Insurance--DIY fixes that your insurance might not like

[bensolomon]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

4,693 marine survey reports
43 court proceedings as expert witness
422 disputed insurance claims investigations

There are somewhere around 2,000 photos on my website and another 80,000 in my files

What's your website?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

What's your website?

Port Credit Marine Surveys

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Link please

Just Google "ABYC standards PDF" and that will bring up at least a few sections. You could join ABYC for a fee and have access to the entire standards library. I'll not post direct links, they may not be entirely legal, but they're out there to get for free if you look.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Fiveslide

Just Google "ABYC standards PDF" and that will bring up at least a few sections. You could join ABYC for a fee and have access to the entire standards library. I'll not post direct links, they may not be entirely legal, but they're out there to get for free if you look.

There are 31 standards and will cost somewhere around $600 including membership. There are some on line but pirated.

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

There are 31 standards and will cost somewhere around $600 including membership. There are some on line but pirated.

Yes, e11 and e09 are downloadable from multiple sources and vendors with permission, reputable marine retailers.

I should clarify, these are what I kept on my phone as that was what I was doing, instrument upgrade and installs to those standards. The others are out there, like everything else on the net, legal or not.

[Reefmagnet]

This was the cockpit mounted shore power inlet on our boat when first purchased. The lead was epoxied into the outlet. The surveyor made no note of it in his report.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

or this one ...... insurance denied.

I literally have about 1,000 of these

Examples where a claim was successfully denied would be more interesting. I imagine a different standard applies. There is also the matter of reasonableness; if an insurance provider got a reputation for denying claims for small things they would quickly loose business. In theory.


There is also a general duty clause in your insurance to maintain the boat in a seaworthy condition, but without frequent surveys, what is that standard and how is it applied? For example, a failed hose could sink a boat; it is covered if the boat has consequential coverage.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Fiveslide

Very true. ABYC standards are a click away on the webs. I used to keep a copy on my phone and consulted it often when working on boats, mine and others. Ignorance of good and proven practices is not an excuse.

ABYC is voluntary. I don't think so. And as others pointed out, these are not readily available, not like the standard building code for homes.


USCG standards, on the other hand, are easy to find; the USCG posts them.

[44'cruisingcat]

Any repairs or modifications to my boat are carried out by the original builder.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by thinwater

ABYC is voluntary. I don't think so. And as others pointed out, these are not readily available, not like the standard building code for homes.


USCG standards, on the other hand, are easy to find; the USCG posts them.

True, ABYC Standards are voluntary but routinely accepted by the courts and insurance companies as "best marine practice".

US Standards for pleasure craft are Code of Federal Regulations Title 33 & 46. These are legal mandatory requirements but are pretty thin stuff. eg. There are no legal requirements for propane installations in pleasure craft in the US or Canada.

[thinwater]

Theorizing probably doesn't help us.


Actual examples of claims that were denied. Anybody? The only ones I know of were cases where the coverage had big holes in it; the damage was not a covered event.

[john61ct]

You may want to start a new thread for that to attract better / more responses. The OP title is inviting hypotheticals & speculation.

[jkleins]

Thank you for starting this thread I have had the same thought every time I see this meme. I have read my insurance documents thoroughly and there is nothing that even comes close to saying anything about repairs or modifications that can or can’t be made. I can find no mention of claims denial for “negligence” or other nebulous words that might qualify.
I do understand that insurance can be denied if a survey is not satisfactory to the insurance company but I would really like to see where someone has been denied payment after coverage has been granted just because a through hull or some other modification they made failed or cause an accident.
There would seem to many opportunities for them to since most of the work done on boats is probably by the owner. Surely we have some real world examples.

Jim

[Lippe]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

or this one ...... insurance denied.

Why denied? Because batteries are in bilge?

[wannacat]

Why not ask your own insurance company what work is acceptable and to what standards you have to meet. Then keep the response in case you need it!