yacht insurance for circumnavigation

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Bluewater cruising insurance – what you need to know

• April 13, 2022

Janneke Kuysters looks at bluewater cruising insurance and explains what you need to know and why it's become increasingly difficult to insure your yacht for long distance cruising

There’s no getting around the fact it has become a lot harder to get boat insurance, particularly bluewater cruising insurance. However, there are still ways to secure good coverage – you just need to know what makes insurers tick.

If you want to ruin any cruising sailors’ potluck party on a tropical beach, just drop in a question about boat insurance. Many boat owners have stories to tell. Just about every aspect of the process has become more complicated for bluewater cruising insurance, it takes a bigger chunk out of the cruising budget every year and the rising deductibles make it more and more tempting to go uninsured. So, what is going on in the market and how do you get proper insurance to match your cruising plans?

How bluewater cruising insurance works

First, let’s look at who you are dealing with when you try to get your yacht insured for a trip to the Med, the Caribbean or a circumnavigation.

The insurance company covers your yacht: they write the cheque when there are damages to it or when you’ve caused damage. All this depends on the conditions that you agreed to when taking the policy, but in general, you don’t deal with the insurance company directly when you try to get insurance for a bluewater itinerary. Unlike car insurance, boat insurance is a very specific product and it requires a tailor made approach. Most likely you’ll do business with a broker or an underwriting agent.

Uninsured yacht owners could face enormous salvage, repair and environmental damage costs if the worst should happen. Photo: Ben Welsh Premium/Alamy

The broker considers you, your boat and your plans and presents this ‘package’ to several insurance companies. A single insurance company may want to insure you, but it could also be a syndicate of insurers: each insurer accepting a certain percentage of the risk presented by your package.

There are different kinds of brokers; the difference lies in the amount of work they take off the hands of the insurance companies. If the broker is just helping you to get cover for your beautiful blue water itinerary, you’ll get a policy with the header of the insurance company. If the broker does a lot more work, for instance manning phone lines for 24/7 assistance and handling of claims, you may find their company name at the top of your policy. Brokers that take the most work off the hands of the insurers are called managing general agents (MGAs).

What has changed?

Why has it become more complicated to get yacht insurance for blue water voyages? Mike Wimbridge, managing director of Pantaenius UK, explains: “Yacht insurance for offshore itineraries has always been a tailor made market. And we see that, in recent years, there has been less appetite from the insurance companies when it comes to yacht insurance in general. For coastal cruising in UK waters, things are still fairly easy to insure. But for more bespoke risks like insuring a bluewater cruise, we see that the market is nervous.”

There are several reasons behind this change, Wimbridge says. “Up until 2017 this was a highly competitive market, so prices were as low as possible. It then became untenable for many insurers, especially when a few big windstorms tore through areas where lots of yachts were stored.

“Insurance companies and their reinsurance companies pulled out of the market, leaving a few behind who needed to safeguard their financial situation. So the premiums and deductibles rose. Things are stabilising now, but we still see slight increases annually.”

There are other factors at play. The effects of climate change mean extreme weather events happen more often.

Sailing off the beaten track can be challenging to insure. Photo: Janneke Kuysters

The typical consumer profile has also changed. In the past, yacht owners usually set off on passage armed with sextants, paper charts and a wealth of experience. Nowadays it has become a lot easier to get started – thanks to everything from computer-based navigation systems to powered sail handling – so owners can set off on a bluewater cruise with less experience.

At the same time, boats have become larger and potential claims more expensive: a single lightning strike can destroy tens of thousands of pounds worth of electronics, so it’s perhaps understandable insurers can be nervous to write bespoke policies.

However, there are signs that the market is rebalancing. Ric De Cristofano, director of underwriting with Topsail Insurance, says: “The good news is that the insurance market is cyclical: it will bounce back. I think we have the worst time behind us and we’ll see that insurers become more open to write policies for bluewater cruising yachts.”

How to get bluewater cruising insurance

If you are looking for insurance for a bluewater itinerary, Wimbridge says, “Getting a quote is getting harder and harder. You have to ‘pitch’ yourself, your boat and your plans to the insurer. The broker can help you to do this or you can select a carrier that has staff on hand who are experienced in this area. Things like your sailing CV, diplomas and those of your crew, previous long passages that you have successfully undertaken, and technical or managerial skills that will benefit your sailing, are very important to mention.

