Hi, my name is Matthew Hoey from Port Side Marine Insurance. We don't like to be fear mongers", yet we care that you are well protected and want you to avoid costs and problems in the spring. Here are a couple stories for you of claim issues and reasons why you should have a dealer winterize your boat.
1. Owner of a 37 foot boat winterized his own boat he came back in the winter there was a crack down the center of the hull. His entire galley was destroyed. All the cabinetry was hit especially hard the custom counter tops and cabinets were all destroyed. Aviva Elite Insurance declined the claim because the boat was not properly winterized.
2. Owner of a 18 foot runabout took his boat to a mechanic to have winterized. The winterization wasn’t done properly and there was an issue. The entire engine needed to be replaced. The claim was made and the held up because the client had used a mechanic. The insurance company then went after the mechanic and his “errors and omissions” commercial policy covered the claim.
The best thing I suggest to our customers is to check your wordings carefully (or talk to your licensed broker). Regardless of who you are insured with (whether it be Aviva, Dominion, CNA, Premier Marine or on your home policy) when it comes to winterization - be sure! When a qualified marina takes care of the winterization it removes the client from any potential issues in the spring and gives serious peace of mind.
Matthew Hoey matt@portsideinsurance.ca