boater education requirements; in 2010 it is to be based on whether or not boaters were born on or after Jan. 1, 1988.

Boaters in this age group must have in their possession photographic identification (i.e. driver’s license) and a Boating Safety Education Identification Card issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The card is valid for life.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers region-wide safe boating programs which meet the new Florida requirements. Upon successful completion of any course, the Auxiliary issues a handsome certificate and a form that participants use to apply for the Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card from the FWC.

Participants completing the course may be eligible for boat insurance discounts.

One Auxiliary program, Boating Skills and Seamanship, is the most comprehensive safe boating presentation available to the public and is available at several Auxiliary flotillas around Tampa Bay. It presents the marked differences between off-shore and protected waters boating, boat handling and trailering techniques, on-board safety equipment required by state and federal law for recreational vessels and demonstrates marine VHF radio use. Presented in 12 easily-digestible increments, topics include:

- Weather - Understanding wind, waves, currents and other factors affecting boats.

- Boat Equipment - Operation/safety items; BUI/substance abuse issues, PFD use.

- Boat Handling - Heavy weather handling; anchoring: docking; man overboard retrieval.

- ‘Highway’ Signs - Buoyage systems; chart reading; electronic navigation.

- Rules of the Road - Inland/International rules; stand-on/give-way issues.

- Navigation - Course plotting; compass/chart/GPS use; speed-time-distance calculations.

- Marine Radios - Operation; DSC technology; distress/urgency/safety call procedures.

In Tampa, the BS&S program is offered at the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 79 building, 5108 W. Gandy Boulevard (Gandy Boat Ramp). The program runs on Wednesdays, from 7:30 PM -9:30 PM and is scheduled on a looping basis – boaters begin any Wednesday and continue until all 12 chapters are complete. Cost is $60 per person and includes textbook, certificate and wallet card. Details are available by calling 813-835-4118 or by visiting cgwebs.net/flotilla79 and using the ‘public programs’ link.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers safe boating programs in Brandon, Gulfport, Ruskin, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Beach, other Pinellas County communities and in Hernando, Manatee, Pasco and Sarasota counties.

To find a course, visit cgaux.net and use the “Flotilla Finder” link.

More information about FWC boating laws is available at: www.myfwc.com/SAFETY/Safety_Boat_Safety

Founded in 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the civilian, all-volunteer arm of the U.S. Coast Guard. Its primary mission is to provide boating safety education and to support Coast Guard missions. The Auxiliary is the nation’s most active boating educator, offering programs to over 100,000 boaters annually.

In the Tampa Bay area, more than 500 Auxiliarists perform boating education, underway port security and safety patrols and other duties in support of Coast Guard missions.

Why buying the boat of your dreams is not all plain sailing

2009-08-19T21:34:00.001-07:00

A spot of snorkelling in a secluded cove with no tour guide to hurry you along, cruising the coast to look for dolphins when the fancy takes you or simply bouncing along the waves at high speed - yes, owning a boat can bring many pleasures.

But they come at a price. If you're considering buying a craft, whether a one-man canoe or luxury cruiser, it's vital to consider all the costs. Depending on the scale of your ambition, it can set you back as much as a car or a house.

Aside from the boat itself, there are running expenses such as mooring fees, winter storage, maintenance and insurance - and you must account for the accidents that can happen at sea.

"As a rule of thumb, running costs are about 10% of the purchase price for mid-range boats of around 36ft long," says Stuart Carruthers, cruising manager of the Royal Yachting Association.

"Some, such as motor boats, will cost much more as the price of fuel has risen significantly since November."

Where to buy
If you are keen to start researching a potential purchase, Boatshed.com and ybw.com (Yachting & Boating World) detail secondhand boats for sale. You could use them as a starting point to check whether the price demanded by another seller, say, resembles that of similar models on the site.

Another option is online auction site eBay, which tends to have small boats at competitive prices.

Check the state of the boat before payment. For yachts, you should enlist a marine surveyor to report on its condition. "Don't pay anything to anybody until this is done, even a deposit - and make sure to get a competent surveyor who has indemnity insurance so that if they tell you a pack of lies you've got somebody to sue," says Carruthers.

"Also check they are a member of a recognised organisation such as the International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS) or the Yacht Brokers, Designers and Surveyors Association (YBDSA)."

For smaller boats - dinghies - just research whether you're paying the right price given the condition.

Keeping things covered
Before taking to the waves, check safety equipment. And in case you do get into trouble on the water, make sure your marine insurance is sufficient to cover damage to the boat and any other costs arising from an accident.

You should also check on the amount you can claim, should your boat end up in a watery grave.

Boat insurance is not compulsory, but most marinas and harbour authorities insist on third-party insurance, as does British Waterways, which controls most of the rivers and lakes in the UK.

This form of insurance predates all other types of cover, and policies vary in detail and price, which can make comparison tricky. Also, prices will vary widely depending on whether you intend to race or simply cruise along.

It pays to do research and decide on your priorities. Boat owner Damian King, 30, realised the value of his insurance cover when his boat was taken for a joyride by some drunken revellers off Brighton beach this month.

"My laser dinghy was left washing up all night," he says, "with bits strewn across the beach and out to sea - it took a bit of a pounding and I lost quite a few items that were stored in the boat."

However, the science teacher is content with his insurer Noble Marine, which provides "new for old" cover. "I always thought I'd need to replace something on the boat, from damaging it through racing, but I never thought that it would be as a result of an incident like this."

He is claiming on his policy for repair of the boat and the lost items, including spars and sheets. The comprehensive cover costs £130 a year.

Finding insurance
If you want to find out if you are paying the going rate for insurance, you might want to check the websites that give you an instant quote. Craftinsure.com and Covermyboat.co.uk are two such sites.

GJW is the UK's largest direct boat insurer and publishes the full policy document on its website, so you can see exactly what you're covered for, as does Noble Marine.

Always check what is included because, for example, medical expenses are not a feature of every policy.

Top 10 boat insurance claims

2009-08-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Sailing is one of the favourite past times of the over 50's with this age group accounting for over 41% of boat owners in the UK. Contrary to popular belief, theft is not the biggest risk faced by boat-owners according to claims statistics from Saga Boat Insurance.

In fact boat-owners over 50 are now 19% more likely to hit a submerged object, with the average collision claim amounting to £2,394.55. Boat owners can easily protect their vessel by being prepared for the area they are sailing in, having Marine charts on board and ideally having a sonar device fitted. Checking the latest weather and tides is also a must before you set off for your trip.

Theft is still the second most frequent claim of Saga customers with costs averaging £1,218 per claim, and with 15% of theft claims taking place when boats are moored. However, Saga statistics show that this is a 50% reduction on the previous years theft claims, demonstrating that boat owners over 50 have taken onboard advice about the importance of boat security during the current economic climate.

Saga suggests the following hints and tips to avoid being the victim of boat crime-

Don't leave anything loose in the cockpit or on deck

Remove valuable navigational equipment, wet weather gear and personal items

Make sure your curtains (if applicable) are closed so no-one can look in

Ensure that outboard motors, tenders and life rafts are secured to the main vessel with quality locks or chains

Ensure that unfastened equipment such as anchors and oars are secured by wire rope, or chains and locks.

Where relevant, fit a trailer lock to the hitch and a wheel clamp

Police reports also suggest that some items are currently extremely attractive to thieves such as bronze and copper, where the value has soared in recent years. Boats regularly have bronze items in open view such as bells, plaques and statues. Whilst it's not feasible to easily remove or store these items, trying to mask them from view may make the opportune thief look elsewhere for easier pickings.

The top ten frequent Boat Insurance claims are -

1 Striking a submerged object while cruising
2 Theft while moored
3 Collision while cruising
4 Storm damage while moored
5 Theft while laid up
6 Accidental damage while cruising
7 Flood whilst moored
8 Sinking whilst moored
9 Negligence of owner whilst cruising
10 Accidental damage whilst moored

Saga Boat Insurance reveals top ten claims

2009-08-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Saga Boat Insurance has unveiled the top ten reasons why owners of their own vessels claim on their policies.

The most common mishap for those with their own boats in the UK is hitting a submerged object during cruising. Close behind in second place is theft while the vessel is anchored.

Collisions with other boats is the third most common insurance claim cause, with storm damage and theft while in storage claiming the fourth and fifth slots.

Accidental damage mid-cruise and flooding and sinking while moored constitute sixth, seventh and eighth place respectively.

Owner negligence and accidental damage are the final reasons why insurance is claimed by boat owners, Saga highlights.

In July, Saga stated that thefts from boats are more likely to occur in the summer months rather than in winter time.

Seaworthy Launches Boat and Yacht Insurance Program

2009-08-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Seaworthy Insurance Co., which began in 1989 offering specialized boat insurance products to Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S), has launched a new line of commissionable boat insurance policies sold exclusively through insurance agents and brokers. Now a member of the Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group, Seaworthy Insurance Co.'s new agent program offers four types of policies: pleasure boat, yacht, super yacht, and charter vessel.

Both pleasure boat and yacht policies are also available as liability only, and include wreck removal, salvage coverage, and fuel spill liability. Super yacht policies include coverage for crew, tenders, and offer broad cruising limits including the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Panama Canal and the Pacific. Charter policies are available on both "Six-Pack" and inspected vessels, and offer valuable coverage options including a low electronics deductible and coverage for the loss of a charter booking.

All Seaworthy policies offer hurricane preparation coverage that pays 50 percent of the cost to haul or move a vessel out of harm's way.

The Seaworthy Web-based rating and quote system has a single screen to allow agents to obtain a quick quote for their customers. Agents can then e-mail the quote, print applications and binders as well as review client billing, account information and claims status.

Top 10 boat insurance claims

2009-08-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

Sailing is one of the favourite past times of the over 50's with this age group accounting for over 41% of boat owners in the UK. Contrary to popular belief, theft is not the biggest risk faced by boat-owners according to claims statistics from Saga Boat Insurance.

In fact boat-owners over 50 are now 19% more likely to hit a submerged object, with the average collision claim amounting to £2,394.55. Boat owners can easily protect their vessel by being prepared for the area they are sailing in, having Marine charts on board and ideally having a sonar device fitted. Checking the latest weather and tides is also a must before you set off for your trip.

Theft is still the second most frequent claim of Saga customers with costs averaging £1,218 per claim, and with 15% of theft claims taking place when boats are moored. However, Saga statistics show that this is a 50% reduction on the previous years theft claims, demonstrating that boat owners over 50 have taken onboard advice about the importance of boat security during the current economic climate.

Saga suggests the following hints and tips to avoid being the victim of boat crime-

Don't leave anything loose in the cockpit or on deck

Remove valuable navigational equipment, wet weather gear and personal items

Make sure your curtains (if applicable) are closed so no-one can look in

Ensure that outboard motors, tenders and life rafts are secured to the main vessel with quality locks or chains

Ensure that unfastened equipment such as anchors and oars are secured by wire rope, or chains and locks.

Where relevant, fit a trailer lock to the hitch and a wheel clamp

Police reports also suggest that some items are currently extremely attractive to thieves such as bronze and copper, where the value has soared in recent years. Boats regularly have bronze items in open view such as bells, plaques and statues. Whilst it's not feasible to easily remove or store these items, trying to mask them from view may make the opportune thief look elsewhere for easier pickings.

The top ten frequent Boat Insurance claims are -

1 Striking a submerged object while cruising
2 Theft while moored
3 Collision while cruising
4 Storm damage while moored
5 Theft while laid up
6 Accidental damage while cruising
7 Flood whilst moored
8 Sinking whilst moored
9 Negligence of owner whilst cruising
10 Accidental damage whilst moored

Boat theft – another side to the GFC

2009-07-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

The global financial crisis has certainly hit the boating industry hard, but sadly there’s another side to the GFC and in this case I’m referring to theft, theft of boats and theft of equipment from boats.

A serving police officer once described to me what he felt was the difference between honest and dishonest people – 'Respect,' he said, 'dishonest people have no respect for your rights or your property.'

Sadly, that seems to be the case at present with a reported ‘spike’ in nautical thievery.

Trailer boat theft and the stealing of valuable equipment from moored vessels has always been a problem, but it seems that tough times lead to an increase in this insidious past time.

And, would you believe, stealing from moored vessels increases during school holidays?

Nice!

Do you know what your ‘little Johnny’ was up to during his school holidays?

Of course, stealing boats and stealing from boats is something all honest people pay for by way of increased insurance premiums.

In Part II of ‘Boat Theft – another side to the GFC’ I speak to a number of key insurance people and learn just how much these ‘low lifes’ cost us by way of increased premiums.

Needless to say, payouts by insurance companies are highest when it comes to complete trailer boats stolen, but equipment stolen from moored or berthed vessels is becoming more expensive, with GPS plotters, fish founders, ‘sounders, small outboard engines, even tenders increasingly becoming targets.

The popular Data Dot technology, I’m told, does tend to deter professional thieves looking to on-sell a boat or equipment for a quick profit.

However, opportunistic or amateur thieves usually would not even know what Data Dot is.

For the uninitiated, Data Dot is a clever system whereby thousands of tiny dots laser etched with a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) or PIN (Personal Identification Number) that can be read by police via a unique magnifier to prove ownership.

Several motor vehicle manufacturers ‘spray’ Data Dot on their vehicles and a number of outboard engine and motorcycle producers follow suit.

Nevertheless, as much as it helps there’s really no absolute way to deter thieves if you vessel is in any way left unattended.

If you trailer boat is left outside your home, adorn it with all the chains and padlocks you desire, it won’t stop a determined thief.

Likewise, thieves can quickly learn which boats on swing moorings are berthed at marinas are left unattended for lengthy periods.

I was reminded of a tale I picked up in the US some years ago, that of a thief serving time in gaol for carrying out his ‘trade.’

He explained that he always targeted a well-known and common brand (rare or unusual boats stand out, he said).

His method of operation was to stroll casually around marinas, select a ‘likely vessel’ and look for one with an owner on board.

Owner on board?

Yep, here’s how he worked.

'I’d pretend to the owner that I was very impressed with his vessel and knew that boat owners loved to talk about their pride and joy', he said.

'After a few minutes conversation I knew what engines he had, what electronics were on board, knew his name and that he lives three states away and came to his boat every second weekend.

'That was it, I had my next target.'

One week later, that ‘gentleman’ (and I use the word loosely!) arrived at the marina on the very weekend he had already determined the owner would be absent, checked in at the marina office, told them that Mr ……… (he already had his name, remember?) had requested some work on his boat.

Marine staff escorted him to the boat, helped him untie the lines and bid farewell as he motored off into the distance.

How easy was that?

Despite that example of one very smart thief in action, security is pretty good at most commercial marinas.

I’m aware of a couple of incidents in Australia similar to the US example, but by far the vast majority of insurance claims relate to stolen trailer boats and stolen marine equipment rather than big vessels.

Most insurance companies give bonuses on premiums where the insured vessels are berthed at a recognised marina.

Those on semi-deserted swing moorings are likely to be paying higher premiums.

Apart from keeping your trailer boat out of sight, or even better, in a locked garage, there’s not a lot that can be done to deter thieves.

Be particularly aware if you’re advertising your boat for sale; thieves often scour the classified looking for suitable craft to ‘pinch.’

A standard method is to contact the owner of an advertised boat, obtain all its details, and determine if it is good value to steal.

The thief, of course, makes an appointment to inspect the boat, but is a ‘no show’.

That’s the least pf his worries, he now knows the location of a trailer boat worthy of his ‘talents’ and within a few days of the advertisement being placed that boat has been ‘nicked.’

Next week, we’ll endeavour to look into various ways and means to help you protect your investment and we’ll talk to the people in the ‘front line’ battling thievery every day, the insurers who have to ‘cop it’ whenever thieves strike.

Protect your boat before the storm arrives

2009-07-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

No boat owner can forget the aftermath of Hurricane Frances.

The slow-moving tropical storm made landfall on the Treasure Coast as a Category 2 hurricane on Sept. 3, 2004.

Winds of 100-110 mph lashed the region for hours. Those shredding winds generated storm surges and severe erosion while flooding rains pounded the area.

Left in her wake were thousands of destroyed and sunken boats, including scores piled in wreckage at Fort Pierce City Marina.

Unfortunately for many boat owners and marina officials, photos of the devastation there became the iconic image of Frances’ fury.

Since that costly year of nine hurricanes, including four that swept over parts of Florida, the threat of a hurricane’s serious impact to the Treasure Cost boating community has been a stark reality.

As the suspiciously quiet Hurricane Season 2009 nears its active months, here are a few tips for boaters to protect their property — and in some cases, their livelihood — from the worst that Mother Nature has to offer.

Have a Plan

Boats are damaged by a combination of factors created by hurricanes — wind, waves, surge and rainfall.

First, protect a vessel months before the first tropical wave shows up.

Find the best location to protect your vessel and begin preparations. Also, have an alternate spot just in case an unforeseen problem occurs.

On the Hard

In-water vessel owners should consider hauling their boat out prior to a severe storm’s arrival.

Many Treasure Coast marinas and boat yards provide the service and have areas where boats can be securely anchored.

Facilities like River Forest Yachting Center on the St. Lucie Canal in Stuart offer a Hurricane Club membership, which guarantees a reserved space during hurricanes and preferential treatment over non-members despite paying “non-hurricane” rates for haul out, jack stands and blocking.

However, membership does not make a boater exempt of responsibility. For example, the St. Lucie Locks which River Forest is west of — closes when wind speeds reach 30 mph.

Also, in peak, high traffic conditions very close to the storm’s arrival, even members cannot be serviced ahead of other waiting boats.

July 4th liability insurance issues for Los Angeles home and boat owners

2009-07-01T01:54:00.000-07:00

July 4th presents serious liability insurance issues for Los Angeles home and boat owners. Planning a July 4th celebration near Los Angeles? Here are many reasons it would be smartest to take your guests to see one of the many professional fireworks shows in Los Angeles County.

You may be assigned at least a percentage of the liability for any injuries or other damages that take place on or near your property as a result of your July 4th festivities. You may be held financially accountable.

This is absolutely true if you own a dog or if your property has a swimming pool. Less obvious is your liability risk for July 4th fireworks that your guests let off on or near your property. If it is your property, then it is your responsibility to make sure all activities are done safely and legally. Each individual municipality in Los Angeles County and in the surrounding counties has its own regulations on individually let fireworks. Make sure any fireworks on or around your property are legal. Use extreme caution even if individual fireworks are legal in your municipality. Los Angeles is very dry, and fire danger is extreme.

If using fireworks near Los Angeles:
1) Make sure the fireworks are legal in your municipality.
2) Use extreme caution to protect lives.
3) Get liability insurance.
Contact your insurer and make certain you are covered for any injuries or other damage fireworks might cause.

If you serve alcohol or other drugs and your guests get in a car accident, fight, speed contest, or other dangerous incident at or after leaving your July 4th party, then you may be assigned at least a percentage of the liability for any injuries or other damages that result. You may be held financially accountable. This is especially true if you serve alcohol or other drugs to minors under the legal California drinking age of twenty one.

"If it's your boat, then it's your responsibility."

July 4th is one of the busiest days on Lake Havasu and other waterways near Los Angeles. Crowded conditions are dangerous, especially for water skiers. Just like you hear it in the California Department of Boating and Waterways commercials, "If it's your boat, then it's your responsibility." What you may not realize is, they mean it. It is your legal responsibility to make certain that everyone on and around your boat is safe. You have liability for any injuries or other damage that happen as a direct result of anyone's use of your boat. You will be held financially accountable. Also, in California driving a boat while intoxicated is considered "Driving Under the Influence" (DUI) just like driving a car while intoxicated. Don't do it.