“When it comes to the boat: the more seaworthy, the better. There is no real threshold when it comes to boat value, but a well found yacht that is suitable for offshore cruising is paramount to get insurance.”

“We have added a maintenance log to our ‘pitch’ to get insurance,” say American cruisers Jason and Nicky Wynn (see gonewiththewynns.com). “This has added to the success of securing insurance for our boat.” Keep receipts and take photographs as proof of upgrades and repairs, and record a log of routine maintenance.

“The third element in your ‘pitch’ is your itinerary,” continues Wimbridge. “The Atlantic and Pacific are well-cruised areas where insurers can assess the risk they are writing. But if you’re heading around Cape Horn or further afield in the Indian Ocean, premiums will rise. So with your choice of itinerary you can influence the height of your premium and insurance conditions.”

Hurricane damaged yacht. Photo: Pantaenius

In general, insurers are not keen to cover your yacht if you sail in areas with a cyclone/hurricane risk. They have predefined areas and dates which are important to adhere to if you want to stay insured. You will also have a very hard time finding insurance to sail in areas with political instability, war or threats of terrorism. War Risk zones are internationally acknowledged areas where even large commercial ships pay breathtaking insurance premiums.

De Cristofano adds: “Start looking for an insurer at least six months before you plan to leave. Have a chat with your broker to see if they will be able to find insurers that will cover your itinerary. Give yourself ample time to put your ‘pitch’ together and to discuss possible alternatives with your insurer that will lead to a policy that fits your budget.

“It pays to negotiate about the deductible: if you are willing to accept a higher deductible, this may make a significant difference in the premium you will be paying, because it signals to the insurer that you have confidence in your yacht and your skills to maintain it properly.”

However, Wimbridge warns: “Price is not all; think of insurance as a partnership with the insurer. The cheapest policy may not do what you need it to do when you are in trouble on the other side of the planet. You need an insurer who has the knowledge and the capacity to get help to you where you are: spare parts, technical assistance or even worst case, salvage. A lot of the cheaper insurance options will require hiring a third party provider locally, which may present all sorts of cultural and language barriers. So look at the quality of the policy.”

Real world solutions

Bill Garlick is a well known name in the cruising community: many boat owners who have sailed to the other side of the world and run into trouble with their insurance get help from Bill at The Marina Shop in Opua, New Zealand.

“The marine insurance market had a monumental dislocation at the end of 2018 when many Lloyds pleasure craft syndicates closed their books,” Garlick explains. “The lost capacity created a worldwide shortage of marine insurance for pleasure craft. Cover was difficult to find and premiums started rising. Around 95% of our clients were insured with Lloyds at the end of 2018 and those now with Lloyds can be counted on one hand. A number of insurers stepped in to fill the abyss which meant brokers and clients had to deal with new policy wordings and cruising parameters. By the end of 2019 most clients were placed with new insurers.

Keeping a log of regular maintenance can be helpful. Photo: Janneke Kuysters

“A consequence of the contracting market is that marine insurers have tighter criteria and marine insurance is more difficult to secure. Older (30 years-plus), smaller (under 40ft) and low value boats (less than US$100,000) are difficult and sometimes impossible to insure. Standing rigging must be no more than 10 years old (a rig inspection and report is no longer acceptable), surveys are generally required when an insurer takes on a new risk unless the vessel is a relatively new factory production model.”

He adds: “Registration is now the key factor in securing marine insurance. Many insurers are not registered in all countries/jurisdictions so they can only offer cover to certain flags. Choosing a flag is now the decision that determines which – if any – insurers can offer terms.”

Claudia Masson, CEO of the specialised German yacht insurance broker Preuss, says Brexit has also had an impact on European brokers: “Since Brexit, it is no longer possible for us to insure a UK registered yacht with a UK owner. We’ve had to cancel all the policies of our UK clients; this has limited the amount of alternatives there are for UK boat owners.”

“Lightning, windstorm and saltwater damage to electronics and electrical systems are problematic,” adds Garlick. “Many marine insurers simply refuse to offer cover for these risks and others mitigate their exposure by offering high excesses/deductibles.”

Go uninsured?

Every year a number of cruising yacht owners decide to sail uninsured. There are several reasons for this, but usually it’s because of budget constraints or simply because they cannot find an insurer.

But there are considerable risks to going uninsured. First of all, some countries will not let you enter or leave without at least liability insurance – Panama being one example. The same applies to most harbours or marinas.

