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Rescue insurance - coming your way


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Here's a question though.

 

Under which circumstances would each of us here abandon our ship and require rescue?

 

For me I would abandon ship only under the following circumstances:

 

1: Accidentally washed into the sea, MOB (not really a conscious decision)

 

2: Boat is heading for the bottom, or is broken up on the rocks.

 

3: Serious medical attention needed. ie. compound fracture, severe trauma, stroke, heart attack etc. Not that you're likely to make it after a stroke anyway.

 

Can we add to this list?

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FIRE!!

 

EXPLOSION of gas Stove / bottle

 

Food and then running out of ICE, Coke, beer, rum and lastly water.

 

Does that help you :wave:

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Well, yes, the fire is obvious. If you can't fight it you're getting off, and the explosion kinda makes you get off I suppose.

 

Food and water... yeah ok, although that might come under severe medical problems... you're not gonna last long without the water. Also easier to control than the fire or explosion, and easier to plan for.

 

The Rum and ice are harder to control....

 

You'd first have to sail north to the Caribbean and then a long way south to pick up an ice berg or two.

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All mute points though. It is only a catastrophy that the recod breaking sailors need rescuing from anyway. The Authorities are trying to recover costs from those exact kind if incidents.

I see no issue with risk takers taking an insurance to cover possible rescue. The one problem is going to be finding an insurer that will take the risk.

The main fear is going to be how do you draw a line between an adventurer and a normal joe blogs sailing around the world. I can easily see the later being called "adventureres" also. It is already a case of being impossible to get insurance for off shore passages, unless you have really deep pockets, but hey we are sailors, so would this mean we can't get to sail anywhere because we have to have insurance first?

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N.B. I rationed my water out so that it was the "LAST" thing to be used up :!: :!: :P :P :P :lol:

 

Whales are a danger as are shipping containers.

 

I have not yet hit a shipping container,

 

but my other score is Paul 2, Whales NIL . . . .

 

and may it stay that way for a long time.

 

Hitting a whale every 35 years is still a good safety average but does it put up my insurance risk :?: :think:

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This has the potential to be a huge mess - will be interesting to see how [whether] they resolve issues like:

 

- the affordability argument. Some will say - and probably accurately - that they will no longer be able to afford to sail if such insurance is required. However it could also be said that they are able to do so currently and expect to be rescued (on their call) because others, often citizens of a different country, stay at work and pay taxes/rates

 

- a number of apparently "soft" abandonments

 

- finding an insurer as Wheels points out, with the "budget" (if I may use the word) outfits potentially likely to attract the highest premiums

 

- "just let me go out there without insurance and if something goes wrong, I will sort it out myself or die trying." Given the issues that are raised when the concept of euthanasia is discussed (on land, with the benefit of time and an abundance of doctors, psychologists, lawyers etc on the spot to ensure that the person is making the decision of their own free will), the practicalities for letting a distressed crew go down eludes me. What if one on board is willing to take their chances and the rest are screaming to be rescued? (e.g. Air Apparent).

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I'm just tired, as I guess many of us are, of increasingly onerous legislation which removes freedoms under the guise of protecting us from ourselves.

I want to be free to make my own decisions about the way I live my life and the risks I take.

 

An easy solution to the rescue insurance is:

 

"If you don't have rescue insurance, don't expect to be rescued UNLESS there is a vessel or capability in the immediate vicinity." (ie 50NM)

 

This means we are free to do as we like, we may choose to take insurance, or if we can't afford it we are aware of the risks.

 

No insurer on the planet would take on the risk of Abby, Laura, or even Emma. Emma had a well found boat. But really the risks were and are incredibly high. 1:1 at the moment. I don't know how premiums are calculated but like that I'd expect rescue cover to be somewhere near 500K per trip for such "adventures."

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It would be huge I think Dr W and probably well beyond the reach of many. It cost moonbeams to get the 3rd party required for the Sydney Hobart.

 

Like you I go knowing full well it's up to me to get from point A to point B without assistance. Sure if the boat suddenly disappeared and I was in a liferaft I'd pop an alarm but otherwise I run the programme it's totally up to the boats crew if they get there or knot. I clearly state this to all my crews pre-departure along with once we untie if you want off feel free to borrow a life jacket as you will be swimming a bloody long way all on your lonesome. To date I've never had to come close to enforcing any of that and hope I never do.

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