my Insurance journey.

dvx216

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Feb 1, 2012
2,692
Catawaba Island/Orrville,Oh.
Boat Info
340 Sundancer 2001
Engines
8.1s 370 v drv.
Up until 6 seasons ago we owned what I call trailer boats the ones small enough to travel with and keep at home. Before we bought our first slip boat insurance was just name brand car and home insurance providers. We bought our 2000 310 Da. in February now before you get started it was all based on a passing sea trial in the spring. So for years we had Nationwide cover our 230Wk. When early spring came and the 310 passed all it's test I called the agent that we had for the 230. At this time I gave him everything he needed to know to insure my new to us boat. from the survey Doc. we had done before buying the 310. The agent told me we were good to go and we wee covered to bring her to the home port. This meant a roughly hour trip from Maumee River to Catawba Island. Now here's where the BS started. I ask the ins. agent to Email me my Doc. sheet so I would have it when we were going to bring the boat to our home port. He told me he wasn't allowed to do that and I would be receiving it in the mail in a couple days but he assured me that we were covered. The trip with the boat went off with no problems even though we brought here home April 11th in North Easterly winds it was a bumpy ride. When I got the Doc. sheet in the mail the year was off by 5 yrs, newer the model was put down as a 290Da. and the Hp. was only 250 Hp per motor. I called the agent and he told me he confused it with another boat he was working on. Now this was the first Red Flag. After a week later still no Doc. sheet I called Nationwide directly. The person I talked to took 15 minutes to find our boat's policy. I informed her of all the errors that was on my policy sheet. The age, length and total Horsepower the agent put on the Doc. was all because had didn't want to request a survey information form that he would have to file because of all the true information in the state of Ohio. At that point of the phone call with Nationwide became pretty salty on my behalf because our boat was not properly insured considering it was in the water. The lady told me that any errors on the Doc. sheet was up to the policy holder to clear up. She also told me that she could look into insuring my boat but it would take up to a week to process and she couldn't promise me that I would be covered. So with some colorful language I hung up. I got a hold of NBOA and Emailed them the survey that was done and in 24yrs. the boat was properly insured. A couple months later the agent from Nationwide called me and want to give me a price on insuring my Home , Auto and motorcycle. I screwed with him over to weeks leading him on . In the end I learned that in Ohio Ins. Co. will not insure a boat 10 years or older over 30' in length and over 500 hp total without a Survey. Why the agent didn't ask for the one I had done is beyond me.
 
I wonder how many others are in this position without the same diligence as you? They will learn the hard way when they have to file a claim I guess. The agent sounds very shady.
 
Sounds like some shady work on the agent's part. Bottom line, if you can't get the declarations page or certificate binding coverage, then you don't have coverage. I have found with any boat, the State Farm, Nationwide's, Allstates etc that are good with home and auto coverage, just don't cut it when it comes to boats. I would suspect the policy he was trying to write for you was not a true marine policy - that covers things like environmental damage from fuels spills, wreckage removal etc. You could have been in a world of problems if you had not realized all this and ended up having a claim down the road.
 
I gave State Farm a chance to quote insuring my Cobia when I got back into boating last year. They have my home and new vehicles. They don't "get" old classics and I learned they don't get boats either. Went with Chubb after my brother in law suggested them. They now have both the newer Cobia and my older Sea Ray insured. They didn't require a survey for either boat. Chubb "gets" boats.
 
Up until 6 seasons ago we owned what I call trailer boats the ones small enough to travel with and keep at home. Before we bought our first slip boat insurance was just name brand car and home insurance providers. We bought our 2000 310 Da. in February now before you get started it was all based on a passing sea trial in the spring. So for years we had Nationwide cover our 230Wk. When early spring came and the 310 passed all it's test I called the agent that we had for the 230. At this time I gave him everything he needed to know to insure my new to us boat. from the survey Doc. we had done before buying the 310. The agent told me we were good to go and we wee covered to bring her to the home port. This meant a roughly hour trip from Maumee River to Catawba Island. Now here's where the BS started. I ask the ins. agent to Email me my Doc. sheet so I would have it when we were going to bring the boat to our home port. He told me he wasn't allowed to do that and I would be receiving it in the mail in a couple days but he assured me that we were covered. The trip with the boat went off with no problems even though we brought here home April 11th in North Easterly winds it was a bumpy ride. When I got the Doc. sheet in the mail the year was off by 5 yrs, newer the model was put down as a 290Da. and the Hp. was only 250 Hp per motor. I called the agent and he told me he confused it with another boat he was working on. Now this was the first Red Flag. After a week later still no Doc. sheet I called Nationwide directly. The person I talked to took 15 minutes to find our boat's policy. I informed her of all the errors that was on my policy sheet. The age, length and total Horsepower the agent put on the Doc. was all because had didn't want to request a survey information form that he would have to file because of all the true information in the state of Ohio. At that point of the phone call with Nationwide became pretty salty on my behalf because our boat was not properly insured considering it was in the water. The lady told me that any errors on the Doc. sheet was up to the policy holder to clear up. She also told me that she could look into insuring my boat but it would take up to a week to process and she couldn't promise me that I would be covered. So with some colorful language I hung up. I got a hold of NBOA and Emailed them the survey that was done and in 24yrs. the boat was properly insured. A couple months later the agent from Nationwide called me and want to give me a price on insuring my Home , Auto and motorcycle. I screwed with him over to weeks leading him on . In the end I learned that in Ohio Ins. Co. will not insure a boat 10 years or older over 30' in length and over 500 hp total without a Survey. Why the agent didn't ask for the one I had done is beyond me.
Technically once he told you that you were covered, you were covered. Not by Nationwide maybe but by the agents errors and omissions policy.
 

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