Can someone explain to me why liveaboard insurance is usually impossible in Florida?

[bigpizza]

I'm trying to plan living aboard in FL. From my research, it's very difficult/impossible to get liveaboard insurance for FL.


This is confusing to me, and I was hoping someone could just explain the rationale behind this.


I definitely understand that FL has hurricanes, so I would expect that finding *any* damage insurance would be difficult. How does living-aboard the board somehow change the equation?


My intuition is that if you're just a weekender or even a cruiser - wouldn't the boat be subject to the same weather as someone living aboard?


If the problem is that liveaboards spend more time on the boat, and therefore are more likely to damage their own boat - why would being in Florida make that more likely? Wouldn't it be just as likely anywhere?



Please excuse my ignorance, and thanks in advance for the answers!

[Shrew]

What is this ridiculous need to announce to everyone that you're "Living Aboard". Buy a boat, insure it, use it as you like.

[bigpizza]

Originally Posted by Shrew

What is this ridiculous need to announce to everyone that you're "Living Aboard". Buy a boat, insure it, use it as you like.

The insurance company uses "live aboard" as a category to determine what kind of insurance they can provide.


Also, I'm posting in the Life Aboard a Boat > Liveaboard's Forum

[ItDepends]

Advice to lie to your insurance company about your status is extremely bad advice and should be ignored.

You would be wasting your premium money because any claim will be rejected. It's pretty easy for a claims adjuster to see that a boat is being lived on. You would then be asked to prove that you live elsewhere. Good luck with that.

[bigpizza]

Originally Posted by ItDepends

Advice to lie to your insurance company about your status is extremely bad advice and should be ignored.

You would be wasting your premium money because any claim will be rejected. It's pretty easy for a claims adjuster to see that a boat is being lived on. You would then be asked to prove that you live elsewhere. Good luck with that.

Maybe I didn't explain my question very well in the original post.


I'm definitely NOT planning on lying to an insurance company. I'll adjust my budget accordingly if liability is the only insurance available.


I'm simply asking whether anyone knows why this policy is in place.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by bigpizza

I'm trying to plan living aboard in FL. From my research, it's very difficult/impossible to get liveaboard insurance for FL.


This is confusing to me, and I was hoping someone could just explain the rationale behind this.


I definitely understand that FL has hurricanes, so I would expect that finding *any* damage insurance would be difficult. How does living-aboard the board somehow change the equation?


My intuition is that if you're just a weekender or even a cruiser - wouldn't the boat be subject to the same weather as someone living aboard?


If the problem is that liveaboards spend more time on the boat, and therefore are more likely to damage their own boat - why would being in Florida make that more likely? Wouldn't it be just as likely anywhere?



Please excuse my ignorance, and thanks in advance for the answers!

Its not a "Florida" thing. Liveaboard insurance is hard to find Where I am too (Toronto) Most insurers see it as higher risk, Which to me (as a former liveaboard) seems odd. IF' I'm at the boat all the time, the risk of it sinking from a broken thruhull, damage from storms, etc. is LOWER because I am there attending to the boat all the time. Of course Toronto winters are an issue for risk of damage from ice.

[TrentePieds]

Pizza:

Your confusion may stem from your not recognizing that an insurance "policy" is just a written contract outlining the terms of a bet.

Your APPLICATION for insurance is, in somewhat perverted legal terms, just your INVITATION for someone ("an underwriter") to enter into a bet with you. The "Insurance Agent's Office" is just a specialized "betting shop".

One of the beauties of a "free market" is that NO-ONE, not even "an underwriter", is compelled to enter into a bet with you if he doesn't want to.

Underwriters have generally agreed that they don't want to make bets with "live-aboards". That's their prerogative. It's up to you to convince some underwriter, via his agent. that it's worth his while to make a bet with you.

Just how you do that depends on your personal history and circumstances.

All the best

TrentePieds

[JPA Cate]

One problem is that with your house being a boat, they will not issue "homeowners insurance."

Most people who live aboard, are required to carry third party liability insurance. Finding it, and especially for boats over 40 yrs. old, is getting more and more difficult. There are many threads about it, from just this year alone. I'd suggest a Custom Google Search on liability insurance for sailboats.

Ann

[sailorboy1]

Been on my boat full time and am a florida resident and no insurance cp has asked me if I am a "liveaboard"

[denverd0n]

Laws in the state of Florida specifically define a "live aboard vessel" to be...
(a) A vessel used solely as a residence and not for navigation;
(b) A vessel for which a declaration of domicile has been filed pursuant to s. 222.17; or
(c) A vessel used as a residence that does not have an effective means of propulsion for safe navigation.


So, based on the laws of Florida, it is likely that your boat is NOT a "live aboard" even if you do happen to live aboard it.


That is why you are running into problems with the insurance companies. You are NOT lying to them, if you tell them that your vessel is NOT a "live aboard vessel."


See relevant statute here: Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Been on my boat full time and am a florida resident and no insurance cp has asked me if I am a "liveaboard"

This is the point I was trying to make. I am not at all suggesting anyone engage in insurance fraud.

I have never seen any form asking me to attest to whether or not I'm a 'Liveaboard'. No such checkbox or verbal discussion. About the closest question I get is "Is this a recreational or commercial vessel?"

[alctel]

I got asked if I lived on my vessel from all three insurance companies I got a quote from in BC, it was an actual question on the form.

I told the truth and answered yes, and I haven't got a clue if it affected the final quote price I got or not, but thought it best not to lie...

[goboatingnow]

You are a live aboard if you offer the boat as your address. I live in my boats 9 months at a time. However I have and maintain a primary private residence on land.

If you do not have a primary residence on land you are a live aboard.

[bigpizza]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Laws in the state of Florida specifically define a "live aboard vessel" to be...
(a) A vessel used solely as a residence and not for navigation;
(b) A vessel for which a declaration of domicile has been filed pursuant to s. 222.17; or
(c) A vessel used as a residence that does not have an effective means of propulsion for safe navigation.


So, based on the laws of Florida, it is likely that your boat is NOT a "live aboard" even if you do happen to live aboard it.


That is why you are running into problems with the insurance companies. You are NOT lying to them, if you tell them that your vessel is NOT a "live aboard vessel."


See relevant statute here: Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine

This is great. Thanks, this really clears everything up A LOT.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by bigpizza

The insurance company uses "live aboard" as a category to determine what kind of insurance they can provide.


Also, I'm posting in the Life Aboard a Boat > Liveaboard's Forum

Call Progressive.