Have a safe and sane 4th of July!

Lawmakers call for new financing terms for boat dealers

2009-06-25T08:29:00.001-07:00

A dozen members of the U.S. Congress delivered a letter Friday to Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, and Timothy Geithner, secretary of the U.S. Treasury calling on the two to reclassify boats and recreational vehicles as an asset class in the Fed's Term Asset-Backed Securities Lending Facility, and to hurry up.

Lowering the so-called "haircut level" — the amount of an asset's value that may not be used as collateral — would improve liquidity for boat dealers, they said.

The haircut level for an average floorplan term of three years is 13 percent.

Using TALF funds for other lending requires an asset value exclusion ranging from 5 percent for prime credit cards to 16 percent for financing automotive rental fleets.

"We write to express our collective concern that the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) is not proceeding with sufficient pace or with sufficient participation within the nonauto floorplan asset classes," the group wrote. "As members of Congress who represent many marine manufacturers and dealers we urge you to re-examine elements of the TALF program, and specifically the haircut schedule for nonauto floorplan asset-backed securities."

Does My Marine Insurance Policy Cover Earthquake Damage?

2009-06-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, the limits and exclusions of any insurance coverage will be spelled out in the language of the policy document that is issued by the insurance company.

Here, the reader is referring to a requirement of California law (section 10081 of the California Insurance Code) that provides that no policy of residential property insurance may be issued in California unless the named insured is offered coverage for loss or damage caused by earthquake.

The law in its current form was enacted in 1994 after the Northridge earthquake. Prior to that event, insurance companies were required to include earthquake coverage in residential insurance policies, but no provision was available to offer the insurance under a separate policy. After the Northridge earthquake, many insurance companies pulled out of California entirely, rather than being forced to include coverage in their standard residential homeowners’ policies.

The new law offered a compromise. Insurance companies may now exclude coverage for earthquake damage, so long as they offer a separate policy to the homeowner that does provide the coverage. The separate earthquake policy is therefore only required if the homeowners’ policy itself excludes coverage for earthquake damage. This helps the insurance companies because they may charge competitive rates for the homeowners’ policy without regard to the risks associated with earthquake coverage. The separate earthquake policies may better target the risk by charging substantial premiums, and requiring a deductible of up to 15 percent of the value of the insured structure.

Like homeowners insurance, the coverage and exclusions of a marine insurance policy will be spelled out in the language of the policy document. Marine insurance policies vary widely in the scope of coverage offered, but they do not typically exclude damage caused by an earthquake. However, even if such an exclusion were included in a policy, the insurance company would not be required to offer separate earthquake coverage, since the law that requires the coverage does not extend to marine insurance.

The reader asked whether his marine insurance policy would cover earthquake damage to his boat under various scenarios, such as in dry storage, on a trailer or in a marina. The answer is that the damage may be covered, or it may be excluded if his insurance policy does list a specific exclusion for earthquake damage, or it may be excluded by some other provision of the policy that has nothing to do with earthquakes.

Unfortunately, there is no simple, universal answer to this question. The reader will need to review the language of his policy, to determine the scope of coverage offered by the policy and the exclusions and other limitations (such as geographic limitations) that may apply. A maritime attorney experienced in insurance coverage issues should be consulted for more specific information.

The Institutes Offer Helpful Hurricane Tips

2009-06-18T01:30:00.000-07:00

June 16, 2009 -- The American Institute for CPCU/Insurance Institute of America offer the following article, "Hurricane Helpful Hints," by Donna J. Popow J.D., CPCU, AIC.

They often show up with little warning, bringing high-speed winds and torrential rain. These destructive forces of nature are unwelcome guests in any home.

Hurricane season is here. Are you prepared?

There are several precautionary measures you can take before the need arises:

Check your policy - wind damage is usually covered by homeowners' policies, but flood damage is not.

Buy flood insurance if necessary - water that accumulates in the street from rain or storm surge will be considered flood water.

Check the policy limit - make sure you can rebuild for the amount you are insured. See if you have Actual Cash Value coverage or Replacement Cost coverage.

Have a plan - know the steps you will take to prepare your home for a storm.
Gather supplies - have the supplies you will need on hand at the start of the hurricane season, such as pre-cut plywood and sandbags.

Secure your boat - if you own a boat, plan where you will take it in the event of a storm. Check your marina or dock contract to see if you are required to move the boat. Have the supplies on hand to prepare the boat for the storm, such as anchors, chains, and chafe protection.

When you receive warning of a storm, follow these guidelines before the storm arrives:

If ordered to evacuate, do so - take your homeowners policy, auto policy and boat policy or the agent's name and phone number or the 800 number for your insurers.
Take valuable items from your boat - take the loran, GPS, registration papers and log books. Do not try to weather a storm on board your boat.

Collect supplies if you're staying home - make sure you have food, water, medical supplies, batteries, candles and pet supplies for three to five days. Don't stock up the refrigerator, but do turn the temperature to its lowest setting so food will last longer if you lose power. Stay indoors and avoid trees and flying debris.

Follow these instructions after the storm:

Contact your insurer - advise your insurer of the damage. Give them a phone number where you can be reached, especially if you have relocated temporarily.
Prepare an inventory of the damage - take photos. Keep track of money spent and keep receipts. Make temporary repairs if necessary.

Check on your secondary home - make arrangements with a realtor or property manager to inspect it. Even if there are no visible signs of damage on the exterior there may be interior water damage.

Boating deaths up in Michigan

2009-06-18T01:25:00.000-07:00

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Boating deaths reached a six-year high in Michigan last year, according to a new report from the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents .

The organization said in an annual report that 36 boating deaths were reported in 2008, up from 35 in 2007 and the most since 2002, when 38 deaths were reported.

Boating accidents also increased last year, to 201 from 193 reported in 2007, though accidents were down from the 226 reported in 2003, according to the report.

Most accidents occur on Sunday afternoons in July, the group said. The most common accidents result from collisions with other vessels, falling overboard and capsizing.

"Whenever people consume alcohol and operate a boat, bad things usually happen," Gary Mitchell, spokesman for the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents, said in a statement. "After years of decline, the fatalities are beginning to increase again."

There were 927,914 boat registrations in Michigan in 2008, up from 830,835 the year before, the report said.

The group advises boaters to wear life jackets, avoid overloading a craft with passengers and make sure the boat has adequate lighting at night and safety equipment. Public awareness of boating laws and using life jackets are the most effective ways to reduce boat fatalities, it said.

Copyright Associated Press

Boating: How to secure your boat when a hurricane threatens

2009-06-10T02:31:00.000-07:00

The hurricane season is upon us, and the key to protecting your boat from hurricanes is planning, preparation and timely action. Your plan should include what you are going to do with your boat. Arrange for a friend to carry out your plans if you are out of town during hurricane season.

Boats remaining in the water: Double all lines. Rig crossing spring lines fore and aft. Attach lines high on pilings to allow for tidal rise or surge. Make sure lines will not slip off pilings. Inspect pilings and choose those that seem strongest and tallest and are properly installed. The longer the dock lines, the better the boat will be at coping with high tides. It is also essential to double up on all lines and use chafe protectors at any potential chafing points. Install fenders to protect the boat from rubbing against the dock, pilings and other boats. Cover all lines at rough points to prevent chafing. Wrap with tape, rags and rubber hoses. Make sure that the batteries are charged and that the bilge pumps are in working order. Take down canvas if you have it because because the wind will just tear it down.

Boat on lifts: Raise the lift up as high as you can out of the water so that the storm surge does not catch the boat and take it off the lift. Remove everything that is removable. Make sure the bilge pumps and batteries are working or remove the plug from the boat. Remove the batteries if you do remove the plug. Make sure the electrical system is off. Make sure the cleats are bolted with black plates.

Boats on trailers: Be sure your tow vehicle is capable of properly and adequately moving the boat. Trailer tires, bearing and axle should all be in good condition. Once it is at a safe place, let some air out of the tires. Remove everything that is removable. Remove the batteries, put blocks under the axles and fill the bilges about one-third with water. This will add weight and assist is holding the boat and trailer in place. An alternative to adding water would be to take the plug out and add some weight with a sand bag. It is not a good idea to tie the trailer to a tree, since trees are often blown over in a storm.

Boats in a marina: Double up all the lines and speak to the dock master. Check your rental agreement. Know your responsibilities and liabilities as well as those of the marina.

For all boat owners: Consolidate all records including insurance policies. Have a recent photo of your vessel. Be sure you have boat registration, equipment inventory, lease agreement and telephone numbers of appropriate authorities (harbor master, U.S. Coast Guard, insurance agent).

Remember, when wind and seas warrant, marine agencies remove their boats from service and will not be able to rescue foolish boaters.

Some basic tips to keep your boat from theft

2009-06-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

So you think your boat is all safely buttoned up for the winter, tucked safely away in your backyard or driveway? Think again.

In Houston Texas, thieves stole four boats in just five days, stealing electronics, fishing equipment and other items. Even more disturbing, all of the boats were kept right behind the owners’ homes. Boat owners are a trusting lot and while one would not think of leaving the house with all the doors and windows open, boats are often left wide open and unsecured, equipped with all sorts of small and valuable accessories that can easily end up on eBay.

Boats are also so easily transportable, they’re particularly susceptible to theft. Each year, insurance claims for theft losses cost the industry and consumers millions. While some boat thefts are the work of sophisticated rings that target a specific type of boat, others are isolated crimes of opportunity by petty thieves taking small, but valuable, equipment.

Not surprisingly, Florida is the number one state for boat theft with 1,478 boats reported stolen in 2005 and 1,233 stolen in 2006, through Sept. 30, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a non-for-profit organization of insurance companies that compiles reports of stolen boats, cars and other items. Texas is therd in the nation with fur hundred boat thenfts and four thoudand eight hundred and ninety one thefts reported from boats.

According to NICB, 6,849 boats were stolen nationwide through Sept. 30, and a total of 8,795 boats were stolen in 2005. Most of the top 10 states for stolen boats are year-round boating states such as Florida, Texas, California and other southern states, where there are more boats available to thieves as well as more homes, marinas and storage facilities that thieves can target (see chart).On a positive note, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors are taking boat theft seriously and making headway in arresting organized rings of criminals who often move boats across state lines for resale.

“This can’t happen to me” you say. Well guess again. What can we as boat owners do to help protect ourselves? Well we caqn do the following.Engrave all valuables including electronic equipment, outboard engines, radios, loose gear, etc. with the owner’s name, home port, state driver’s license or identification number, and the boat’s hull identification number.

Attach inverted, strong hasps and padlocks to all hatches and secure lockers with non-removable hasps and hinges and lock with strong padlocks. Remove all portable valuables from your vessel, thereby eliminating possible targets of the thief. Don’t leave radios, binoculars, cameras or laptops on board. Maintain an inventory list that includes all boat gear with the name, model, serial number, manufacturer, and description of each item. Digital images or photos of your gear could also go into this list. Never leave keys aboard a boat, even in a “hidden place.”

Any seasoned burglar knows all the spots to look. Don’t leave ownership papers on board the boat. Over night stays at a marina ,even one with good security you should check for one with locked gates and other barriers to keep both unauthorized pedestrian and vehicle trafficaway from the docks. Signs should be posted that clearly state marina regulations and access limits.Access to boats should be limited only to owners and other authorized persons. Look for one with good lighting. Lighting should be focused on access points and boat docks, security cameras are even better. As a boat owners you should get acquainted with their dock side neighbors and report suspicious “visitors” and activities.

When you leave your boat on a trailer away from your own watchful eyes you should think of removing the tires. As an added precaution against theft, be sure to remove the hub nuts and store them with the tires. Keeping your boat out of sight is less tempting to theives. If the boat has to stay in the driveway, don’t park it facing the street. Thieves may carry coupler devices that can be quickly attached to your trailer.smaller outboards should be taken off and stored in the garage along with your seats, batteries, electronics and fishing equiptment in side, they’ll hold up better when stored indoors as well.

Lock your wheels to the trailer. A length of heavy chain, or cable, run through each wheel and around the axle or trailer frame is a great deterrent to theft of the trailer or your wheels. Also, lock your spare tire. These few and simple tips could possible save you the boat owner thousandsof hard earned dollars. Even a small theft from a high performance craft can result in a expensive lesson that should’nt haver to be learned the hard way. Takes care of your equiptment and it will be there to take care of you. Remember spring is around the corner and we all want out big boy toys to be there when we’re ready to play so until next week keep only what you will eat and release the rest to fight again.
Mike Harber

How to Slash Rates on Your Auto Insurance

2009-06-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

Auto insurance is a mundane game, right up there with root canals and visits from the in-laws; they’re things people don’t want to experience, but have to.

So as long as you’re stuck paying auto insurance, at least you can find ways to cut the costs of buying it.

Here are some of the best ways that BankingMyWay found to do just that:

Order the “combo” platter – If you buy your home and car insurance from the same company, you save, as the commercial says, up to 15% off your car insurance. That’s the figure stated from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.

Shop online – If you value a local insurance company in town, or a short drive away, skip past this tip. But if you don’t care where your auto insurer’s office is, go online for a great deal. Online auto-insurers tend to be short on great, hands-on customer service, but they’re very good on getting you lower rates, since their administration and operating costs are so low.

Leverage good credit – No doubt about it, the better your credit, the lower your auto insurance rates. Consumers with good credit scores of about 660 and above can expect good discounts at the auto insurance checkout counter.

Avoid collision insurance – If your car is paid off, or you’re driving around town in an aging, beat-up junker, your need for collision insurance isn’t a big one. By removing collision insurance, you can take up to 20% off your auto insurance. A note: without collision insurance, you’ll need some money set aside for “crash” emergencies, the amount of which should be based on the current Kelly Bluebook value of your car.

Raise your deductible – To lower your insurance rates, just raise your deductible. Raising your deductible from $150 to $500, or even $1,000, could save you up to 15% off your insurance rates.

Get a “two vehicle” discount – If you own more than one car, or even a car and a boat, ask your insurer for a multiple vehicle discount. To get your business on both vehicles, chances are your agent will green light a discount.

US boat buyers offered payment protection

2009-06-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

PROTECTION: Taking a lead from the US auto industry, Brunswick has set up a payment protection programme for buyers of its Bayliner, Maxum and Trophy brands.

Under the protection promotion these three Brunswick boat brands will make the monthly boat payments for those buyers who may unfortunately lose their jobs due to current economic conditions, said Brunswick in a statement released on 22 May.

Bayliner, Maxum and Trophy will pay up to nine months of payments if the boat buyer loses his or her job within a year after the boat purchase.

‘In today’s economy, it is important to alleviate consumer concerns over many issues, including the potential of job loss,’ said Brunswick chairman and chief executive officer Dustan E. McCoy. ‘So, we’re addressing it in an effective and impactful manner within the marine community. These brands aim to restore some confidence for the American boat buyer so they can make their dream boat purchase this summer, because we stand behind them not only with quality products, but also with resourceful financing and insurance options.’

Payment Protection is offered for all models in the Bayliner, Maxum and Trophy brand lines, with the qualifying monthly payments going up to $500, McCoy explained.

The promotion started for the US Memorial Day weekend – which suns as the same time as the UK Spring Bank Holiday - to help them sell more new boats during this year's peak boat selling season, which Brunswick says continues through the Fourth of July weekend. Customers must take delivery of their new boats by 6 July.

‘These brands are among the first in the marine industry to launch such a large-scale payment protection program,’ said the president of Brunswick's US Marine and Outboard Boat Group divisions, Andy Graves. ‘We’re taking our cue from similar efforts that have been used successfully in the automotive industry by Hyundai, Ford and General Motors.’

Warships blamed for Somali piracy

2009-05-11T04:29:00.000-07:00

Somali minister has said the problem of piracy in the region is being made worse by those countries deploying warships off the coast.

Abdul Karis Osman Issa, public works minister in semi-autonomous Puntland, said investment should be directed at building mainland security instead.

He said ransom payments to pirates mean they are better financed and armed than the regional government.

Meanwhile, Mogadishu is reportedly calm after three days of fierce fighting.

But correspondents in the city say clashes between pro-government forces and opposition Islamist groups could resume at any time.

More than 50 people have been killed in the clashes, which began on Thursday and escalated late on Saturday in a district close to the presidential palace.

Somalia, a nation of about eight million people, has experienced almost constant conflict since the collapse of its central government in January 1991.

Next ArticleAnchorage Boating Examiner Boat safely by getting a Vessel Safety Check

2009-04-23T02:54:00.000-07:00

We are near the beginning of boating season in Alaska and now is a good time to review what required equipment should be onboard and ready for use. One easy way to ensure your boating safety gear is up to speed is to request a Vessel Safety Check from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The exam looks at the equipment required by law and makes recommendations for other safety gear that should be onboard.

So what does the examiner look for to ensure your boat is safe and legal to operate?

Required Equipment

Registration - Boats must be currently registered by either the state or federal government. The Federal government usually documents (a form of registration) boats that are larger than five net tons.

Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) or Lifejackets - One USCG approved PFD is required for each person onboard. A throwable or Type IV PFD like a ring buoy or floating cushion is required on boats over 16 feet in length.

Visual Distress Signals - Depending on the time of operation, day and/or night distress signals need to be carried onboard vessels

Fire Extinguishers - Vessels that have mechanical propulsion are required to have a USCG approved fire extinguisher onboard. The number of extinguishers depends on the length of the vessel.

Ventilation – Boats that have gasoline powered engines installed in closed spaces (inboards) within the boat must be equipped with powered ventilation system to prevent to build up of explosive gasoline vapors.
Backfire Flame Arrester - Gasoline engines equipped with a carburetor need a USCG approved backfire flame arrester.

Sound Producing Device - Collision avoidance regulations depend on boaters carrying sound producing equipment.

Navigation Lights - Operating navigation lights are required for operation of your boat at night and in conditions of reduced visibility like fog.
Regulatory Placards - Placards or regulatory notices must be posted on vessels over 28 feet in length. These placards notify the operators of regulations addressing oil pollution and proper disposal of marine related garbage.
Recommended Items

Marine VHF Radio - A marine VHF isn't required by law, but can be a real lifesaver. The Coast Guard communications system is geared to using these radios, and they are often more likely to perform better than cellular phone system.
Alternative Dewatering Pump - Carry a spare, manually operated pump for bailing out your boat. You should have something available to bail out your boat that does not depend on the vessel's power system.

Mounted Fire Extinguishers – It is beneficial to mount your fire extinguishers. A fire extinguisher that is stowed will not be readily available when you need it.
Anchor and Line – An anchor provides options during a mechanical breakdown, it keep you off the beach and prevent you from drifting further ashore while you troubleshoot the problem.

First-Aid Kit - A first-aid kit onboard makes a major difference in your ability to respond and treat an injury that occurs during a trip.
Capacity Plate/Certificate of Compliance - Most boats built under approval standards set by the Coast Guard will carry a placard that states the maximum recommended load and passenger capacity of the boat. Larger boats may carry a manufacturer's statement of compliance with Coast Guard vessel standards.
Once you successfully complete the VSC, a decal is affixed to your boat certifying completion of the inspection. Completion of a VSC may qualify you for discounts on liability insurance at State Farm and boating equipment purchases at West Marine. Go to the Vessel Examiners Database and enter your zip code find a VSC examiner near you.

New third party insurance policy launched

2009-04-23T02:51:00.000-07:00

Navigators & General has launched a new third party only boat insurance policy for boaters who may find the cost of comprehensive cover prohibitive. It is designed to meet the requirement for third party cover made by many marinas, harbours, waterways and boatyards.

