With the Summer (what there was of it!) now officially over, boat owners may be turning their attention to where to winter their boats. With available hard standing reducing due to development over the years and costs rising, it is often sensible to make arrangements early.
Navigators & General, the UK’s leading pleasurecraft insurer would like to share it’s experience of over 85 years of insuring boat owners. Our aim is to help them avoid being without insurance protection and identify common foreseeable incidents that may lead to claims costing money in terms of lost no claims bonus and policy excesses.
Firstly it is very important not to let cover lapse over the winter period. There are no days of grace in marine insurance and claims arising whilst ashore from a whole host of possibilities, including theft, fire, vandalism, damage by vehicles, storm damage, being blown over, and much more besides are arguably more likely to occur during the longer nights and more extreme winter weather conditions.
If there is a stipulation on your policy that your vessel is ashore by a certain date,that condition must be complied with, or you risk invalidating your entire policy. If a lift out date is put back due to weather, tides or crane problems it is very important to advise your insurers and try and get an extension in cover; remember to plan ahead if your lift out is scheduled for a weekend as most insurers will not be open over weekends.
With increasing reports of metal and outboard motor thefts, it is more important than ever to remove or properly secure such items. If Props cannot practically be removed selecting a yard with good security is important. Rising costs have increased the risk of fuel theft (which is not covered by most policies) and owners should be aware of this new threat. Portable fuel tanks should certainly be removed and consideration given to securing filler caps or running tanks down before lifting out.
If a trip by road is required it is important to check that your policy covers road transit. If not, you will need to request an extension. The Navigators policy automatically includes transit for craft up to 30 feet, but not all other policies will be the same. If the trailer has been left standing it should be thoroughly checked and serviced if necessary; there may be a policy condition that the trailer is kept in a roadworthy condition.
Once ashore it is important to prepare the boat thoroughly. Reducing windage and ensuring cradles are properly secured will protect against gales. Removing all valuable equipment and leaving drawers or cupboards open should reduce the temptation to thieves and therefore the likelihood of break ins. Canopies, dodgers and sails split by the wind is a common exclusion on most policies, so it is advisable to remove them to a safe, dry environment.
If you do take your yacht ashore in an exposed location always try and have the mast taken down. Indeed you may find some yards insist this is the case (not normally without good cause). This will provide an excellent opportunity to thoroughly inspect the rig which may pay dividends in the long term.
Particular care should be taken if leaving battery chargers or de-humidifiers running over the winter period. There have been a number of devastating fires on boats as a result of electrical faults on shore powered devices. Keeping your boat dry through the winter is the right thing to do, but you need to be sure that any de-humidifier being used is well secured, has clean filters and adequate drainage facilities.
Remember that you should still check on the boat periodically or pay someone to do this for you. If you are ventilating the boat you may just end up heating or drawing moisture from the atmosphere. If you plan to have a heater running as well, be sure that you are not overloading the circuits and that you have the right sort of heater as this could significantly increase the risk of fire. Check with your local yard or boat surveyor to make sure. Concerned owners could consider temporarily mounting an automatic fire extinguisher next to such equipment
Winter maintenance is an essential part of boat ownership and necessary for enjoyable trouble free boating throughout the season. It also prolongs the life of the boat and helps reduce depreciation. But following a few basic tips can help prevent a worthwhile exercise becoming a potential disaster.
N&G offers the following tips and advice for owners planning to lay their boats up this winter:
remove all expensive equipment such as radios, GPS, navigation and electronic equipment, TV’s, CD players etc and store them in a safe place.
remove the outboard, tender and life-raft.
leave empty lockers and drawers ajar to ventilate and deter thieves.
drain down water and heating systems.
have engines professionally winterised or ensure that you carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s recommendations to avoid frost damage.
remove berth cushions to a dry environment.
remove furled headsails, mainsails, covers, dodgers and spray hoods.
take out halyards leaving a mouse line and thoroughly wash and check for wear.
check all backstays for wear at top batten point.
check all standing rigging for broken strands and rigging screws for wear.
ensure the yard use cross bracing if using wooden shores, for extra safety.
ensure that whilst ashore the trim of the craft is correct, to allow cockpit drains to be effective, and avoid rainwater building up on decks or within the craft.
do not tie covers or tarpaulins to wooden shores or cross bracing.
preferably use only close fitting covers, to avoid additional windage.
place tie-on labels on the wheel and engine controls to remind you to check all skin fittings, impellers, seacocks and transducers prior to launching/starting the engine.
disconnect batteries and leave them fully charged.
• do check the craft periodically during the winter months, unless you have made a specific arrangement for this to be done on your behalf. Do not assume that the rental of space will include this service.
• avoid running fuel tanks too low due to risk of sucking dirt into filters or condensation in the tank space
James Roberts, head of Navigators & General, comments:
“If boat owners follow these simple checks each winter they will reduce the possibility of problems considerably. Out of sight should not be out of mind and winter is the time to take a look at everything on board that you cannot easily get to during the season. A little time spent laying up properly will pay dividends in the long term. It will also mean that when the spring arrives, more time can be spent sailing and less time fixing all those things which could have been done at laying-up time and which have just got worse over the winter"
For further information contact:
Simon Tonks, Development Manager, Navigators & General,
t: 01273 863417 e: simon.tonks@uk.zurich.com
Joe Field, PR Consultant to Navigators & General, t: 01273 863422 e: joe.field@navandgen.co.uk