But the most important thing to consider when you sail uninsured is whether you can afford to lose your boat and equipment. Would being uninsured likely change your behaviour – would it make you less likely to issue a Mayday? In the case that you hit a reef, could you finance the cost of salvage and repairing environmental damage? Or the liability if you accidentally hit another yacht or a swimmer in the water?

“If you are considering sailing uninsured, there are insurers in the UK that will accept yachts for just the liability insurance,” says Ric De Cristofano of Topsail Insurance.

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How to Navigate Marine Insurance in 2021

• By Jennifer Brett
• Updated: June 30, 2021

If you’ve been on the hunt for a marine insurance policy over the past year or so, you likely already know that it’s a challenging market. Sailing and cruising groups on social media and web forums are filled with frequent posts about people struggling to find coverage, keep coverage, or just afford it. It’s a problem that seems to be affecting beginning cruisers and circumnavigators, with old boats or new. So what gives? How did the situation get to this point, and what can sailors do to protect their dream?

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and I’ve never seen a market this hard,” said Morgan Wells, a yacht-insurance specialist with Jack Martin and Associates. “There’s been a great reduction in the number of insurance companies writing boat and yacht insurance, and the international-cruiser segment of the market has been more adversely affected, particularly for boats anywhere on the US East Coast, and even more so for people looking for new policies for Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.”

Indeed, cruisers across the spectrum of locations and sea time are feeling the pinch. When looking to renew their current insurance policy last year, circumnavigators Behan and Jamie Gifford, who live aboard their 1982 Stevens 47, were met with a surprise. “When it came time to renew, we were quoted more than double our cost for insurance the year we planned to cross the Indian Ocean, 2015—an arguably very risky navigational area—and we now had the added requirement of a third adult for passages,” Behan said. “In the end, we didn’t renew at all, and currently have liability-only insurance. I’m not pleased about that and hope to get back to full hull insurance when the market comes around.”

Owners of newer boats don’t seem to be having an easier time either. “We bought a 2015 Jeanneau 64 in October 2020,” Dan Stotesbery said. “I have a lot of experience sailing, but none of it was logged, so I don’t have any credentials like a Yachtmaster or anything like that. My wife has even less experience. When we heard it was tough getting insurance, we were definitely worried about getting covered. Complicating the situation was that the boat was in Turkey, and I needed to sail it across the Atlantic to get to my wife and family. We reached out to the company that insured our house to see if they could find us a company that would insure the boat and especially the crossing. We received two quotes back and ended up getting insured with Concept Special Risk. They did put in a lot of stipulations, like we needed to have a captain for the crossing and at least two other people with bluewater experience, a list of countries we aren’t allowed to go in, and a 250-miles-from-land limit once the crossing was complete. It was extremely expensive, and there was an additional cost for the crossing.”

Changing Marketplace

So how did it get to this point? “We need to put it into context of a market that was very soft for many years—underwriters were looking for business,” Wells said. “There was a bit of a hiccup in the mid-2000s with some fairly significant storms, but generally it didn’t cause much change, and underwriters were still looking for ways to say yes. But then in 2017 came hurricanes Irma and Maria, then Dorian in 2019—these were extremely large losses to very large fleets of boats. Since 2017 we have seen the market flip from a soft to a hard market, and in fact, a very hard market by early 2021. We really have a big change now with fewer insurance companies and greater demand for insurance. And the pricing is much higher than it was a year ago. Irma and Maria showed the vulnerability in the market.”

Laura Lindstrom-Croop from Legacy Underwriters, noted that “many insurance companies left the Caribbean market in 2019-20. Pantaenius America was the first to leave,” she said. “The agency that I work with had YachtInsure, which lost its underwriter, Aspen Insurance, last summer. They have recently secured a new carrier, Clear Blue Specialty, that is writing new business but has new guidelines. Our second underwriter, Concept Special Risk, lost its company, Great Lakes Insurance, on January 1, 2021, but now it has a new company, Clear Springs Property and Casualty, that is writing new business with new guidelines.”