"There have been increasing instances of fires leading to damage to nearby craft, and boats becoming unmoored and drifting into others", said N&G head James Roberts. "We wanted to provide low cost cover for boat owners who are simply looking to lay their boat up in a yard outside peak sailing season or whilst it's up for sale".

The policy, which can be taken out online, includes liability protection against passenger or third party claims, cover for wreck removal and destruction, and pollution related costs and fines.

SKorean wife collects fortune for 'dead' husband

2009-04-22T02:53:00.000-07:00

SEOUL (AFP) — A South Korean woman who held a funeral for her husband after claiming he was lost at sea scammed insurers out of 800,000 dollars before he was found alive and well, police said Tuesday.

The fraud in the southeastern town of Tongyeong is part of an increasing trend of bogus claims, insurers say.

It began in March 2006 when she told police that her husband had failed to return from a fishing trip, a police spokesman in the nearby city of Changwon told AFP.

The husband had left his boat adrift and sneaked back ashore on a different boat as a major sea search was launched.

He went to ground for some three years elsewhere in the country as his wife successfully filed claims totalling 1.1 billion won with six insurance firms.

She even held a funeral for her spouse, receiving the customary condolence cash payments from mourners.

The pair finally came to grief when the husband shared his secret with an acquaintance during a drinking session and the friend reported it to police.

They will face criminal charges, the police spokesman said.

The Seoul Shinmun newspaper said insurance scams were becoming "low-risk, high-return" crimes.

Kim Seong, an official of the General Insurance Association of Korea, told the daily such crimes have risen sharply since the 1997 economic crisis,

The Financial Supervisory Commission said 41,019 people were caught over insurance frauds last year, up 33 percent from a year earlier.

"However, statistics on insurance frauds fail to reflect reality, as many people are believed to get away with these crimes," Kim said.

Spamtown Belle boat saved — again

2009-03-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

City council removes tourist attraction from Park and Rec budget reductions
By Katie Johnson (Contact)
Funding for the Spamtown Belle will keep the Mill Pond boat afloat — at least for now.

The paddlewheel attraction was on the list of proposed cuts for the Austin City Council to review in the Austin Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.

Operated by volunteers from June through September, the boat has a history of being out-of-commission due to repairs. Council members debated whether or not to eliminate its $1,100 contribution slated for 2009 and 2010 Monday night.

Belle Captain Dick Nordin spoke at the meeting, and explained that last year, one-third of riders were from out-of-town, and the boat had 1,000 riders in August and September. The boat was in for repairs most of the season.

“Quality of life — that’s important to a community,” Nordin said when stating his case.

Rides are $1 for kids and $2 for adults. The boat was donated to the city in 1999.

“The issue I have is, that pond gets so green and skanky during the summer,” Mayor Tom Stiehm said.

Nordin suggested the boat be moved back to East Side Lake.

The Belle has long been a controversial topic in the community, as some see it as a tourist draw, while others view it as a waste of money.

“We hear from people all the time … you have a boat, and you have layoffs,” Stiehm told Nordin of its proposed budget elimination.

Insurance for the boat costs $2,000, Nordin said. If the city paid that, he should be able to fundraise to keep it operational.

“I agree with you, Dick--it’s a really neat vessel,” council member Jeff Austin said. “Part of what has worked against you is the condition of the boat.”

The fact that Austin has two ice arenas — Packer and Riverside — has long been another hot topic in the community.

Tom Dankert, director of administrative services, has reiterated many times that the facilities were never meant to be money-makers, but services for citizens in the city. However, Erichson said Riverside has been very busy with events lately.

One proposal is to close an arena, likely Packer, to save an estimated $90,000 in 2010.

“If we were to close an arena, we would recommend closing it in fall 2009,” Erichson said. “The big decisions start hitting in fall 2009.”

Council member Janet Anderson said she wants more information before even considering closing one or the other. She suggested getting more information from interested parties.

“I have a hard time, when you are taking away things for the youth of Austin to do,” council member Steve King said. “Yeah, it’s $90,000. It’s a lot of money.”

Other Park and Rec reductions that have been recommended for approval April 6 include: waiting to replace the public pool vacuum, tile and equipment; using temporary staffing for secretary, director Kim Underwood’s former position; reducing the pool season by two weeks to June 13 through Aug. 16; increasing pool fees and private rental rates; eliminate tree-planting in the boulevard; reducing hours and days of the Youth Activity Center; and reducing temporary salaries for baseball parks and the Izaak Walton Cabin.

The council voted to recommend all proposed cuts in the Park and Rec budget for approval April 6, with the exception of keeping the Spamtown Belle and waiting to get more information about the arenas. Council members Dick Pacholl and John Martin voted against the motion.

Another work session will be held at 6 p.m. Monday to discuss proposed public safety cuts. The line items from each city department will be on the agenda for approval April 6.

Rocking the Boat

2009-02-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Money laundering, terrorist financing and discriminatory taxation no longer top Europe’s regulatory agenda. ‘Transparency’ is the new name of the game, says Christopher Owen

The year 2008 will remain indelibly etched on the collective psyche of the offshore banking sector. Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the heights of European banking secrecy, were assailed by tax investigations of unprecedented severity while the near collapse of the global financial system injected renewed vigour into international efforts to pierce the offshore veil. Probes into Bernie Madoff’s $50bn fraud look set to pile further opprobrium on opaque investment structures.

The German authorities chose St Valentine’s Day 2008 to call on Klaus Zumwinkel, chief executive of Deutsche Post, seeking evidence that he had transferred millions of euros to a bank in Liechtenstein to evade German taxation. It was to be the first of many such raids across Germany. 

The German government said that it had paid an informant €4.2m for a CD containing bank data from LGT Group, the biggest bank in the Alpine tax haven of Liechtenstein. It also said the BND, Germany’s intelligence service, had been involved. LGT, owned by the principality’s ruling family, admitted that the data comprised bank information on 1,400 clients. It had been stolen by a former employee who had “abused his position of trust to compile information about clients”. 

The highest proportion of clients, about 600, were resident in Germany but information had also been sold to the tax authorities of the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and France. The German government said it was willing to share relevant data on non-German individuals or entities with other governments: tax authorities in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Spain, and the Czech Republic all indicated their interest. 

Liechtenstein’s acting head of state Prince Alois, accused Germany of using “draconian methods that defy the rule of law” and failing to respect his country’s sovereignty. “Germany has clearly failed to understand how one behaves towards a friendly state,” he said. But as the investigation snowballed, such a stance looked increasingly untenable. 

Liechtenstein has subsequently concluded a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with the US and also indicated its willingness to cooperate with individual EU countries. Reigning Prince Hans-Adam II noted that the process of rethinking should have begun earlier. “I do believe that, with respect to our financial centre, Liechtenstein has always waited until no other option was available, until the pressure from abroad became so great that we had to implement reforms.” 

The second seismic case involved Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS. An investigation by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) into Igor Olenicoff, a Russian-born property developer in California who pleaded guilty to tax fraud in December 2007, had also brought the name of Bradley Birkenfeld, his private banker, to the attention of the authorities. Birkenfeld, a US citizen, was employed as a director in UBS’s private banking unit from 2001 to 2005. In May 2008, he flew to Boston, from Switzerland, for a school reunion. Arrested as he stepped off the plane, Birkenfeld was later charged with conspiring to defraud the US by creating bogus trusts and corporations to hide some €150m in assets. Birkenfeld, who had been cooperating with US investigators for over a year from Switzerland, entered into a formal plea agreement to reveal what he knew about UBS’s offshore private banking business. 

In 2001 UBS had committed, under the US’s new Qualified Intermediary (QI) regime, to provide US tax officials with information on any customers receiving taxable US income. Instead, according to Birkenfeld, it assisted wealthy US clients to conceal their ownership of assets held offshore by creating sham entities and then filing IRS forms falsely claiming that the entities were the owners of the accounts. UBS had approximately €15bn of assets under management in ‘undeclared’ accounts for US taxpayers. 

Battle lines were drawn on 1 July 2008 when a federal judge in Miami approved an IRS summons obliging UBS to turn over records on 19,000 US citizens thought to have undisclosed offshore accounts. This was a direct challenge to Swiss bank secrecy. IRS commissioner Doug Shulman said in a statement: “People should take notice that the secrecy surrounding these accounts is rapidly fading.” 

Later that month, Mark Branson, UBS’s chief financial officer of global wealth management and business banking, apologised to the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations for “any compliance failures that may have occurred” and said UBS would no longer provide offshore banking services to US citizens. 

But, on 6 November, the US upped the ante. A grand jury in Florida indicted Raoul Weil, chairman of global wealth management at UBS, on one charge of conspiring to help US citizens hide assets from the IRS to maintain a “profitable’” business for the Swiss bank. Weil, who denies being aware of, engaged in or tolerating any illegal conduct in the operation of UBS’s US cross-border business, was declared a fugitive from US justice on 13 January this year. 

UBS currently finds itself torn between US demands for disclosure and the Swiss banking code. Already the ramifications have led to regulatory action: last October the IRS issued new rules, effective from 2010, to tighten the QI regime that allows participating foreign banks to withhold tax overseas on behalf of US clients without disclosing their names to the IRS. Banks will be required to determine whether US investors are behind the foreign accounts they set up and to alert the IRS to any potential fraud they detect, whether through their own internal controls, complaints from employees or investigations by regulators. 

Likewise, the Liechtenstein case prompted the EU to strengthen its Savings Tax Directive. Last November, the European Commission adopted a proposal to close existing loopholes and expand the Directive to cover the taxation of interest payments channelled through intermediate structures and to income derived from investments in certain financial and insurance products.  

At the same time, the EU is attempting to extend its geographic reach. The Directive currently applies in 42 jurisdictions: the 27 EU member states, five non-EU ‘third countries’ – Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and San Marino – and 10 dependent and associated non-EU territories – Anguilla, Aruba, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, the Netherlands Antilles and the Turks & Caicos Islands. The European Commission started discussions on applying the Directive with Hong Kong, Singapore and Macao last year. Formal negotiations are expected to take place with Norway, at its request, while Bermuda and Iceland have shown interest in participating. EU tax commissioner Lászlo Kovács said the measures “will ensure a level playing field for financial intermediaries throughout the world.” 

These moves are taking place against the backdrop of an ongoing supranational initiative, led by the OECD, to bringing greater transparency to financial centres. In September, the OECD’s Global Forum on Taxation announced that although advances had been achieved, progress on exchange of information on tax issues had been more limited. It said significant restrictions on access to bank information for tax purposes remained in three OECD countries – Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland – and in a number of OFCs, notably Liechtenstein, Panama and Singapore. 

Crucially, after the ebb tide of the Bush administration, the current is now running back in the OECD’s favour. At the emergency summit to address the economic crisis in Washington DC last November, leaders from 21 nations committed “to protect the integrity of the world’s financial markets by… preventing fraudulent activities and abuse, and protecting against illicit finance risks arising from non-cooperative jurisdictions.” At a follow-up meeting in Paris in December, EU finance ministers agreed to collect case studies on non-EU countries and jurisdictions that are not cooperating in combating illegal tax activity, and give them to the Financial Stability Forum, a body set up to enhance global oversight of financial markets and address loopholes.  

The European Commission also agreed to present an action plan for anti-tax haven policy in early 2009. “Non-cooperation mostly refers to areas of taxation,” said EU internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy. “Primarily the focus is in Europe but there are tax havens all over the globe. There is also a lack of cooperation in regulatory matters.” 

Nor can OFCs expect any respite from across the Atlantic. US President Barack Obama made the fight against tax havens a key part of his campaign and as a Senator, in February 2007, he co-sponsored the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act (STHAA), which  was introduced in both houses of Congress but not enacted. 

The main plank of the STHAA is a provision that would force taxpayers to prove that they do not have control over offshore entities with which they contract. US individuals will be presumed to control any entity – including trusts, corporations, and partnerships – created or domiciled in an offshore jurisdiction if the US person directly or indirectly formed, received assets from or is a beneficiary of that entity. Obama’s aides have indicated that similar legislation will be considered, possibly in the early months of 2009. 

There can be no doubt that 2008 was a tumultuous year for the offshore sector and the reverberations will continue to be felt long into the future. 

Banking secrecy is facing an assault of unprecedented ferocity and all forms of financial engineering that add opaqueness look set to be targeted. If offshore centres are to survive the backlash, they will have to demonstrate that they add real value to the global economy.

The Future of Tax Havens

Tax havens, or offshore financial centres as they prefer to be known, have long been the bête noire for governments of industrialised nations, who claim they offer illegitimate tax competition and a refuge for tax evaders. And now that governments have sunk trillions of euros into shoring up the global financial system, they will not tolerate money leaking away into opaque jurisdictions. 

The extent to which OFCs have become integral to world capital markets and investment flows can be seen from even a casual glance at the City of London‘s Fourth Global Financial Centres Index, published last September. 

According to the Index, London and New York lead the field and continue to be the only two truly global financial centres; but Singapore, Hong Kong, Zurich, and Geneva occupy the next four slots. 

And other OFCs punch way above their weight — Dublin (13), Jersey (14), Luxembourg (15) Guernsey (16), Isle of Man (19), Cayman Islands (21), Dubai (23), Gibraltar (25), British Virgin Islands (29), Bahamas (35), Monaco (37), Bahrain (43) and Qatar (45). Put into perspective, Beijing is at 47 and Mumbai at 49. 

These offshore and niche centres, says the report, continue to grow in importance and are typically low tax environments that specialise in private banking, asset management and wealth management. It notes that the tax environment is now being mentioned as a crucial area of competitiveness. 

Speed of decision-making and a coherent regulatory regime are also increasingly seen as important in a centre’s competitiveness; people and infrastructure are also vital. 

Even the OECD, which has spearheaded the international drive to stem the flow of capital offshore and bring OFCs into line with regulatory norms, has increasingly recognised that genuine tax competition among sovereign nations should not itself be thwarted, provided that it is accompanied by real transparency and performed on a level playing field. 

Last October, it announced the signing of 16 new bilateral Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) between OECD members and the British Virgin Islands, Guernsey and Jersey. The BVI signed TIEAs with Australia and the UK; Guernsey and Jersey signed with the Nordic economies — Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. 

These agreements brought to 44 the number of TIEAs since 2000. The Isle of Man has 11, Jersey 10, Guernsey nine, the Netherlands Antilles four, and the BVI three. Bermuda, with three, signed its first bilateral agreement with the US in 1986. Antigua has two, while Aruba, The Bahamas and the Cayman Islands all signed one apiece. 

The latest agreements, says the OECD, are a significant extension of information exchange networks in place in these jurisdictions, and show their commitment to implementing standards of transparency and exchange of information regarding tax matters. 

The OECD says progress is also being made in other financial centres: Cyprus and Malta have removed the last impediments to a full exchange of information; Belgium has negotiated its first tax treaty with full exchange of information; Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are implementing the OECD standards; and the government of Hong Kong (China) recently launched a review of its policy on exchange of information. 

Now that the market in offshore securitisations and fund registrations has shrunk and the rich flows into bank deposits and financial products can no longer be taken for granted, there must be serious question marks over the futures of OFCs that cannot, or will not, comply. Using them will simply raise too many red flags or attract punitive sanctions. 

Andrew Corlett, managing director of Isle of Man law firm Cains, says: “OFCs must come within the circle. Their regulatory systems must stand scrutiny and their tax systems must be comprehensible, not predatory. Information should be available through formal gateways such as tax treaties or tax information exchange agreements. 

“If jurisdictions choose to stand outside the ring then they can expect to be targeted. OFCs must be able to demonstrate that they are oiling the wheels of international commerce, not simply siphoning off money.”

Counting the cost of round the world yacht racing

2009-02-14T01:11:00.000-08:00

In late December and the first week of January, the single-handed skippers of three round the world race boats took the drastic decision to abandon their yachts in the Southern Ocean: the seriously injured Yann Eliès on the French, IMOCA Open 60, Generali, racing through the Indian Ocean in the Vendée Globe, requested assistance 800 miles from the south-western tip of Australia on 18 December; Dutch solo sailor, Nico Budel, competing in the Portimão Global Ocean Race, issued a MAYDAY on board Hayai eight days later, 240 miles NNE of the Crozet Islands after sustaining severe keel damage, and, on 6 January, a second Vendée Globe competitor, Jean Le Cam on VM Matériaux, requested assistance after the yacht’s keel bulb detached and the boat inverted 200 miles west of Cape Horn.

Happily, all three rescues were successful due to the expertise shown by the global network of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC), the skill of the sailors involved, the support of fellow competitors or fellow mariners and the immaculate seamanship of rescue services local to the incident. While the relief that no lives were lost is immense, little is spoken of the individual responsibilities of a skipper when considering abandonment or the financial implications and moral responsibilities of stepping off a yacht at sea.

There is also growing concern triggered by the astonishing attrition rate in the Vendée Globe (30 boats starting the race and a maximum of 11 now likely to reach the finish line) and the recent carnage sustained by the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) fleet on Leg 4 between Singapore and Qingdao, that Grand Prix racing yachts risk becoming uninsurable, although some of these dramas may not result in claims against the respective insurers. Furthermore, many believe that the current framework of yacht insurance – a trade littered with archaic phraseology that would be familiar to an Elizabethan deckhand – is unsuited to Formula One offshore racing.

The Notice of Race (NOR) for the Portimão Global Ocean Race is very clear over insurance for competitors: 'Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of €3,000,000 [the same amount required by the Vendée Globe Race Organisation],' states the 14 page document.

However, in a round the world race through predominantly empty oceans, third party damage is most likely to be relevant just after the start of the race, or near the finish when competing yachts are bunched together and non-racing, commercial or private boat-traffic may be present. 'Each individual person taking part in the race shall confirm to the race committee that they have assessed and accepted the risks,' demands the NOR, 'and taken out personal insurance suitable and adequate for their needs having due regard for their circumstances and responsibilities.'

So, third party and personal insurance are a prerequisite for entering a round the world race, but – as is usual when boats are concerned – the situation is far from straightforward. Some race organisers appear to make the assumption that buying such insurance is as easy as buying any other bit of kit for the yacht. In reality however, the availability of anything approaching ‘comprehensive’ or ‘all risks’ type cover, arranged on a correct basis from a securely capitalised source, is anything but widespread, and may indeed be becoming an endangered species.

Richard Power, a Director at Southampton-based Fastnet Marine Insurance Services, is insurance broker for three of the Portimão Global Ocean Race yachts – Nico Budel’s Open 40, Hayai; Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson’s Class 40, Team Mowgli, and Kazimir Partners, the Class 40 of South African brothers, Lenjohn and Peter van de Wel – explains one of the basic responsibilities of a yacht insurance policy holder: 'If you were anchored in – let’s say - Studland Bay and the wind turned east and you began dragging your anchor. If you simply hopped into the dinghy, rowed ashore, went to the nearest phone box, rang your insurer and told them: ‘The boat is heading for a lee shore and if you get someone here quick enough, it might prevent a total loss,’ you will not get your claim paid,' says Power. 'But if you take every step you possibly can to prevent the boat ending up on the beach, but still fail, you can expect to get your claim paid.

Often, in cases like this, the insurers will apply terminology using the word ‘reasonable’. For example: ‘Were all reasonable steps taken to avoid the situation?’ or ‘Were all reasonable measures taken during the situation?’.'

Although an attractive stretch of the English South Coast is a very different environment from the high latitudes encircling Antarctica, the same principles apply: 'The Budel, Generali and Jean Le Cam situations where they are faced with abandoning a boat could materialise in the English Channel or the North Atlantic,' continues Power. 'In such a location, the possibility of salvaging is very much greater, and therefore the ultimate ‘downside’ faced by the Insurer is reduced. However, the distances you find in the Southern Ocean are a very different matter.' Despite the implementation of ice gates by race organisations to prevent the competing yachts form descending too far south away from the proximity of land, commercial shipping lanes or rescue services, the risks are still high: 'In the Portimão Global Ocean Race or the Vendée Globe or the Velux 5 Oceans, you may find yourself getting off a boat in parts of the world where the option of getting back to land is not available and you have to rely upon those other competitors around you.'

Before Nico Budel activated his EPIRB distress beacon on Hayai at 15:45 GMT on 28th December, he had already advised the Portimão Global Ocean Race organisation that his keel was damaged and a fellow competitor, Michel Kleinjans on Roaring Forty was diverted to assist the Dutch sailor. A week earlier, two Vendée Globe boats – Marc Guillemot on Safran and Samantha Davis on Roxy – were diverted towards injured Yann Eliès on board Generali and shortly after the New Year, Vincent Riou on PRB and Armel Le Cléac’h on Brit Air raced towards Jean Le Cam on his inverted IMOCA Open 60, VM Matériaux. Once Budel issued a MAYDAY, MRCC Reunion diverted the 170,000 ton bulk carrier, CSK Radiance, towards the yacht’s location and although conditions on board Hayai were deteriorating dramatically as the yacht’s keel bulb began to work loose from the keel fin, the Dutch solo skipper remained completely composed: 'He actually asked me, via his son, Frans, what I wanted him to do with the boat,' recalls Power.

'The technical response when a boat is in peril is: ‘You must act as if you are prudently uninsured.’ This is true whether you are in an Open 40, or 150ft superyacht,' he explains, 'but it is not exactly the easiest concept to explain to someone when they are in the sort of predicament that Budel was in.'

With a great depth of experience and knowledge in offshore sailing, this kind of call centre response was not an option for Power. 'In Budel’s case, I told him to do what he felt best for himself and the boat and we’d worry about the rest later.' As broker for Hayai, Power’s work would commence once the Dutchman was rescued. 'When Budel gets ashore, Fastnet Marine Insurance Services have to demonstrate to the insurer that whatever course of action he took was the correct thing to do without prejudicing the insurer’s position.' In other words, Budel took all reasonable steps before, and during, the incident, to try and limit the risks faced by the yacht and, therefore, her insurers. Reality, of course, shows that there was very little he could do to save the yacht, so he had to consider what to do next.

Budel’s decision, with guidance from his insurance brokers, was to scuttle Hayai, opening the sea cocks shortly before climbing cargo netting slung over the side of CSK Radiance. When Yann Eliès was rescued from Generali by the Royal Australian Navy frigate, HMAS Arunta, the French skipper’s sponsor, Generali Group, opted to attempt salvaging the Open 60. However, five days after the rescue, Generali had drifted approximately 200 miles south-east by the time of her last recorded satellite position on Christmas Day, slipping even further away from land and it is likely that the boat now lies on the seabed in around 4-5,000 metres of water 900 miles south-west of Melbourne. For Jean Le Cam, incarcerated, yet also protected, inside the sinking hull of VM Matériaux, the option to intentionally sink the boat was unnecessary before he climbed on board Vincent Riou’s PRB.

'Nico Budel, had to demonstrate that there was nothing that could save the boat,' continues Power. 'Where we come in is to persuade the insurers that this is indeed the case, and waiting for a couple of months for the boat to drift close enough to land for someone to go out and recover it just isn’t a good option.' When practical, there is only one alternative: 'In reality, the most viable option is to scuttle the boat, because if he leaves her afloat, there is a risk that she may become a danger to other shipping,' he confirms. 'The skipper can say: ‘I pulled the seacocks on her because I didn’t want her to become a danger to other ships. I also weighed-up this danger with the possibility of salvaging her and I believed that there was not hope of her being in any fit condition by the time she has drifted across the Indian Ocean’.' With luck, this approach is successful. 'Third party liability is a part of standard yacht insurance policy and includes the liability for removing the wreck and/or salvage,' continues Power. 'When you step off your Open 60 in the middle of the Pacific, you feel more inclined to pull the plug on it and sink the boat rather than try and get it back to land, purely on financial grounds. If you don’t, she drifts around for an indeterminate period of time, unmanned and a hazard to other shipping and, consequently, an ongoing risk for your insurers.'

The devastation sustained by the Volvo Ocean Race fleet in the final week of January during Leg 4 from Singapore to Qingdao produced copious press comment and spectator debate.

Headwinds reaching 50 knots and horrific seas tore through the VOR boats and survival and preserving the boats became paramount. Despite efforts from all crews, three boats suffered severely: Both Ericsson 3 and Telefonica Black developed cracks in the hull and Team Delta Lloyd discovered failure to the bow bulkhead. 'This sort of damage comes under the very old fashioned phrase ‘A Peril of the Seas’,' says Power. 'So, if it’s heavy weather damage, the insurers will pay for that, but structural failure resulting from the yacht being driven too hard as a result – possibly - of competitiveness perhaps eclipsing, to an extent, self-preservation in a bad sea state is a very, very dubious situation from an insurer’s point of view and they may ask why they should be expected to pay for this.'

There is also the issue of a rigid time limit applied in race stop overs. 'There’s no provision in a standard yacht insurance – or even a policy that has been tweaked in this direction – to pay for what is known as ‘The Accelerated cost of Repair’ to get the boat back into race mode. In other words: ‘It’s going to cost x-amount more to repair this, because you need it for the next leg,’ or similar. Insurers will only pay for the ‘reasonable’ - that word again - cost of repairs, and are under no obligation to pay an extra amount that is related to the job being done in a tight timescale.' So, throwing large amounts of money or hired help at the problem to get it resolved super quick, cannot necessarily be covered through insurance alone. 'This must be funded by the team’s budget and carried out by the team’s own repair crew,' he confirms. 'A normal yacht insurance claim can be a very old fashioned and cumbersome process and has no real place in a Grand Prix round the world race where the clock is ticking the whole time.'

With the exceptional fall out rate in the current Vendée Globe sparking debate between skippers, designers, boat builders and the class association as to culpability and the search for a possible solution, the issue of insurance becomes fundamental to the debate. 'The plain fact is that the attrition rate is becoming something that must be confronted and, in isolation, some boats risk becoming uninsurable,' believes Power. 'The old way of insuring the Vendée Globe fleet was to get all the boats together and estimate the value of each boat, then for one French broker to approach an insurance company,' he explains. 'Then factor in the loss of at least one boat. So, with the most expensive boat in the fleet valued at, let’s say, €2,000,000, the whole fleet premium must be €2,000,000 for the qualifiers and the race itself. The Whitbread Round the World Race was the same, but it’s not so easy to do this now. They tried with the Volvo, but the fleet isn’t big enough.'

The solution to this problem is a matter of backscratching: 'The current technique practiced by brokers is to establish relationships with insurers that cover softer boats – big white motor boats – and if you have enough superyachts with them, you might be able to squeeze in a Formula One race boat,' says Power. There also appears to be a general, blinkered misconception that insurance companies will seek a connection with extreme, offshore sailing and cover boats for the sheer kudos of involvement with an event: 'This just isn’t the case anymore,' states Power. 'The insurers have great big motor yachts and they just don’t need to underwrite these boats at all. They are under more pressure than ever to produce and maintain profit, and - from a broker’s perspective - you can only approach an insurer with an expensive racing boat risk if you have fed him a number of more comfortable, superyacht risks.'

Until a resolution is introduced to ensure that some of the very expensive, round the world race yachts stand a good chance of completing a circumnavigation, sponsors and insurers may feel that the returns are too low and the risks are just too high. A viable solution, perhaps, is a round the world race in a fast, robust and relatively inexpensive Class 40.

Sports Boat ASBA National Championship underway at Geelong

2009-01-24T00:27:00.000-08:00

After their first two races were cancelled due to strong winds, the Bundaberg Sports Boat ASBA National Championship fleet was eager to get out on the water today. Flat water and blue skies heralded a promising start to day two, helped by a steady 8-10k easterly breeze which held true for most of the afternoon.

With 21 entrants representing every state in Australia, the quality of the Skandia Geelong Week sports boat competition is high. Reigning Bundaberg Sports Boat champion Chris Williams has sold his winning Thompson 7 Team GUE and is 'hitching a ride' this year in Geelong steering John Williams’ T 7 Salsa Lou, the renamed former Geelong Week winner Foam Fast.

Airlie Beach regatta winner Graham Sherring’s Quantum Sails is another hot favourite for this years’ title and Heath Townsend from Dunsborough in Western Australia has been lured back once again, this time racing What Tha, a Melges 24 One Design. Another well-travelled Melges OD is Heath Walters’ Mako Melges from Sydney and Perth sports boat stalwart Steve Battley returns to Geelong for the fourth time.

Former Geelong Week sports boat champion Paul Heyes will crew for Greg Scherwinski on the T7 Ronstan/Ray White, a boat which is literally straight out of the moulds and racing for the first time. Another former winner at Geelong and former National sports boat champion is Julian Newton from Adelaide and his Elliot Espx Game Over and local skipper Cam Rae, well-used to racing on Corio Bay with his Bendigo Private crew, could also feature on the podium when the 8-race series is complete.

Interesting boats in the fleet this year include Top Gear from Tasmania. Royce Salter has completed a magnificent restoration of an insurance write-off which is attracting a lot of attention dockside, along with the distinctive red Bohica from South Australia. Most of the sports boats will follow the eye-catching and extremely quick Bethwaite 8 Vivace around the track. Noel Leigh-Smith and his crew are fresh from their success at the recent Sports Boat Sunday regatta in Brisbane and keen to win, the Australian Sports Boat Association National Championship title along with the famous 'Bundy Blue' Henri Lloyd jackets in Geelong.

Heath Walters’ Mako-Melges took first place on handicap in Race one, edging out John Lloyd’s T7 Salsa Lou with the Egan 6 Quantum Sails from Queensland third. Fourteen seconds separated fourth placed Bendigo Private from the Egan 6 and out of the placings the battle of the T7’s saw Ronstan/Ray White ahead of Bruce Hollis’ Zip and Steve Battley’s Road Warriors. Two Delphia Sport 24’s Splash 1 and 2 enjoyed a great one design battle with only seconds separating the first from the second.

Race two in a slightly lighter breeze saw John Lloyd and Salsa Lou at the top of the list in a lighter breeze with Heath Walters Mako Melges second. Hindered by some crew concerns in race one, Road Warriors sailed far better later in the afternoon to secure third.

A two way tie at the top of the series shows Salsa Lou and Mako-Melges at three points apiece with What Tha snapping at their heels. Three Thompsons locked together ten points away from the leaders will set the scene for another great day of Sports Boat action at Geelong tomorrow.

Carnage at Australian Etchells Championships

2009-01-19T03:49:00.000-08:00

With race 5 held today and the championships at a pivotal stage, a raft of spectator boats now follow the fleets every move.

A pumping sea breeze produced fabulous conditions in the Gulf St Vincent for competitors in the Commonwealth Bank 2009 Australian Etchells Championships, hosted by the Royal SA Yacht Squadron, after yesterday’s extreme heat. Today being the mid-series weigh-in, Bruce Henshall, official weigher said “All boats made weight, though I am a little disappointed with only 35kg being lost from the fleet total of 12,165kg.” Continuing, “They must have re-hydrated well after looking like ‘raisins’ coming off the boats yesterday; go the ‘Coopers Pale Ale!”

With race 5 held today and the championships at a pivotal stage, a raft of spectator boats now follow the fleets every move. Race 5 was held in a classic building sea breeze with lumpy seas of up to 2 metres with ‘a lot of sheep in the paddock’ – whitecaps, and starting breeze of 20knts.
The tide was ebbing with a change mid-race, the race committee set a 2Nm course at 220 degrees. After one general recall the fleet got away, four boats choosing to go out to sea with the fleet heading to the Largs Bay side of the course (left) which had fewer waves. After 10 minutes, a shift favoured the majority of the fleet. At the first mark Ian Johnson – Bananas in Pyjamas, led Alistair Gair – Velsheda (NZL) with Jeanne-Claude Strong – Yandoo XX third and John Bertrand - Triad in fifth, with very little separating the boats.With Etchells fitting into the waves from the Port quarter a sparkling surfing run ensued, with crews relishing the conditions, making huge gains on each wave caught; the battle of the surfers was on.
At the bottom Gair led with Johnson second and a pile of boats splitting both left and right. Bertrand, fifth chose the seaward side, then shortly after tacked onto the favoured left side.

The wind dropped slightly for the second beat, to 18knts and settled to 210 degrees, with the waves taking on more definition and lengthening to about 10m.

From the second turn at the top mark the boats surfed down focusing on getting the waves right.
Gair demonstrated superb technique and pulled out a lead of 1 minute 37 seconds at the second drop, with Johnson second and Bertrand third, again favouring seaward side drop.

With the sea breeze now fully pumping, the wind increased to over 20knts and tested all crews and damage to sails and boats started to take its toll.

The last beat turned into a ‘soldiers’ course with the fleet following Gair to the lay line.
At the gun, Gair led by over 90 seconds, then Johnson with Bertrand a close third to Mark Bradford – Roni and local Chris Pratt – La Vie Dansante.

Gair said “ we had a solid start and followed Skip Lissiman – Bandwagon, got a nice shift so came around the top mark in third, then we were surfing and really enjoying the conditions” continuing he said “this is fantastic just like the ‘Worlds’ in Perth” he said “we will continue plugging away, just fantastic.”

Bertrand commenting on the race, “pretty tough, strong wind, we were happy to get third, very good competition here.” He went on to say “Super to have Ben here, its dovetails nicely with him going to Louis Vuitton Pacific Cup,” when asked if they discussed the America’s cup whilst racing “at night we talk about the America’s Cup, we have reinvented it several times!...”

Jeanne-Claude Strong said, “So exciting, so fast, it’s always great to be so close to such good sailors, a fabulous series” her crew Neville Wittey commenting “you couldn’t get the smile off her face with a mallet!”.

The sea breeze took its toll on sails with repairs to nine boats including mainsail damage to Bertrand’s boat Triad. Avalon quickly retrieved a man overboard.

The series has three races to go and with the gradient breeze likely to support the sea breeze, more drama filled racing action to come.

Two protests have been received not affecting the top three.
Bertrand is on 16pts, Mark Bulka – Critical Balance with 22 and Gair with 23, with one race to drop, Bertrand is closing in, though one slip will be costly.

Sponsors have been quick to jump aboard, recognising the contribution sailing makes to the local community and keen to associate with a healthy outdoor sport. Sponsors include; The Commonwealth Bank, MUSTO, Club Marine Insurance, Coopers Brewery, Jacobs Creek Wines, Kaesler Wines and Aircommand Australia and the Royal SA Yacht Squadron.

Daily race updates and news including video clips will be posted on the website during the Championship, the website includes full details of the event, including Notice of Race (NOR) and a local guide Daily race updates and news including video clips will be posted on the website during the Championship, the website includes full details of the event, including Notice of Race (NOR) and a local guide www.09etchellsaustchamps.org.au

Yacht Basin construction continues

2008-12-26T03:39:00.000-08:00

By David Snow (Contact) | Demopolis Times
Published Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Demopolis Yacht Basin construction continues, as it will grow to 350 slips, becoming the largest marina on the Tombigbee River.

The project is still in its infancy, but when completed, the 350 slips will be more than four times the current number of 80 slips in the basin.

“Essentially, what we’re doing right now is digging a hole,” said Yacht Basin owner Fred Hansard. “The end product ends up with a marina site in it, but we’re still two years out before we get into it.”

Hansard said the preliminary cost of the construction was $6 million to $7 million for the total project.

“We wish we had done this a lot sooner, but you just have to get started when you can,” he said. “We started in 2002. By the time we get through, we will have moved 1.2 million yards of material to create this hole. We took out everything that we could take out by trackhoe, and now, we’re actually dredging it out. We’re taking it down to 16 feet, which is going to be nice.”

Hansard said the 350 slips would make this the largest marina on the waterway, challenged only by Iuka, Miss.

“The economic impact on this area would be tremendous,” he said. “Even when we start to build on it, though, we wouldn’t put 350 slips in right off. It would be a steady growth, but the full capacity would be 350 slips.

“One of the big markets that we’re looking at is the retirement community. There’s 78 million retirees — ‘Baby Boomers’ — that are fixing to retire over the next five years. I know at one time, they said that each retired person is the equivalent of a $400,000 to a $600,000 business because of the amount of money they bring into the area. Multiply that by 350, and that’s a pretty good chunk.”

Hansard said he would likely sell individual lots, although any other plans are “just on the drawing board” at this point.

“I’d like to look at a condo complex down the road, after we get this in,” he said. “In the next month, we’re fixing to open our third dry-storage yard. That’s a big business.”

Hansard said that the location of the yacht basin at Demopolis is significant.

“Hurricane season opened up a big avenue for us,” he said. “Anything above the 32-parallel (of latitude) is highly important., and we sit at the 32-31 (32 degrees, 31 minutes north latitude). So, we are just prime for all this. You get below the 32-parallel, you end up in what they call coastal waters, and insurance companies don’t like that during hurricane season.”

Because of the higher insurance rates on boats that are docked south of the 32n parallel, the Demopolis site is the marina located as far south as you can go without the higher insurance rates going into effect. For that reason, many people dock their boats here to avoid the higher rates. As the crappie swims, Demopolis is 230 miles from the Gulf coast, a boat trip of about two to three days.

The Demopolis Yacht Basin opened in 1985, and Hansard has been with it since 1986. The construction is certainly the most significant development since its opening, and can be equally significant to the businesses and economy of the City of Demopolis.

Benefit dinner planned for Diver Ed

2008-12-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

BAR HARBOR — When the M/V Seal was dashed against the shoreline of Bar Island in late November, the lives of owners Ed “Diver Ed” Monat and Edna Martin were tossed about like flotsam as well. Despite the storm’s ravaging effects, the couple’s spirits were buoyed by the community response when the time came for removing the remnants of their livelihood from the shoreline.

The support continues this Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Town Hill Community Hall when the West Eden Village Improvement Society (VIS) hosts a winter celebration and public supper with all of the donations being given to Diver Ed and Edna.

Richard Simis, whose wife, Lilea, is a member of the West Eden VIS, was available for comment. “Every month we put on a free public dinner and we have known Eddie and Edna for 20 years or so,” said Mr. Simis. “When we heard their boat sank we thought, ‘Why don’t we do a benefit for them?’ It seemed like the thing to do.”

Area establishments such as the Town Hill Country Store, Mother’s Kitchen, and others usually provide food items for the public supper, but the VIS is seeking other donors because they are “expecting a larger crowd than usual because it is for Eddie and Edna,” Mr. Simis said.

Many of the losses suffered from the devastating storm were not covered by the insurance on the boat. Mr. Monat had loaded the boat with supplies for a charter dive, a checkout dive for his students and all of his equipment for the Dive-In Theater. All of that gear was lost in the grounding.

“We lost about $50,000 worth of stuff that wasn’t covered,” Diver Ed said. “That was the hard part. We lost a lot of that stuff. We found our brand new camera smashed up. We had to have three of everything on the boat, backups for backups. That camera we hadn’t even used yet. We might have salvaged the cable out of it and that was the least expensive part of it, about a thousand bucks.”

The list of losses goes on from there. “It is hard even thinking about it. There was so much stuff that it is hard to even put a finger on it,” Mr. Monat said. “We had our whole shop down forward, the gear for students on board, we were trying to get all of that done before scallop season started. It is the time of year where we do a little bit of everything.”

In 2000, Mr. Monat established Diver Ed’s Dive-In Theater, a tour in which the customer stays high and dry on the deck of the Seal while Diver Ed peruses the ocean floor seeking out various critters to talk about. Sometimes he brought the creatures aboard for the visitors to experience them up close and personally. Education about the marine environment was the primary motivation.

The Seal was also used for commercial scallop diving and chartered dive tours. The League of Underwater Superheroes is a loosely formed dive club comprising of a group of zany characters who gather on a regular basis to dive and explore the waters surrounding Mount Desert Island with the Seal as their base of operations.

The Town Hill Winter Celebration begins at 4 p.m. A bonfire and caroling by the tree is also on the agenda for the evening. Tractor rides and a public supper are also planned.

The public supper is scheduled to go from 5 to 7 p.m. The Town Hill Community Hall is next to the fire station on Route 102 in Town Hill.

The community outpouring has not gone unnoticed by the couple. “It makes me feel like I have been having the impact on people that I have been meaning to have,” he said. “The whole purpose of what we are doing is to educate people and have a good time at the same time. Obviously, there are enough people in the community that feel like that is an important thing so it makes me feel good to think that I am doing a good job of that.”

The details of the future are unclear, but the one thing for sure – Diver Ed will keep on going: “The worst part is that I lost my boat. The best part is that everywhere I go everyone has been supportive right from when we had to clean up the mess to now. No matter what we do we are going to have a long haul ahead of us getting ready for spring.”

Case over for blast victims

2008-12-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

Karen Savini saw two homes destroyed in a chemical explosion at a factory in Danversport two years ago, costing her thousands of dollars and saddling her with several hundred thousand dollars in new mortgage debt.

But she expects to get only about 20 cents for every $1 she spent to rebuild her properties, as part of a $7 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit. The settlement fulfills terms of the nonprofit Danversport Trust set up by residents and business owners.

"There isn't a lot of money to go around," said Savini, whose homes are on Bates and Riverside streets. "A lot of people lost a lot of money with this. None of us will be getting very much."

Multiple lawsuits filed by insurance companies against CAI Inc. of Georgetown and Arnel Co. of Danvers, which jointly operated the factory, are also covered in the settlement. Residents formed the nonprofit Danversport Trust last year to work out a settlement. Separately, a class action lawsuit was filed by a boat owner in December 2006. Lawyers for each group decided last year to work together on a single settlement.

The $7 million represents the total amount of insurance the two companies carried on the factory, which exploded in a fireball Nov. 22, 2006. More than 100 homes, including 26 that had to be torn down and rebuilt, were damaged, along with businesses, boats, and personal property. People have until Nov. 30 to file claims for the settlement. About 200 to 300 claims could be received by the deadline, a lawyer for the residents said.

The settlement calls for $5.5 million to go to insurance companies that have already paid claims estimated at $25 million to residents, businesses, boat owners, and other victims. Since insurance companies are receiving about 20 cents on the dollar paid out, residents can expect to receive the same rate, a lawyer for residents said.

"There is really no explanation as to why they only had $7 million," said Peter A. Lagorio, one of three lawyers representing residents. "It's clear there is not a lot to go around."

Savini said residents, many of whom lived in hotels or apartments for more than a year, know there is limited insurance to go around. But that does not mean they are happy, she said.

"People are just not happy with how their lawyers handled things," she said. CAI and Arnel "lawyers were pretty tough."

W. Paul Needham, a lawyer for CAI and Arnel, said the settlement agreement was the safest financial route for the company. "It was settled for insurance coverage," he said. "It allowed them to move on with their business. It was hard to say 'no' to that."

Danish Warship Rescues Suspected Pirates

2008-12-07T03:57:00.000-08:00

A Danish warship rescued a group of suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday after receivnig a distress signal from the ship, which was floundering in heavy seas, the Danish Navy said.
The Naval Operational Command said the Absalon was bound by international law to help the men and that Danish sailors had uncovered a number of weapons onboard the vessel similar to those often used in pirate attacks on merchant ships.

"Due to the weather, it was not possible to take the troubled ship in tow and it was destroyed in the interest of shipping safety," the Navy said in a statement.

The men were later handed over to authorities in Yemen.

A surge in piracy this year in waters off Somalia has pushed up insurance costs, brought pirate gangs tens of millions of dollars in ransoms and prompted foreign navies to rush to the area to protect merchant shipping.

Pirates are holding about a dozen ships and nearly 300 crew. Among the captured vessels is Ukraine's MV Faina and a Saudi tanker loaded with $100 million of oil.

More than 2 months after Ike, oysters take shellacking

2008-12-01T03:02:00.000-08:00

At least 60 percent of the crop in Galveston Bay is destroyed, and it will take years and a lot of cash to make things right again
By CINDY HORSWELL
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

When fishermen drag the bottom of Galveston Bay, they are harvesting more than oysters these days. They may snag lumber, a water heater or possibly a television.

Yet even when the fishermen manage to avoid the junk, they're not scooping up the mountains of fresh oysters they are accustomed to seeing.

State authorities estimate at least 60 percent of the oyster crop has been killed. They blame Hurricane Ike's surge on Sept. 13 for burying critical shell reefs where oysters have grown for centuries.

"More and more oysters are dying every day," said Ben Nelson, who at age 70 has operated a large oyster house in Smith Point in southern Chambers County for more than three decades.

Damage to this bay, he said, also will be felt at the dinner table. That's because Galveston Bay usually produces 80 percent of the oysters harvested in Texas, or 3 million pounds worth about $10 million.

In fact, Texas and Louisiana supply 60 percent of the oysters nationwide that customers, especially on the East Coast, pry open and fry or eat raw on the half shell.

Ike's damage was much worse than the destruction caused by Hurricane Alicia in 1983, "or any other hurricane that I've seen," Nelson said.

Lisa Halili, owner of another large oyster house in San Leon south of Kemah in Galveston County, agreed.

"When oysters stay buried so long, they will die. Our oyster production is down 70 to 80 percent from what we used to get. We need to get the debris and silt off these reefs."

At the same time, she and others in her industry are trying to rebuild after suffering catastrophic damage to their boats, docks and buildings.

Ike was by far the worst storm on record for the oyster industry in Galveston Bay, said Lance Robinson, Texas Parks and Wildlife's regional director for coastal fisheries.

Based on a survey of the oyster reefs, this year's crop should be much smaller, Robinson said.

Sediment problem
After oysters spawn, the larvae must cement to a hard surface before they can metamorphose into an oyster. The reefs made from stacks of old oyster shells would normally provide the perfect breeding ground — except that sonar showed the reefs were covered with soft sediment.

"We know some other reefs that were silted over 30 years ago, and they have still not come back in all this time. So it's unlikely these newly damaged reefs will come back without intervention," Robinson said.

Two methods could be used to do it: Pay fishermen to use their commercial oyster boats to rake across the reefs and pull shells out of the sediment to the surface, or use barges to dump new material such as crushed concrete or oyster shells onto the reefs. This also would provide the hard surface needed for them to reproduce.

But whatever is done will require money the state doesn't have.

"For instance, to cover the major reefs (about 8,000 acres) with 6 inches of new material would cost about $320 million. And that does not count the repair of 11,000 additional acres of small oyster clumps, Robinson said.

Besides the sediment problem, the state is looking for money to remove the other junk that now litters the bottom of the bay. For instance, the state has identified 301 boats that sank in the bay. The boats range in size from 16-foot pleasure crafts to giant barges.

Greg Polluck, a deputy commissioner with the Texas General Land Office, estimates that removing the boats alone will cost $20 million. Then another $368 million will be needed to extract debris from thousands of homes that washed into the bay, he said.

"We are talking to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and will be going to the Texas Legislature about this in January," he said.

FEMA funds
The state must pay for the work and then submit its bills to FEMA for reimbursement of 75 percent of the costs.

FEMA spokesman Simon Chabel said debris removal generally would be covered, but reef restoration is "not a frequently reimbursed expense."

Lisa Halili, the owner of Prestige Oysters, said her marina is blocked from sunken boats, and even when a boat can reach the reefs, there is no telling what will be found there.

"One fishing area is covered with all kinds of debris and sand, and another with grass and mud," she said.

The recovery could take years. Even after the reefs have been cleared, it will take at least two years for an oyster to grow to marketable size, which is 3 inches in diameter, authorities said.

Not only will consumers lose a valuable food source if the oyster reefs aren't restored, but the ecology of the bay will be hurt, Robinson said. "Oysters are filter feeders and critical for improving water quality. Even their reefs serve as important breakwaters to protect from erosion," he said.

Season 4 weeks late
Fishermen have seen the destruction to the private oyster reefs since the storm, but did not get a look at the public reefs until Wednesday.

Oyster season, which usually starts Nov. 1 and runs through April, began four weeks late. The state needed time to fix 62 markers knocked down by Ike that identify approved fishing areas.

But W.F. Childress, who has operated an oyster business near Smith Point for 30 years, won't be putting the few boats he has left back in the water again. He is quitting the business.

"Been looking for that bad storm for years, but had always lucked out before this," he said. He pointed to one boat, Miss Tammy, that the storm lifted from the water and then crashed onto pilings that pierced it like a marshmallow on a stick.

"I had tried to get storm and flood insurance but it cost more than my business was worth," he said.

Yet others, such as Nelson and Halili, are not ready to give up.

"The strong will survive," Nelson said.

At the same time, Halili is being forced to operate from a competitor's oyster house until hers is rebuilt.

"It will be a long road back. It could be like this for God knows how long — unless we get some funding," she said.

Case over for blast victims

2008-11-28T04:50:00.000-08:00

World's Saddest Web Page

2008-11-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Ever wanted to buy a 25-foot sailboat? Got $200 on you?
It could be yours. Just head to the world's saddest web page, where a company called U.S. Auctions is getting rid of Ike-damaged boats.

Click on a boat, then click through to the auction page, and you'll find boats worth six or seven figures going for three figures.

For $102 (at the moment), you could get a 1967 23-foot sloop. It is, of course, "as is."

Very:

Boat does not appear to have been submerged. No holes in hull. Bottom of vessel is in good condition. Fiberglass damage hull/deck joint around entire boat. Rub rail is missing. Tiller and rudder are in good condition. Doors are missing on cuddy cabin. There are scratches to gel coat 360 degrees around hull and in poor condition. Mast and sails are missing. Four winches onboard. The Pearson 23 is a day sailor with small cuddy cabin forward. Large cockpit with seating for 6 people. No batteries. No electronics. Forward cabin, no cushions. No head. Mast is broken off at deck level and missing. Boom is good. No sails. No engine. No trailer included.
As the economy keeps heading south, we remember the old joke about a boat being "a hole in the water into which you pour tons of money," and we can't help thinking there are some former boat owners, paid off by their insurance companies, who aren't exactly cursing Hurricane Ike.

Haul For Scalloper Bruce Gibbs

2008-11-01T02:45:00.000-07:00

CHATHAM — By his own account, scallop fisherman Bruce Gibbs has spent more than three decades playing by the rules, fishing legally and sustainably when not all of his colleagues did. Now, those rules are likely to put an end to his fishing days, leaving the 67-year-old man without a boat, a house or a livelihood.

Under a recently adopted rule designed to weed out inactive fishing permits, federal regulators decided to issue general category licenses only to fishermen who held a permit on Nov. 1, 2004, and who had landed at least 1,000 pounds of scallops in any year between 2000 and 2004. Though Gibbs didn’t have a license on that control date, he was working in the fishery on a leased boat and landed more than 20,000 pounds of scallops.

Gibbs is currently making his third appeal to federal fisheries regulators, and everyone from local harbormasters to Washington lawmakers have sent letters supporting his bid. But with his personal finances in shambles, Gibbs said he can’t go on any longer.

“I’m done,” he said, heaving fishing gear into the back of his truck. Gibbs is getting rid of his gear and has put his boat, the Atlantic Queen, on the market.

Gibbs’ story is compelling and unusual, but he’s not alone. Hundreds of other small-boat fishermen from Maine to the Mid-Atlantic have been shut out by the new scallop rules

Proud heritage

Gibbs’ colorful past includes a stint working with his father as a fur trapper; his father, Stan, was an avid angler and went on to invent the famous Gibbs Lures, which are still in production today. His son first fished commercially for scallops in 1976 aboard the Golden Arrow, out of Wychmere Harbor; his other boats included the Gipper, the Big Red and the Gipper II.

Though the industry was virtually unregulated when Gibbs first went scalloping, declines in shellfish landings prompted more regulations. In the mid ‘80s, the New England Fishery Management Council put in place rules to curb landings, and before long there was a thriving black market in undersized scallops. In 1988, Gibbs helped lead a campaign to bring the problem to the attention of council members.

Even at that stage, there was a clear competition between large boats from New Bedford and other large ports, and the inshore fleet from places like Chatham and Harwich, Gibbs said. Gibbs said the skipper of one big scallop dragger once bragged that he had been fishing in Canadian waters 10 miles over the Hague Line, and when they were confronted by an approaching patrol boat, he had ordered his crew to sabotage some of the fishing gear so they could claim they were just passing through, headed for port. By the late ‘80s, Gibbs was openly arguing for increased conservation measures.

Working 110 to 120 hours per week, Gibbs designed and outfitted his boats, doing most of the engine work and other repairs. By 1988, he was running two boats: one in Fairhaven and one in Saquatucket Harbor. He had fished up and down the East Coast, visiting various ports between Maine and the Carolinas.

The collapse

It was in 1990 that the sea scallop fishery collapsed, and Gibbs lost almost everything. He was forced to sell both fishing boats and declare bankruptcy. During the years that followed, Gibbs was officially out of the fishery.

“I was trying to fight for myself, trying to pay my bills,” he said. His plan was to pay off his debts and rebuild his finances, eventually buying another boat and getting back into the scallop fishery. He made a living clamming and quahogging, and in early 2004 he had an arrangement to lease and ultimately buy a tuna boat, re-rigging it for the scallop fishery. Though he had landed 55 full trips before the control date, the boat and the license were not his, and the sale fell through.

At the time, fishermen didn’t know the significance of that Nov. 1, 2004 control date. Gibbs went on to eventually purchase his current boat, the 51-foot steel-hulled Atlantic Queen. As he did with his other boats, Gibbs completely re-rigged the Atlantic Queen, fabricating much of the gear and welding it in place. It’s a good boat, easily able to handle the weather on the far reaches of Georges Bank, he said.

Regulators put in place limited access permits for larger boats, and inshore boats with lower landings histories received general access permits with a catch limit of 400 pounds of scallops per day. Then the issue became clearer: how to divide up the allowable catch of scallops each year.

Dividing the pie

“The big boats didn’t want to divide the pie up,” Gibbs said. Several years ago, general permit holders began to organize to try and reserve their share of the catch, and Gibbs organized a meeting of around 25 local scallopers at his house. Gibbs was named president of the group, and began attending more and more fisheries council meetings.

“I spoke at those meetings, more than anybody there, just to tell them, this is wrong,” he said. Some of the limited access permit holders argued that the small boats should be limited to 2 percent of the catch, Gibbs said. “They argued that for years. The big boats pushed it.” Eventually, advocates for small boats had the number increased to 5 percent. Gibbs and others argued that the number was still far too low, but to no avail.

Between 600 and 700 small boats found themselves vying for their share of the 5 percent, and slices of the pie became so small that license holders couldn’t make a go of it, Gibbs said. With revenues way down, “they can’t even pay for their dockage, hardly,” he said. So the decision was made to reduce the number of people in the fishery by cracking down on “latent permits,” ones that are not being used but are held by fishermen as an investment or an insurance policy.

To that end, regulators ruled that, unless a fisherman had a valid permit on the control date and had met landings requirements, he or she couldn’t receive a new permit. Under this rule, Gibbs clearly does not meet the requirements for a permit, and so is closed out of the fishery.

Unlike bay scallops, sea scallops are experiencing a strong stock recovery. Various stock assessments and landings reports seem to confirm that there are plenty of sea scallops to be had, Gibbs said.

“It’s not about the resource,” he said of the fishing regulations. “All of this is totally unnecessary. It’s all greed-driven.”

Bob Keese, who runs the scalloper Beggar’s Banquet out of Chatham, said he’s known and respected Gibbs for years. “But Bruce is not alone. There aren’t too many people who are going to be left when this is all said and done,” Keese said. Keese is a member of the fishery council’s scallop advisory panel, and he said he’s fought from the start for a bigger share of the pie for small boats.

“It was very blatantly big business rolling over small business,” he said. At council meetings, a couple of small-time fishermen would be speaking against a panel of four or five highly-paid lawyers and lobbyists representing the big boats, “and they’re really good at what they do,” Keese said.

Keese’s own brother, Andy, was also shut out by the new rules. Andy Keese scallops with Alane, his wife, aboard the Miss Rockville out of Chatham. The two bought their boat just before the control date, and were still outfitting the boat when the control date passed. Because they weren’t fishing, they were shut out.

Appeals pending

In July, Gibbs filed an appeal to Patricia Kurkul, the regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Chatham Harbormaster Stuart Smith wrote in support of the appeal. Saying Gibbs has “consistently complied with the changing scallop industry” and served the community in various fishing-related organizations, Smith suggested that regulators “grandfather” Gibbs, giving his history in the fishery. It seems unfair, Smith noted, that Gibbs would be excluded from making a livelihood because of circumstances beyond his control.

Harwich Harbormaster Tom Leach also supported the appeal, saying the scallop fishery has been Gibbs’ sole source of income for more than 30 years.

“To see the proverbial ‘rug pulled out from under him’ at this point, being literally blindsided through no fault of his own, seems totally unfair, cruel and unusual punishment,” Leach wrote.

A letter jointly signed by Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator John Kerry echoed those sentiments.

“Given the uniqueness of this case and his long history as a scallop fisherman, we urge you to give his request for appeal the highest consideration,” they wrote. Congressman William Delahunt penned a similar letter.

Gibbs said after his first appeal was denied, he requested a hearing. Instead, he was granted a brief telephone interview.

“That’s not having your day in court,” he said. That request was also denied, and his third and final appeal is still pending, Gibbs said. Shortly after regulators granted his request for a temporary authorization to fish while waiting for word on his appeal, catch limits were met and the fishery was closed. “And guess what? All my bills are due, and I can’t pay them,” he said. Gibbs said he owes a large amount of money on his boat, and has outstanding bills for insurance, fuel and gear. Earlier this month, the town of Harwich notified Gibbs that, if he doesn’t pay his $1,948 dockage fee for the current year, along with a deposit for next year’s fee, the Atlantic Queen will need to be removed from its slip.

Paul Parker of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association said Gibbs is an institution among local fishermen. Over the years, the association has consistently opposed the use of individual fishing quotas, which carve up the resource into shares that can be bought and sold. When permits take on monetary value, “these are the social costs. Great, great people with lifelong careers and dedication to an industry being set aside,” Parker said.

Parker is helping establish the Cape Cod Fisheries Trust, a nonprofit group which aims to buy up fishing permits and lease them out to small boat fishermen struggling to survive. At a certain point, Parker said, it became clear that the quota system was here to stay, and steps needed to be taken to help fishermen to stay in the industry. “This is exactly the type of situation that the fisheries trust is trying to remedy,” Parker said. Three local scallop fishermen have already received permit assistance from the trust, he said, but even those who have permits of their own will almost certainly need to buy additional permits to allow them to land enough scallops to make a living. Parker says he doesn’t know of a single scalloper who can make a living on the landings allowed in his initial permit allocation. It’s not unlike the plight of groundfishermen, who’ve had to invest tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in permits just to remain viable.

Any fisherman on Cape Cod can apply for help from the trust, but some think their energy is better spent fighting the quota system, Parker said. He said he admires Gibbs for fighting a tough fight.

Walking through his yard, Gibbs shows off his collection of antique farm equipment, part of an outdoor collection that includes scallop dredges, fishing gear and other curiosities. He said he has placed his boat on the market, but is not optimistic it will yield anything close to its real value, since it is rigged for a fishery that is so tightly controlled. Like most fishermen, Gibbs has a variety of marketable skills, but after so many years at sea, he doesn’t think he’d be good working on land. He also wouldn’t be happy running a boat for another fisherman.

“I’m not a very good employee,” he quipped.

Dream boats for well-heeled only

2008-10-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Kevin Cowherd
October 13, 2008

This is how bad the economy's going: Even the sweater-tied-around-the-neck crowd is hurting.

I found this out when I took in the big United States Sailboat Show this past weekend at Annapolis' City Dock.

On the surface, everything looked fine. The weather was perfect. The place was packed. Some 400 shiny boats were on display. Over 500 exhibitors enthusiastically hawked their wares - one guy was so good I almost bought boat insurance off him, and I don't even own a boat.

But everywhere you went, there was worried chatter on the same topic: the Dow dropping like a car pushed off a cliff.

"Of course it's had an effect on sales," said Dan Nardo, a broker for 24 years with Annapolis Yacht Sales. "If I ask if this downturn has affected your thoughts about buying a boat, nine out of 10 people will say yes.

"But people are still excited," he continued. "There aren't as many people buying. But they're still looking and thinking about their dream boat."

I met Nardo on a gleaming 54-foot Beneteau, one of the pricier boats at $650,000, with teak decks, three staterooms, 42-inch flat-screen TV, all the bells and whistles.

Here's something I learned about boat shows: You have to take off your shoes when you climb aboard these expensive boats.

Apparently, the people selling them don't want you clomping around on their nice new boats and leaving scuff marks all over the place.

So you leave your shoes right there on the dock, which feels kind of strange. And you don't have to worry about anyone stealing your shoes. Believe me, this was not the sort of crowd that steals shoes.

In fact, a lot of these people were wearing shoes that looked like they cost more than my TV.

So if anyone was going to be stealing shoes, it was probably going to be me. But this Beneteau 54-footer quickly became my dream boat, if a guy working in a dying industry can actually dream of owning a boat.

"Three years ago, if you had a pulse, you had a boat loan," Nardo said. I have a pulse, I thought.

"But that's not the case anymore," he continued. "Now you have to have a down payment, income verification and all that stuff." Oh. Well, so much for the dream.

After talking to Nardo, I went to look at an even pricier boat, a 70-foot Hinckley Sou'wester sloop named Misconduct that was selling for $3.5 million. The navigation system looked like something off an aircraft carrier. It had custom-crafted china and glass storage lockers. The owners cabin had a full entertainment system, en suite head and shower.

It made the Beneteau look like a rowboat.

"I take it people looking to buy a boat like this are not the sort of people who worry about downturns in the financial markets," I said to Peter Howard, the Hinckley sales director.

"That's a safe statement," he said.

In fact, people who can afford a boat like Misfortune are the sort of people who, if you mention that the $700 billion bailout doesn't seem to be working, will give you this blank look and say: "Is there something going on with the economy?"

Oh, sure, gas and food prices might be killing you. Your 401(k) might be getting shredded, and you might wonder if you'll be warming your hands over a trash barrel fire this winter.

SAVE GAS: GO TO MAINE BY MYSTERY

2008-09-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

LINDA GREENLAW has steered her successful career as a lobster boat captain in Maine's coastal waters into an equally successful second career as a best-selling author. Readers will devour her new novel, "Fisherman's Bend," a fast-paced murder mystery laced with realistic references to fishing and sailing that enhance the story.

Greenlaw expertly blends her vast knowledge of the sea with a masterful ability to write both fiction and nonfiction. She continues to reel in readers, some of whom may have enjoyed her earlier successes, which include "The Hungry Ocean" and "The Lobster Chronicles," well-deserved best-sellers.

"Fisherman's Bend" reprises some of the characters introduced in Greenlaw's first fiction novel, "Slipknot."

Jane Bunker, a Florida transplant now living in the small coastal town of Green Haven, Maine, has jumped ship on her career as a Miami homicide detective to work as a marine insurance investigator. Jane has also agreed to serve as Green Haven's deputy sheriff, making the most of her apparently magnetic attraction to criminal activity. Keeping an eye on Jane is Cal, a taciturn 70-year-old fisherman, who knows she can get herself into a jam. Green Haven's sassy cafe owner, Audrey, dishes while she dishes. Jane's watchful landlords, the Vickersons, are consistently quirky as they experiment with mussels at every meal. New characters are many, each one a believable suspect in the emerging murder mystery.

The story begins with Jane's assignment by the insurance company to investigate a vandalized research boat. She finds it curious that only the undersea archaeological equipment has been damaged.

Although she'd like to explore the topic with the attractive captain, she's referred to an expert scientist with nervous tics. As she and Cal cross the harbor on their return, they discover an abandoned fishing boat carving circular patterns in the water as it motors without its captain. Jane begins another investigation, this time as deputy sheriff. When she becomes a target for violence, she knows she's on the right track. Jane's investigative abilities will be challenged to determine whether Green Haven's recent crimes are related and who is trying to stop her.

Greenlaw's descriptions of coastal Maine will resonate with readers familiar with that region. For those who have read all of Greenlaw's books, the only negative aspect to finishing "Fisherman's Bend" is that we have to wait for her next one. Let's hope it comes soon.

Diane Makovsky is a freelance reviewer in Spotsylvania County.

Grim scenes greet rescuers in hardest-hit areas

2008-09-16T05:42:00.001-07:00

By JON GAMBRELL – 9 hours ago

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — Entire subdivisions obliterated. Oil and chemical slicks in the surf where vacationers once frolicked. Longhorn cattle roaming desolate streets. But, most stunning of all, no more deaths.

Grim scenes greeted rescuers Monday as they penetrated the areas hardest-hit by Hurricane Ike, two days after it thrashed the Texas Gulf Coast and left thousands homeless.

The Bolivar Peninsula and the west end of Galveston Island saw some of the heaviest damage from the storm and took the longest to reach as flooded roads, high winds and washed-out bridges blocked search-and-rescue teams. But when help finally arrived to the last unexplored, Ike-ravaged area, there were few people around; they had either gotten out ahead of the storm or escaped afterward.

What remained of the peninsula, a vibrant beach resort of 30,000 residents during the peak season, was a 27-mile wasteland. Ike's storm surge rolled over the skinny spit of land separating the Gulf of Mexico from Galveston Bay and swept away everything in its path.

The water's retreat Monday revealed an apocalyptic scene.

From the air, all that was left on streets once lined with houses were twisted black stilts reaching up from the sandy soil. In other places, concrete slabs were wiped clean by the surge.

Even the helicopters ferrying out survivors had difficulty finding somewhere to land amid the debris.

Rescuers who did make it to the peninsula town of Gilchrist visited the few houses left standing to check for survivors and came back describing a scene of total destruction.

"They had a lot of devastation over there," said Chuck Jones, who led a task force that landed on the peninsula east of Galveston. "It took a direct hit."

One man who collects exotic animals was holed up in a Baptist church with his pet lion.

"We're not going in there," Jones said. "We know where he (the lion) is on the food chain."

As of Monday, no deaths had been reported on the Bolivar Peninsula, which was remarkable given the scope of the destruction. Four deaths were reported in Galveston.

Mary Maxymillian rode out the storm with seven friends in a brick house on High Island, a bit of elevated land in the middle of the peninsula that stayed high and dry. She wants to stay, but the group was running low on fuel for the generators after siphoning some from a boat to keep them going.

"The general consensus is we want relief, we want help," Maxymillian said. "I want to stay, and at the same time I'm scared."

But she worries that if she leaves now, officials won't let her come back for months.

That's exactly the message authorities were giving residents of Galveston.

"Galveston can no longer safely accommodate its population," said city manager Steve LeBlanc, who predicted it would take "days, weeks and months" to get the island cleaned up.

When authorities finally reached the island's hard-hit west end, it was a ghost town. About 20 cattle roamed the abandoned streets, sunning themselves in front of an empty, storm-battered hotel called Escapes!

Gone were the normal beachtown noises of tourists and traffic. The silence was broken only by the rustling of the wind, the cry of gulls and the occasional thump of helicopter rotors. The air was filled with the smell of smoldering wood from fires that have burned since the hurricane.

In one neighborhood called Spanish Grant Beachside, one- and two-story houses erected on cement pilings with garages beneath were pounded to rubble by waves and wind.

Other homes survived with only a few shingles lost.

Deputy City Manager Brandon Wade was one of those whose westend home made it through the storm relatively unscathed. Many of his neighbors were not so fortunate.

"It will take years for the island to totally recover from this," Wade said.

All that was left of one house was a single room balancing precariously on a piling with an air conditioning unit still hanging in its wall mount. Another house was ripped from its pilings, and dumped near the main intersection of Spanish Grant Beachside. A kitchen wall was torn away, and plates and bowls still sat neatly stacked in a cabinet.

Galveston officials said Monday they had examined 90 percent of the homes in the city of 57,000 in their search for survivors. They still had no estimate on the total number of homes damaged or destroyed.

The city's waterfront, normally dotted with tourists at this time of year, was transformed into mountains of splintered wood and other debris deposited there by the storm-churned gulf. Officials warned people to stay off the beaches and out of the water after spotting what appeared to be floating oil or chemical slicks offshore.

Up the coast, other residents came home to their own scenes of despair.

Lori Cooper, who rode the storm with her 16- and 8-year-old sons at a relative's house, returned Monday to find that Ike's surge had swept through the house, washing away many of the family's belongings and depositing the pool table in the backyard.

They had no flood insurance because their home on the outskirts of Bridge City supposedly wasn't in a flood zone.

Although the water had receded, the floors, walls and furniture were coated with a foul mixture of mud and refinery oil.

She made the grim return without her sons.

"I didn't want them to see this," said Cooper, 36. "I'm homeless. I have nothing."

Commanche Raider makes a comeback

2008-09-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

Commanche Raider, an old Admiral's Cup racer from the IOR periods of the 1980s, was severely damaged following the adverse weather conditions encountered during last year's Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Skipper Jonas Diamantino decided that a new yacht was necessary for the upcoming Middle Sea Race and is now the proud owner of an ILC 40, rechristened by Diamantino as Commanche Raider II and, once again, sponsored by GasanMamo Insurance.

The boat, previously the Pinta, was designed and built in 1997 and owned by Pedro Campos, the Spanish Olympic sailing champion.

Pinta enjoyed great success along the years, clinching many top prizes in the European sailing circuit.

In 2005, Pinta was sold to a Spanish consortium, only to be bought by Diamantino last April. The boat is an ILC 40, the predecessor of the Farr 40 - one of today's hottest and competitively-raced classes around the world.

Last year, Commanche Raider was the third and final Maltese boat to complete the 697-nautical mile course. It was Diamantino's sixth Middle Sea Race.

"It was a one-time experience," Diamantino recalled. "There were moments when I feared for the lives of the crew, the boat and, of course, myself.

"While the winds were expected to be strong, the northeasterly that hit us on Saturday night was far stronger than forecast.

"I love racing but I wouldn't want to be in those conditions on a regular basis or intentionally. There were some situations that really put the fear of God into the sailors who are not usually easily knocked off their stride.

"I'd never seen conditions like those. The swell was immense and when the squall came through, the sea went completely white around us, completely white.

"Then the hail hit us first and then the wind visibility would go from several miles to less than 50 metres in seconds... terrifying."

"At one point, the fore-hatch blew off its hinges. In atrocious conditions, the hatch was secured back in place. Not before a few hundred litres of water had been taken on though," he continued.

For Diamantino, the Rolex Middle Sea Race is a challenge.

"Preparing the boat, selecting the crew and embarking on a 697-nautical mile voyage are all part of the fun," he said.

Whatever the result, he believes he is a winner just by completing the course.

Scrap crooks become the new pirates

2008-08-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

Commodity crooks are turning their attention to the sea, with boat owners suffering a spate of thefts aimed at stripping their vessels of valuable metals.

Bronze propellers, lead keels and copper cladding on hulls have all been stolen as higher scrap metal prices bring increased rewards for crooks.
The problem mirrors a surge in metal theft on dry land, as Financial Mail reported last month. Lead from church roofs, copper phone wires and even garden furniture are being stolen for their scrap value.

Crooks are also targeting valuable platinum in the catalytic converters in car exhausts, hacking them from parked vehicles.

Simon Tonks, development manager for specialist marine insurer Navigators & General, says: 'We've seen a huge rise in the number of claims for metal theft in the past year.

'Propellers, plaques, copper sheathing and even ship's bells have been stolen.

'In the past fortnight we've heard about two classic racing yachts that had their lead keels unbolted and taken.'

Natasha and Neil Grant suffered at the hands of metal thieves last month when the propeller was stolen from their Glastron speedboat. The boat was parked on its trailer in the couple's front garden in Brixham, Devon.

Natasha, 36, says: 'It was fine on the Saturday night, but when we hooked it up to the car on the Sunday morning to take it out I noticed that something wasn't right and realised that the propeller had disappeared.'

She and Neil, 46, a long-distance lorry driver, use the boat for fishing and water-skiing. Natasha, who prepares fish at Brixham's fish market, says: 'We try to get out in the boat most weekends, but since the theft we've been stuck ashore.

'Some of the fishermen at the harbour have also had problems, with people in diving gear going underneath the boats to take the propeller.'

Sometimes these thefts are not covered by insurance, with policies limiting cover only to forced theft from the interior of a boat. The advice is always to check before you buy insurance.

Richard Langford, managing director of specialist insurance broker Noble Marine, says: 'People are still very price-focused and looking for cheap cover. They don't read the policy wording and expect everything to be covered and it is not.'

The Grants' insurance with Navigators & General does cover the £430 cost of a replacement propeller. Meanwhile, the couple have moved the boat into their garage.

Dearer fuel has also seen crooks stealing marine diesel from boats. Narrowboats moored on isolated canal banks are particularly vulnerable. There are fears that fuel theft will rocket when a tax rise doubles the price of marine diesel in October (see below).

But unlike the theft of home heating oil, which is covered under home insurance, the loss of marine fuel may not be insured.

Tonks says: 'Fuel is deemed a "consumable store" so it is not always covered under pleasure-craft insurance policies.' Boat owners face other risks too.

Langford says: 'Theft of accessories and equipment continues to be a problem. Outboard engines are being stolen in big numbers, with dozens of thefts reported each month.' A new 60 horsepower engine from a reputable manufacturer such as Yamaha costs more than £5,500, making outboards a tempting target.

Langford recommends that owners post details of thefts on sites such as stolenboats.org.uk. This means there is a public record of the theft and gives anyone offered an engine second-hand the chance to check they are not buying stolen property.

Boating on a budget

2008-08-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

For Dean Rubin, there's nothing better than taking off on a pleasure cruise from Beverly Harbor on a boat he doesn't own.

"You go down, and the boat is waiting for you," Rubin said. "You enjoy the harbor, come back, get your stuff, and walk away. There are no hassles at the dock. You just get out of the boat and go home."

He and his wife, Tracy, of Beverly, are part of a new trend: Membership clubs that let people get out on the water without the expense and responsibilities of boat ownership.

Mike Saunders brought the trend to Massachusetts in 2005 when he opened a Freedom Boat Club franchise at Marina Bay in Quincy. He now owns similar franchises in Plymouth and Beverly, and there also are locations in Newburyport, West Dennis, Falmouth, and Rhode Island. The Navigator Club in Charlestown, owned by Edward Mancini, offers similar memberships.

Saunders compares it with a country club membership. Just as golf club members call to reserve tee times, boat club members call to request any of the seven boats the club keeps on the Beverly dock. The boats include bow riders, cruisers, fish ing boats, and a sailboat.

The Navigator Club at Constitution Marina in Charlestown is the newest among the on-demand boating clubs, opening this year.

"I was in boat sales and yacht brokering, and saw that a lot of people just didn't have the time to maintain a boat or to deal with some of the traditional boat ownership tasks," said Mancini, who considered opening in Newburyport, where he once docked his boat, before deciding on his current location. "I didn't want to be a franchise guy, and felt I could do a better job. I also have a passion for water, so if I can show prospective members that, it brings new people into boating."

Membership in the clubs provides the same privileges that come with docking a boat at the marina - which can include use of clubhouses, pools, restaurants, or whatever other facilities are available at the marina.

There are different fee structures, including a onetime joining fee of $4,500 for a weekday membership and $5,900 for a seven-day membership, plus fees that come to $2,500/$3,500 annually for the Freedom Boat Clubs in Beverly, Quincy, and Plymouth. Navigator Club fees run from $5,595 for a weekday membership to $7,495 for a seven-day membership.

That's less than the cost of boat ownership, which beyond the purchase price can include insurance, slip rental, harbor fees, maintenance, and winter storage.

"It costs substantially less" than boat ownership on average, "less than half," Saunders said. "Many of our members are previous boat owners who choose this because it's a no-hassle alternative. They don't have to worry about maintaining the boat."

Both clubs offer training programs, but the majority of members are people with some experience on the water.

"I just make a reservation, come here, and jump in the boat," said Joe Sharron of Windham, N.H., a Navigator Club member who used to dock his boat in Newburyport. "It's clean, the facilities are clean, I don't have to worry about maintenance. Somebody else does all that. I just go out, come back, park the boat, and I'm done. It's a great concept."

Donna Wadden of Andover decided to take up boating to celebrate her fifth cancer-free year, but found that the $10,000 she'd set aside "doesn't buy much boat . . . maybe a rowboat." Through word of mouth, she found the Freedom club's Beverly location, and has been a member for nearly three years.

"It's like my dream is back in my hands again," she said. "And in the fall, when my friends complain to me about taking their boats out of the water and putting them into storage, I can say, 'Not me. My crew is putting my boat away.' "

For the Rubins, who formerly owned Yamaha Waverunner jet skis and a Hobie Cat sailboat, the club has allowed them to get back onto the water, which the first-time power boaters hadn't done since moving to Beverly 13 years ago.

"To be near the water and not on it is a crying shame," Rubin said. "We finally said, 'Enough is enough; let's get into it.' "

Hot Bay Area Olympians: Scott Gault

2008-08-18T04:11:00.000-07:00

Surely you're familiar with the Oakland Strokes. No? You might want to be. It's a great name, for one. For two, rowers will give you some of the most provocative crotch shot pictures of any sport. Oakland Strokes alum and Piedmont High grad Scott Gault competes in a form of rowing known as the Men's Quad Sculls, where four guys pile on a boat and go at it in unison.

The U.S. Men's Quad Sculls rowing team advanced to the finals this morning, rowing 2,000 meters in just under 5 minutes 53 seconds. They'll row at a chance for the gold medal tomorrow. At that point, Scott's 2008 olympics is finished and he'll come back to Piedmont, where he'll resume his life as a dashing pilot and aviation insurance salesman. Something tells us that this guy gets more action than, say, bloggers.

S. Korean Vessel Likely to Get Compensated for Collision

2008-08-12T04:54:00.001-07:00

A South Korean vessel that collided with a North Korea fishing boat earlier on Tuesday in the East Sea will likely receive compensation in accordance with related international insurance regulations.

The South Korean vessel was confirmed to have been insured for 850-million won with the Korea Shipping Association and Dongbu Insurance.

However, the insurance payments will take some time given that a third party, instead of the insurers, will investigate and interview the fishermen and crew of the two vessels to determine accountability for the collision.

The 658-ton Dongi-1 collided with a small North Korean fishing boat at 2:35 a.m. some eight kilometers off the coast of the North’s Jangjeon port.

In the accident, two North Korean fishermen went missing and two others were rescued by the South Korean ship.

Mitigation fund helps fishermen navigate limits to their catch

2008-08-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

GLOUCESTER - Some fishermen are bitter about making a deal with gas companies. Others said they had no choice. All said they'd rather not have to take the $12.6 million from the two liquefied natural gas companies that are planning terminals off the North Shore coast.

But if you head down to the docks along Gloucester Harbor and speak with fishermen, they'll also tell you that the $12.6 million could be the key to keeping their depressed industry from collapsing.

"This could end up being the only thing that keeps us in the fish business," said Vito Giacalone, a fisherman and longtime advocate who opposed the LNG terminals that were approved by the federal government last year. In his public comments against the Excelerate Energy LLC and Neptune Energy LLC terminals, Giacalone suggested that any mitigation funds be directed toward North Shore fishermen who would no longer be able to work around the LNG sites - home to fertile fishing grounds.

The state Environmental Protection Agency agreed, and directed the largest portion of the $47 million - $12.6 million - toward the creation of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund. With Giacalone serving as president of the nonprofit, the fund just completed its first year. It is designed to subsidize fishermen who want to work more than their standard federal allotment of 48 days a year.

Over the last year, the fund has spent more than $4 million to purchase 25 federal fishing permits. Those permits represent more than 800 workdays at sea, and under the fund's program, North Shore fishermen are eligible to lease the days for an average of $75 a day - a fraction of the going daily rate of $200 to $250. Last year, 63 fishermen took part in the program, with each receiving an average of 13 days. Giacalone said that over time, his nonprofit would spend at least another $6 million to acquire additional federal ground-fish fishing permits.

"The fund is a lifeline, for sure. It means survival for us," said Dustin Ketchopulos, who keeps his boat in Rockport but fishes off the Gloucester coast.

Just 25 years ago, fishing was king in America's most storied fishing harbor. Back then, there were almost 1,000 fishermen working on the harbor, and there were no limits on how many days a year one could work, or how much fish could be caught. There were more than 250 boats in the harbor, and most were used for overnight trips lasting up to 10 days.

"There were so many boats in the water that you could almost walk across the harbor," Giacalone remembers.

But with strict federal regulations introduced to limit overfishing and to rebuild stocks such as cod and flounder, most of those boats and fishermen have disappeared. In the last six years, the new regulations cut fishermen's days at sea from 88 to 48, while setting catch limits such as 800 pounds of cod a day.

Free Boating Safety Class Coming in August

2008-07-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

Reported by: KARK 4 News

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary announces a free Safe Boating Class on August 19th & 21st.

The class will be held at the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, #2 Resource Drive, in Little Rock.

The two part course will begin at 6 PM and last until 9 PM on Tuesday and Thursday. The boater will learn skills necessary to give the student adequate confidence and knowledge in operating a vessel successfully and safely.

Topics covered will include boating rules of the road, legal requirements for boats, boat handling, practical seamanship, docking and other subjects designed to provide a strong foundation for operating pleasure crafts.

Arkansas law requires anyone born after January 1, 1986, be certified by taking a Safe Boating Course before operating a water craft on Arkansas waters. Regardless of age, everyone involved in boat operations is encouraged to participate in the safe boating training to help avoid accidents on the water.

Most insurance companies provide a discount to boat owners who successfully complete the boating course.

The Boat Arkansas certification is recognized nationally. Individuals interested in enrolling can do so on-site or call Joe Zehler at 501-834-6993.

Advance to the Past: Fishermen Start to use Sails

2008-07-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

Commercial fishermen in the UK are reverting to wind power in response to soaring fuel prices, as skippers rig their boats with auxiliary sails to cut the amount of diesel they use.

The move comes as a new generation of vessels is being developed that will rely almost exclusively on sails.

Higher fuel costs threaten to force many fishermen out of business. The price of the red diesel the industry uses has doubled in less than a year, while fish prices have remained relatively stable.

Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, said a number of skippers were now using sail power to help them travel the long distances between port and their fishing grounds.

'Skippers are putting on foresails while steaming to fishing grounds offshore,' he said. 'The whole cost structure of the industry has shifted so dramatically as a result of fuel price rises, and in response, vessels are looking at what they can do to reduce costs.

'Fleets are going to have to find ways of reducing fuel dependency. Everyone is looking for the optimum steaming speed and people are looking at a whole range of measures, including sail.'

Gibbs To Set Up Shop In Detroit, Finally Build Aquada Amphibious Car

2008-07-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

After the announcement earlier this month that Saleen is teaming with Gibbs for development and manufacturing work on their amphibious Gibbs Aquada, news comes down Gibbs is setting up their corporate offices in the Detroit Suburb of Auburn Hills. After a ten year development cycle, a million man hours of work, and $100 million invested in the project, the final steps are being taken to put the automotive platypus into production.

When the boat-car debuts, it'll be the first major amphibious civilian vehicle since the Amphicar went to market in 1961. The three seat Aquada will be able to hit 110 MPH on the street and about 40 MPH or 35 knots on the water and will sell for about $85,000. Production location has not be set yet, but Michigan is also high on the list for that one as well. We're just wondering how the insurance companies would handle water damage on an amphibious car.

Closures & Layoffs (July 6-12): Sinking Ships

2008-07-12T01:31:00.000-07:00

Seven weeks ago, we reported on troubles in the boating industry, specifically Brunswick Corp., one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of consumer marine products, planned to cease production of its Bluewater Marine brands -- including Sea Pro, Sea Boss, Palmetto and Laguna boats.

This week, Brunswick announced it was expanding that action and plans to close 12 of its 29 boat plants by the end of next year, cutting costs by $300 million versus 2007 spending levels. It could also mean the layoff of up to 2,700 employees.

"For the past several years, we have been implementing initiatives to fundamentally change our cost structure by reducing our manufacturing footprint, and leveraging purchases of common components and materials across our brands and operations," explained Dustan E. McCoy, Brunswick's chairman and CEO. "In addition, we have addressed the prolonged downturn in the U.S. marine market by continually reducing production rates throughout our marine businesses, divesting under-utilized assets, exiting or divesting certain businesses, eliminating discretionary spending and reducing headcount. While these efforts have resulted in significant savings, the realities of the current U.S. marine market have caused us to step up the pace and magnitude of these efforts."

"Retail unit sales of power boats in the United States have been in decline since late 2005; however, the rate of decline has been accelerating," McCoy added. "Industry retail unit sales were down 13 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 and down 21% in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the respective year-ago quarters. Further, these reductions were recorded off of an already low base. Total unit sales of power boats in the United States in 2007 were at their lowest in more than 40 years."

"An uncertain economy, high fuel and food prices, slumping home sales and values, rising unemployment and other factors continue to erode U.S. consumers' confidence and are reducing their ability and desire to purchase discretionary items such as boats, and billiards tables and fitness equipment for their homes," McCoy explained. "For our planning purposes, we are not assuming that these pressures will abate any time soon. As a result, we are planning for an environment in which the U.S. marine market will be smaller in the near term, and we will resize our company accordingly. Our objective is to thrive and prosper while the U.S. marine market remains under pressure and to outperform when we see a rebound in demand."

Brunswick now plans to close four plants in addition to eight plant closures already completed or announced. Brunswick will also continue to reduce the number of models and option packages, focusing on those that are popular and clearly resonate with consumers.

"Our immediate focus remains on managing pipeline inventories at our marine dealers, as well as enhancing our solid liquidity at Brunswick," McCoy said. "We will continue to produce at rates below retail demand to lower pipeline inventories. A reduction in production rates also results, unfortunately, in the need for fewer workers."

The company said that it had notified employees that it would be reducing its hourly and salaried work force at certain of its marine plants by 1,000. Further work force reductions of approximately 1,000 hourly and 700 salaried employees across the company's marine business units and staff functions are still be contemplated as additional plant closures and consolidations and other cost-cutting measures are completed.

Recovery begins slowly for flooded river towns

2008-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

By BETSY TAYLOR
The Associated Press
Tuesday, July 1, 2008; 7:43 PM

ST. LOUIS -- Some towns along the Mississippi River are beginning the slow task of recovery, even as water remains high.

With the river finally receding from near-record levels, the Federal Emergency Management Agency opened disaster recovery centers in the Missouri towns of Clarksville and Winfield on Tuesday.

The river is dropping as much as a foot a day in Clarksville and Hamburg, Ill., though the pace of the decline is expected to slow, said Ben Sipprell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. Many towns can expect the river to remain well above technical flood stage for weeks to come.

A few haven't hit high-water marks yet. The Mississippi was expected to crest 12.6 feet above flood stage in Chester, Ill., and 10.5 feet above flood stage in Cape Girardeau, Mo., both on Wednesday. No major problems were expected.

Up to 3 inches of rain was possible over the next five days in central Missouri, but there was no indication the rainfall would impact the crests.

The damage south of St. Louis has been minimal compared to that to the north. In Clarksville, even small signs of progress were met with enthusiasm.

A market under new ownership opened Tuesday to pump gasoline and sell groceries, services the town had been without for about a year, even before the flood hit.

"I had to go in and give them a hug," Mayor Jo Anne Smiley said.

Other shops in the town known for its arts, crafts and antiques won't reopen until perhaps August, Smiley said.

"The antique mall, you can only get to that by boat, and that's the biggest source of tax revenue for the city," she said.

The river continued to press against sandbag walls that protect the small brick buildings downtown. An estimated 14,000 volunteer hours were needed to build the barrier that was still being monitored around the clock. But officials said the receding river allowed for a paring back on the use of pumps and generators.

Five homes and two businesses in Clarksville remained cut off from water service, and another 35 homes were relying on bottled water.

FEMA spokesman Don Bolger encouraged flood victims to register for disaster assistance even if they have insurance. They could qualify for supplemental grants or low-interest government loans.

'Sulpicio nixes ship refloating, wants full insurance claim'

2008-06-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Agence France-Presse

SAN FERNANDO, Romblon - The owner of a sunken Philippine ferry is unwilling to see its vessel refloated because it would not be able to claim full damages from insurers, a maritime official said Saturday.

The senior official said that the submerged Princess of the Stars, which contains hundreds of dead bodies inside, could easily be refloated but the shipping line and authorities were stalling.

The ferry, which sank off the central island of Sibuyan with 850 people aboard in a typhoon a week ago, has an intact hull with air pockets that could be used to float it once more and put it the right side up, the official said.

However, declining to be named, he said the owners, Sulpicio Lines, and the coast guard "are not pursuing that tact because they are waiting apparently for the insurers to conduct their own investigation."

"If they re-float the vessel, Sulpicio will not be able to claim damages for a total wreck," the senior official said.

The 24,000-tonne vessel is sitting upside down on a reef off Sibuyan, part of its hull jutting from the waters. Only 57 survivors have been found and it is believed that most of the bodies of the dead are trapped inside the hull.

Coast guard and navy divers, assisted by US navy frogmen, were trying to retrieve dead bodies from the ship but the already slow-moving operation was suspended on Friday after it was discovered that the vessel was carrying a shipment of a toxic pesticide that might leak into the water.

The maritime official said the pesticide complicated the operation but remarked that the coast guard should have had blueprints of the ship and other documents from Sulpicio Lines identifying its cargo before the retrieval operations began.

The site of the sinking, earlier a hive of activity with rescue divers and their boats criss-crossing the waters, was quiet on Saturday with only a boat from the Bureau of Fisheries seen taking water samples for testing.

Nanette Tansingco, mayor of the coastal town of San Fernando, closest to the ill-fated ship, said she had barred fishermen from the area due to the pesticide threat.

"We will be doing a lot of studies in the area to make sure no one gets ill from eating fish," she said.

Officials earlier said that they found no trace of the pesticide in the waters but are not taking chances and have subjected the divers to medical tests to make sure they did not ingest any poison.

Coast guard spokesmen said they could not be sure when they would be able to remove the pesticide from the ship or when they could resume efforts to retrieve the bodies.

They said it was up to Sulpicio Lines to provide the essential information needed to remove the shipping container that holds the pesticide but they did not know when that information would be forthcoming.

The slow recovery of dead bodies has angered relatives who have trooped to Sulpicio Lines offices in Manila and the central city of Cebu waiting for word of their loved ones.

Sulpicio Lines has had at least three other major accidents since 1987, when its Dona Paz vessel collided with an oil tanker, killing around 4,000 people in the worst peacetime maritime disaster in history.

The government suspended the company's operations until further notice, while anti-corruption campaigners are planning a class action lawsuit. A board of inquiry is also conducting hearings on the company's possible liability.

Updated: Mass. woman rented plane hour before fatal crash

2008-06-25T02:02:00.000-07:00

OWLS HEAD — A Massachusetts woman died Saturday morning when the small plane she was flying crashed near Crockett’s Beach.
Janet Strong, 73, of Topsfield, Mass. died in the crash.

The plane, a Piper Cherokee PA28, belonged to the Knox County Flying Club. Knox County Regional Airport Manager said that the plane had not been airborne long and was not enroute to another location.

Strong rented the plane that morning, according to Maine Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland. She waited an hour to take off because of fog.
Strong was in the area to visit friends.

The bottom of the small plane, including a wheel, was visible about 200 feet from the end of Point View Lane which runs off to the west of Crockett’s Beach Road.

Owls Head firefighters, Rockland firefighters and emergency medical crews as well as South Thomaston emergency crews responded.

Neighbor Keith Simmons, who lives at the end of the road where the crash occurred, said he heard the engine and then the loud crash.
Simmons helped bring a Rockland paramedic to the plane in his rowboat. A marine patrol boat also was at the scene within a half hour or so of the crash that was reported at about 10:30 a.m. The woman’s body was found under a wing of the wrecked plane.

The woman’s body was removed at about 11:30 a.m. and taken by marine patrol boat to Crockett’s Beach where it would then be put in an ambulance.

Simmons said the sun was out when the crash occurred although there were thick fog banks around which enveloped the crash site shortly after it occurred.

The tide was coming at the time of the crash and the plane was being covered by 11:30 a.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration was contacted. The FAA and the National Safety Transportation Board were to investigate. The flying club had insurance on the plane and it was expected to be removed by a boat salvage operation.

The Coast Guard responded with 25-foot and 47-foot boat crews from Station Rockland. A Hercules fixed-wing aircrew from Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine conducted a fly over of the crash site.

The area where the plane went down was very shallow and Coast Guard boat crews were unable to access the plane in the three-foot water..

“In cases like this we depend on our local partners and their resources for assistance,” said Lt. Lisa Tinker of the Coast Guard, the command duty officer at Sector Northern New England. “The Maine Marine Patrol crews were able to navigate the shallow depths to access the downed aircraft.”

Fuel prices drain charities' volunteer base

2008-06-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

By MARTIN DeANGELIS Staff Writer, 609-272-7237

ATLANTIC CITY - The Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament is always a fun day for Danielle Brooks and her friends, so they really wanted to be in this year's edition of the tournament Saturday.
They like the cause it supports - it raises money to provide free mammograms and other breast cancer-related services to women who don't have health insurance. Plus they like to fish, and they like to compete with other women who fish.

The only trouble was, the only boat they could get their hands on this time was big, a 52-footer. And big boats have big fuel tanks, which means they also have big fuel bills - especially these days, with fuel prices jumping like a freshly hooked sailfish, pushing $5 per gallon at some area marinas.

So Brooks and her friends decided to send out e-mails asking their family members and friends for help paying the $3,000 worth of expenses it took to be in the tournament - much of that just on the fuel. And they got enough support to fish again this year, but the head of the tournament says high fuel prices definitely cost her cause this time around.

Last June, Kim Kirk says, there were 79 boats in the tournament, which ended up raising $70,000 for AtlantiCare's Mobile Mammography program. This year, the number was down to 68 - and that was after a big rush of entries the day before the lines hit the water. As of Thursday, she had just 39 boats registered, about half of last year's total.

"I would have liked last year's numbers, but considering the economy, it's better than it might have been," Kirk said Saturday, adding that she heard lots of talk around the tournament about fuel prices - including from some women who said the cost kept them out of the competition.
And local people associated with other good causes - even ones that don't seem as oil-dependent as boat-based fishing tournaments - say their organizations are also being burned by rising oil prices.

The American Cancer Society has a program called Road To Recovery, which involves volunteers picking up and driving cancer patients to doctors' visits and other treatments. And while most of the volunteers - many of them former patients themselves - are still willing to help, a few drivers have been forced to drop out, an executive in the local chapter says.

"The South Jersey region, from Burlington County to Cape May, is 3,000 square miles," said Sheila Williamson, a regional vice president. "Some of our patients are being treated in Philadelphia or other places out of state, and it's really a challenge to find (volunteers) willing to drive them to Philadelphia."

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey's Southern Branch hasn't lost any volunteers, because most of them live fairly close to its warehouse in Egg Harbor Township, Evelyn Benton says. But oil prices are having an "awful" effect on her organization, the executive director adds, because three commercial-size trucks are a key part of the operation.

"We have to pick up food and we have to deliver food: That's not an option for us," Benton says. "And we've been paying over $4 a gallon for diesel for months now."

The trucks average about 8 miles to the gallon, and she doesn't see any help coming down that road.

"They haven't come out with good (fuel-efficiency) technology for commercial trucks, and even if they did, it's way too expensive for us," Benton said. "Until those things become cheap, a charity is never going to have one."

But unless something changes, the food bank will keep collecting and delivering food to its largest customers, other charities, for a total of 23 cents per pound - 18 cents for the food itself and the other nickel for delivery. That's in spite of the fact that it actually costs 32 cents per pound for the food bank to do what it does, and the only change likely to come there is higher real costs.

"We increased our fuel budget this year by 15 percent, and we're already way over budget," she says, adding that the 23-cent cost figure is set by national rules. But even if the local food bank could raise its rates on its own, she doubts the customers could pay.

"Our charities are smaller than we are, so you sort of hate to pass along the costs to charities that can afford it less than we can," Benton says. "A lot of people are struggling, but people who are poor are in an even worse situation, and so are organizations that support the poor."

Gilda's Club South Jersey, based now in Somers Point, offers emotional support to people with cancer and their families. Sarah Griffith, the executive director there, says she's starting to see a drop-off in people showing up for some of its social activities.

"Not in our core programs, but I have noticed a little bit of a decline" in attendance, she says. "And we've started saying, 'Hmm, I wonder if that has something to do with gas prices? ... People are saying, 'Do I have to do this? No I don't - I don't have to drive.'"

But the only way to get in the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament was by boat, and Kim Kirk is glad that women got onto 68 boats Saturday to support its good cause - despite the costs. But she understands how money would hurt her turnout.

"For people with bigger boats, you're talking $1,500 a day for fuel," she says. "That's a hard chunk of change to bite off at one time."

To e-mail Martin DeAngelis at The Press:

Fuel Prices Pinch Boaters Budgets

2008-06-20T01:04:00.000-07:00

While many of us grumble about the money it takes to put gas in our car, people who spend time boating on area lakes are looking at ways to stay afloat. On average, the price for fuel on local water ways runs about a dollar more than it does on the road.

It takes anywhere from $4.50 to $4.70 a get your boat on the water. With prices like that, a lot of people are sticking to a pretty tight budget.

"I was thinking it would be $100 for a fill-up," says Gina Maida who is boating with her family on Table Rock Lake. "So I put $300, $350 in our budget."

Families like the Maidas can make that tank of gas go further with some conservation efforts.

The U.S. Boat Owners Association says only load what you need so your watercraft isn't weighed down. Do regular tune-ups on your engine and prop. Keep your boat well maintained so it can move through the water without too much drag. Travel with the tide, or even think about anchoring in a cover rather than cruising around and burning fuel.

While the tips will help you stretch your dollar at the lake this summer, local marinas say they don't expect the high prices to keep people off the water.

"They're still gonna boat," says business owner Kelly Swanson. "You've got a big investment in a boat and insurance. You're not gonna let it sit in the garage to gather dust."

In some ways, the fuel prices are actually helping local business owners. Because it's so costly to drive, a lot of people are taking advantage of local lakes and parks rather than paying to travel far from home.

Another way to save money is to use the Missouri Department of Revenue's tax exempt gas plan.
By keeping track of your fuel use for your watercraft and by filling out 3 forms, you can get a refund.

Learn more about this refund at these links:

www.dor.mo.gov/tax/business/fuel/forms

http://dor.mo.gov/tax/business/faq/fuel.htm

Live it up on the Bonsai river boat

2008-06-16T06:38:00.001-07:00

Well in the case of the "Bonsai I"

dragon boat, you get an extraordinary dining and entertainment experience on the Sai Gon River. (The original American Country&Western song title was, You Load 16 Tonnes and What Do You Get?) The reason for the title is that this ship, skillfully constructed using sao wood (Hopea Odorata) from Khanh Hoa Province, weighs over 340 tonnes. It is the largest existing dragon boat in Viet Nam and is a replica of a royal Vietnamese-style dragon boat, once only used for the emperors.

We were curious as to who conceived the idea and carried out the formidable task of constructing such a unique vessel and thus tracked down the father - daughter team behind its creation.

Believe it or not, it all began in a small Austrian village of 800 people. Stefan Ernest and his daughter Madlen Ernest worked together to bring Stefan’s dream to reality. Madlen wished to move out of her small town and decided to study hospitality management. Her special field of study was river cruises. She began by working on river cruises between Amsterdam and the Black Sea. She had always wanted to see Asia and ended up in Viet Nam. Stefan became interested in cruise lines because of Madlen’s chosen profession and in November 2003 he arrived in Viet Nam on holiday. He had previously considered India or Thailand, but chose HCM City as he felt that Viet Nam presented the greatest opportunity and with so much potential that he decided to build his dream boat here. He had been a master woodworker in Austria and with his skills in carpentry and wooden construction, he tackled the task of re-creating a beautiful replica of Viet Nam’s past history. The exterior design and artistry remain faithful to the ships of the 19th century, but the interior is a state-of-the art plan, carefully constructed to provide the utmost in tasteful decor and safety.

The 40m long boat can carry up to 170 passengers in stately comfort. The interior design allows for individual seating at formal tables or can be converted into a "conference cruise" mode. Due to the size and weight of the ship, it cruises steadily and smoothly. Upon inspection, we were impressed with the many safety features and "Austrian" thoroughness – even to the point of having international insurance coverage. The crew’s numbers often reach as many as 50 persons, including music performers, waiters, kitchen staff and the captain’s mates – and we almost forgot – the magician!

He began as a security guard and, upon seeing the original magician perform, was mesmerized – he studied, practiced and became a better magician than he ever was as a security guard.

The European management details extend to special details of decor and service. Candles on the tables and staff queries as to whether one is a smoker or not (removing the ashtray if the answer is "no") present an altogether truly unique experience in HCM City; originating from Bach Dang pier, opposite to Ham Nghi Street. Check their website for booking availability and details – http://www.bonsaicruise.com.vn/ VNS

$1/2M AWARD

2008-06-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

JUST OVER HALF- MILLION DOLLARS.

That's the money fisherman Harold Greenidge will get as compensation to replace his rotting fishing boat and for loss of earnings.

Justice Randall Worrell, who handed down the decision in the No. 3 Supreme Court yesterday, ordered Government to shell out $275 000 for the cost of a replacement vessel and to pay Greenidge $249 405 in loss of earnings for a five-year period.

Greenidge will also get the $350 cost of the report from master marine surveyor Anthony Hinds and the fees of two attorneys.

Justice Worrell, who stated that liability was not an issue since the Crown had accepted liability from inception, said it was simply a matter of assessment.

"It is quite clear from the evidence, and it is not disputed, that Mr Greenidge used that vehicle for his occupation," said the judge.

"It is also quite clear that Mr Greenidge's vessel was not a new vessel. It is quite clear the vessel was of some age."

He said the court had accepted Hinds' evidence that the vessel was now worthless and that $275 000 would meet the cost of a fully outfitted replacement vessel.

In addition, the judge said the court had accepted $79 881 as the income that Greenidge earned in any given year from fishing.

However, he said there was a four-year period – July 2002 to December 2006 – when Greenidge made no effort to work or to "mitigate his losses".

"And that has to be taken into consideration," the judge said, adding the money for loss of income would be taxed for income tax and National Insurance.

However, the judge said he would not be awarding exemplary damages since he did not think the Crown intended any malice.

The fisherman's boat, X134 Blue Lightning, was intercepted off St Vincent on July 21, 2002, and British naval officers removed three men – two Barbadians and a Vincentian – who they said were spotted throwing ten bales of marijuana overboard.

The charges were dropped but the confiscated boat was never returned.

Greenidge sued the Attorney-General and the Commissioner of Police for an abuse of their discretion and asked for an order of certiorari quashing the decision to impound the boat; the money to replace it; loss of earnings calculated at $80 000 a year; exemplary damages and interest.

He was represented by Hal Gollop, Steve Gollop, and Hilford Murrell, while Senior Crown Counsel Wayne Clarke and now former Principal Crown Counsel Dennis Hanomansingh represented the Crown.

Justice Worrell, however, stayed his decision for six weeks.

Oceanic Whitsunday Boat Show

2008-06-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

Next weekend, Abel Point Marina and its carpark are the scene of the Whitsunday Boat Show, now in its seventh year and sponsored by Oceanic Insurance Brokers and Meridien Marinas Abel Point.

An Airlie Beach Rotary community project, designed to attract visitors to the town during a quiet dip in the calendar, the boat show now attracts more than 8,500 people and has secured over 100 exhibitors for this year’s event.

Among them are Bavaria Yachts Qld, Mustang Marine, Club Marine, Furuno, Malibu Boats, R Marine, Sailfish Catamarans, Sealegs, Sunrunner, Sunsail and many more.

There is also a marine-themed art show with a $12,000 prize, plenty for the kids, the Yamaha Fishing Tank and the Customs vessel.

'It’s just got a great atmosphere and plenty of genuine buyers,' says boat show organizer, Dalwyn McErlane, adding that Airlie Beach and its surrounds have built a reputation over the past decade as a marine hub for boaties and industry alike.

More at www.whitsundayboatshow.com

Gas Price Hikes A Challenge For Boaters

2008-06-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

EAST LYME — - The next time you feel like complaining about what it costs to fill your gas tank, consider the situation of Ken and Wendy Pratt.

The Pratts, retired employees of United Technologies, spend their winters in Middletown, but their home away from home during the summer months is a 33-foot Grady-White cabin cruiser, the Wenweken III, rocking in its slip at the Boats Inc. marina looking out on Niantic Bay.

The Wenweken III, as Ken Pratt will proudly tell you, is "outfitted to the max," with GPS navigation, satellite weather, outriggers for eight fish lines, cable TV, surround-sound stereo, a full galley and bath. The Pratts love to entertain their 14 grandchildren on the boat, motor across Long Island Sound for lunch, or overnight on fishing junkets 100 miles out to sea along the Gulf Stream.

But there's a major cost issue during this year of ascending gasoline prices and growing concern about global oil supplies. Marine gas generally sells at 50 to 75 cents a gallon over auto fuel, and last week, as the Memorial Day weekend approached, fuel was already selling at $4.66 a gallon on the East Lyme docks. By the height of the power boating season in July, the Pratts and their marina friends expect to pay $5 or more a gallon for fuel.

Sailing couple grateful for Bermuda's role in rescue after mighty sea storm

2008-05-21T02:42:00.000-07:00

A French couple forced to return to Bermuda while sailing to the Azores after a violent storm destroyed their sailboat's mast are full of praise for the efforts of Bermuda Radio.

Claude Laurain and wife Sabine Laurain sailed to Bermuda for a 15-day stay on April 21 on sailboat Albatros IV. They departed Bermuda on May 5 to reach their home in France, via the Portuguese islands. But they did not anticipate mother nature's fury.

Prior to setting out, the couple, who have been sailing the world for 55 years, knew that there was a cold front nearby but believed the conditions would be tolerable — but they were wrong.

"The forecast was good," said Mrs. Laurain, 62. "We knew we had to pass through a cold front but the forecast said it wouldn't be too strong and the winds no more than 30 knots (34 mph).

"The first day was perfect as was Tuesday. But the winds became stronger on Tuesday evening and we decreased the size of the main sail... we saw that thunder was coming and that meant that the cold front was too."

During the height of their encounter with the weather, which saw 43 knot winds (49 mph), she described bolts of lightening repeatedly striking the exterior of the boat.

"Thunder was everywhere and we found ourselves under water spouts. At one point we were under this big cloud which brought more thunder and lightening."

Appeal to keep boats on the tarn

2008-05-19T05:47:00.000-07:00

BOATING on Talkin Tarn is under threat – with franchise owner Peter Scott looking for a lifeline.

High costs, lack of customers and bad weather could sink the business which is such a feature of the Brampton beauty spot.

Mr Scott took over the franchise eight years ago with the aim of creating a full time job for his 27-year-old son Ryan, a leisure and tourism graduate.

But increasing costs and poor trade have forced Mr Scott to appeal to the city council and local firms to help secure a future for the business.

Mr Scott pays £1,350 a year to the city council for the franchise of the boats.

On top of this he must pay up to £500 public liability insurance.

The cost of hiring a boat for 30 minutes is £4.

He said: “We are really struggling to make a decent wage out of this. Nobody wants to see the boats go but it costs a lot to put them there.

“When people think of the Tarn they think of the boats.”

Mr Scott, who runs an agricultural merchants, said that trade began to fall when the nearby caravan park was closed.

He added: “We used to get people from Northumberland and Hexham using the boats and fishing.

“But this trade has dwindled now and local people do not use the boats which is a shame.”

Mr Scott, who lives in Stanwix in Carlisle, said: “The plan was to have Ryan running the business and then the rest of the family would help out at weekends and holidays when it was busy, but it hasn’t panned out like that.

“It is not easy but I think some people think we are making a fortune.

“During the Easter holidays Ryan manned the boats every day but made very little money.

“But when it is good it is really good – it is a great job and beautiful place to work.”

Mr Scott said that he had appealed to the city council for help but was told that, if the council took over the running of the service, it would only be staffed occasionally, rather than every day.

“The boats would slip back into disrepair and the dirty condition in which we found them, ” said Mr Scott.

“It is a tourist attraction. The boats are very traditional but there appears to be a death knell clanging away.

“If we could attract some help, that would be great – like ask local companies to help sponsor boats for say £500 each. But part of me thinks we shouldn’t have to go cap in hand asking for money.

“The city council seem prepared to just let the business rot.”

Mr Scott has now appealed to Brampton parish council for help and they have invited him to their next meeting to discuss how they could help.

At a meeting last week Councillor Connie Ridley voiced her support for the boats.

She said: “Mr Scott is trying his hardest but finding it very hard.

“We don’t want to lose amenities – we want to keep them.”

County councillor Geoff Prest, said it would be a “great pity” of the boats were not there.

A spokesman for Carlisle City Council said that it supported the boat hire and added that all fees levied were reinvested.

He said: “We have invested significantly in the business in recent years and continue to do so, having provided new jetties, a safety boat and all of its fuel, the replacement of all life jackets, the annual operators licence, advertising in council publications and we meet frequently with the operators to support their venture as much as possible.

“Additionally the city council last year hosted a ‘Have a go Water Sports Day’ to encourage the use of the water sports facilities at the Tarn, which will be repeated this year on Sunday June 8.”

Boat show highlights kayaking

2008-05-07T04:32:00.001-07:00

Even before fuel prices went through the roof and the economy dropped like a rock, kayaking was hot.
And Powers Outdoors, a Newaygo-based outfitting business with a store located in Montague, is riding the wave. Its display of more than a dozen kayaks is expected to draw some of the most attention during this weekend's West Michigan Spring Boat Show at Terrace Point Marina.
Powers co-owner Jake Slominski said kayaking has been the fastest-growing recreational sport in America the past half dozen years, with participation growing at more than 150 percent a year. An environmentally sound sport, it provides cheap and easy access to the water for paddlers of all ages and physical conditions.
The cost of a boat ranges between $200 and $2,000 or more, but the typical kayaker spends about $700. And there are no fuel costs, insurance or licenses to worry about, Slominski said.

"Even with the economy, people work all week to play all weekend," said Slominski, who owns the business -- which was started by his grandfather Don Powers -- with his father, Greg. "Kayaking is a sport for anywhere, any time and anyone."
Trends in the sport include smaller, 10-foot sit-in boats for running rivers and sit-on-top boats for fishing.
"We see a lot of those into fishing selling their aluminum boats and fishing off of a kayak," Slominski said. "There is no fuel cost nor license. And, you can get them into anywhere you want."
Ease of use and the ability to launch a kayak into virtually any river or lake -- even Lake Michigan -- make kayaks a popular alternative to bigger boats. Slominski said typical kayakers use their boats much more than power boaters or sailors since the 9- to 16-foot boats can be easily carried on racks atop cars or on small trailers.

Parents despair at speedboat tot death trial

2008-05-04T02:57:00.001-07:00

Heartbroken: The Gallaghers
PARENTS of a toddler killed when he was hit by a speedboat as he slept on a beach have been forced to give up their six-year campaign for justice.Andrea and Paul Gallagher from Orpington were heartbroken when three men accused of their son's manslaughter were cleared at a Bahamian court last Tuesday.The couple have fought for six years and spent £50,000 of their life savings to get justice for two-year-old Paul after he died of horrific head injuries when a speedboat crashed into the beach where he was sleeping in August 2002.However, after Judge Elliot Lockhart dismissed the case against boat driver James Bain and company owners Clifford Nottage and Evangeless Williamson, the couple were foced to give up their fight when they were told they had no right to appeal.When Judge Lockhart cleared the trio, despite evidence that the boat that killed their son was unlicensed with no insurance, Mrs Gallagher, 41, wept and a furious Mr Gallagher had to be ushered from the building as he shouted at the defendants.Mrs Gallagher said: "It was like a physical blow. "I was stunned. I started shaking and collapsed to the floor, crying. The last bit of strength I had mustered up to enable me to come to the courtroom, to face them, was knocked out. I literally had no energy left to hold myself up. "We thought it was an open and shut case. We wanted justice, but also to make the beaches of the Bahamas safer for other holidaymakers. "Now the judge has given out a firm message - you can break Bahamian law and get away with it." Mr Gallagher, 43, added: "We didn't expect it at all. "Even though I thought throughout that the judge seemed more sympathetic to the defence, we still thought the ultimate decision would be in the hands of the jury. "Even if the jury had decided against us, we would have been able to accept it. But by ruling that there was no case to answer, the judge took that away from us. "Now it is almost as though we have had no trial. We feel as if we have been through all this for nothing." The court heard that Mr Bain had been towing an inflatable banana boat when a wave hit his speedboat, knocking several people into the water. His defence counsel, Henry Bostwick, said Bain was trying to help a woman panicking in the water when a second wave hit the boat and he slipped. He became tangled in ropes and was unable to stop the boat heading at full speed towards the Atlantis Resort beach, where it struck the child as he slept on a sun lounger.Mr Bostwick said: "It cannot be said that in trying to assist a trapped woman while he was in the area designated for water sports there was an obvious risk to a person on the beach."Mrs Gallagher said their latest visit to the Bahamas has brought back memories of the horrific accident.She said: "As we got off the plane, memories of that holiday came flooding back to me - little Paul digging in the sand, then, after the boat hit, our baby lying on the beach with a big chunk of his skull missing - the sand red with his blood."I certainly never want to set foot on that island again. But I do think our fight has been worthwhile. We may not have got the verdict we wanted, but we have achieved a hell of a lot. "Since Paul died, new water safety laws have been brought in to make the Bahamas safer. Now we can only pray the new laws are upheld and no family will ever have to suffer the way we have.

At the ‘Ready’

2008-05-04T02:54:00.000-07:00

New lifeboat on the way to Delta
Help is on the way for the Roberts Bank Lifeboat Society. Thanks to securing a sponsor to cover the transportation cost of the group’s new vessel—the M.V. Ready—is on the way from Invergordon, Scotland.
The journey started in early April and the boat’s progress can be tracked by visiting the Coast Guard station’s web site at www.robertsbanklifeboat.ca.
The vessel is now heading through the Caribbean towards the Panama Canal, and should arrive at Fraser Surrey Docks in May.
The new vessel’s passage was made possible through a fortunate turn of events. Local artist Lennart Osterlind heard in a conversation at a Longhouse Art exhibition that the Roberts Bank Lifeboat Society, was trying to find a sponsor to bring the boat to Delta on a freighter.
The artist, as it happened, is an insurance broker with connections in the shipping world. Within a couple of days, Osterlind had everything arranged through a friend, Staffan Melin of the Delta Research Corporation, who uses a freighter service based in Norway.
Star Shipping of Bergen, Norway, generously agreed to bring the new Lifeboat gratis to Delta. Their freighter on which it will travel is the M.V. Star Java.
The journey started last month in Invergordon, Scotland, where the local volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution helped to prepare the M.V. Ready’ for the journey.
The firm that the boat was purchased from, MacDonald Ferries, kindly built and donated a steel cradle to carry the vessel for the long journey. She was then trucked to the North Sea port of Hull, where she crossed to Rotterdam and finally arrived in Vlissingen where all of the loading and securing was donated by Verbrugge Zeeland Terminals which is the local port authority. 
For those interested in being a part of the volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary team, or to make a donation, visit the web site at www.robertsbanklifeboat.ca or call 604 943 9171.

The statistics show that boat owners are happy

2008-05-04T02:52:00.000-07:00

A survey carried out by a leading US boat insurer has revealed that boaters put their vessel ahead of many other major life purchases, such as a house or a car, and are happier for it.In a recent survey of more than 1,000 boat owners, nearly half said they bought their boat before they purchased a car or a home.More than a third disagreed with the statement: "a boat owner's two greatest days are the day he buys his boat and the day he sells it" with an overwhelming majority saying they 'love boating' and wish they had more time for it. It seems that many boaters surveyed got into boating during more carefree times in their lives. Nearly a third of boaters surveyed said they bought a boat before they got married (28 percent), had children (30 percent) or finished university (19 percent).Carried out by the insurance company, Progressive, the most revealing statistic was perhaps the attitude towards insurance. While 70 percent of boaters say they know they should have insurance, even in the off-season, 29 percent admit to having no boat insurance at all.Meanwhile, twenty percent of boaters said that they would NEVER sell their boat and six percent went as far as to say they would only sell if threatened with physical harm. And for all the politicians out there.. heed this: 15 percent of boaters say they're more likely to vote for a political candidate if he/she is a boater.