Suzanne Redden, mid-Atlantic branch manager for Gowrie Group, has had a similar experience. “Traditionally, when we would have someone coming in with a sailboat who wanted to do extended cruising, we had five, six, seven…at least that many companies who were willing to write that policy,” Redden said. “So there really wasn’t too much of an issue finding coverage for the customer, depending on where they wanted to go and their level of experience, that sort of thing. What we’re really struggling with now—and it’s a struggle—is that so many carriers have basically pulled out that our options are very limited as far as who is willing to write Caribbean navigation and worldwide navigation. Our choices are few. And what happens then is, of course, the prices go up because the company’s philosophy is ‘no one else wants to write here; we’ll write here, but this is what our actuaries tell us it’s going to cost to allow us to do that.’ So that’s why the rates have gone up.”

The cost to insure his Jeanneau 64 was definitely a bit of a surprise to Stotesbery: “The policy had to be paid upfront. That was the biggest surprise to us because we are used to paying car insurance monthly. This is also a hurdle that I think can be hard to overcome for some people. Not a lot of people have that kind of cash on hand to just fork out.”

Read More: How-To

Underwriting Difficulties

Along with higher costs, Redden also pointed out that the underwriting has changed a lot too. “Where before you would have had somebody who maybe had just a year or two experience, or they had just bought a boat, more companies would have been willing to let them take a trip. They look at it much more closely now when a new submission comes in. That’s made it more difficult, I think, for that sort of person to find insurance.”

According to Emma Whittemore, a service manager for BoatU.S./Geico Marine Insurance, underwriting has become much more sophisticated. “With the growth of data, insurance companies can really tell what group is a high-risk group,” she said. “We’re monitoring a lot more to make sure that the right people are behind the helm on these big, 35- to 60-foot boats. We want to make sure it’s not these customers’ first boat, and that they really know what they’re doing. Underwriting is fluid, but in general we always like to look at the ownership experience.”

This has been a particularly vexing problem for potential cruisers. Dana Fairchild and her husband live in Minnesota and have been planning for their cruising dream for the past few years. The couple has taken ASA sailing courses and chartered on Lake Superior but never owned their own sailboat. “Our cruising plans are to buy a boat large enough to live aboard; a 35- to 38-foot Island Packet is what we have in mind,” she said. “Due to the price point of Island Packets, we are looking at models from the 1990s. We plan to keep it on the East Coast of the US—somewhere above the hurricane zone during hurricane season, and probably down to Florida in the winter—for the first six months to a year while getting comfortable with the boat and used to the liveaboard lifestyle. After that we want to head to the Bahamas for a while, and eventually work our way down to the rest of the Caribbean and stay there.”

While the couple hasn’t purchased a boat yet, they’d heard the news that insurance might be difficult to find, so they reached out to a few companies to explain their plans and intended boat. “The short answer to what we’ve been hearing from insurance agencies is no. The reason for this is predominantly that we have not owned our own boat that is of comparable size, or at least within 10 feet. They don’t take into consideration that we have sailed and chartered boats of the same size, but really only want to see that a boat of comparable size was titled to us for at least two years”

Looking Ahead

So when faced with a denial, a notice of nonrenewal or a steep increase in premiums, what can a cruiser do? Is there coverage available? “What I am seeing, you have more choices if you limit your cruising to the US East Coast down to the Turks and Caicos,” Lindstrom-Croop said. “If you go to the Eastern Caribbean, you have fewer carriers, and some are writing coverage that doesn’t include hurricanes.

“I think cruisers are going to have to be patient and flexible. Also, update your sailing resume so when you shop around, you are giving the company a reason to give you the maximum credit available. Lower rates are probably not going to happen for a couple of years, climate change is weighing heavily on insurers, and the large number of storms recently is worrisome.”

Communication is crucial. Each of the insurance professionals I spoke with made it clear that underwriters are looking much more closely than in years past, and detailed sailing resumes and hurricane plans can help your chances. For newer cruisers, scaled-back sailing plans could help as well because finding coverage for a smaller cruising area will likely be much easier than, say, the entire East Coast and Bahamas. And for older vessels, a survey might be required for renewal.

“Some of the companies have gone to where they won’t write a boat over 40 years old,” Redden said. “Gowrie Group offers the Jackline program, which is a cruising program through Markel Insurance, which is really one of the last US companies still doing extended cruising, but they’re very restrictive on what they will write and how they’ll write it. But they will take older boats. Experience is the key.”

“It is harder to insure an older boat, but it can be done,” Lindstrom-Croop said. “There are just fewer markets. An older boat needs to be maintained well and have a current survey, within three years. I like to submit the survey along with the application when marketing so the underwriters can see the boat.”

For the time being, it seems that cruisers, such as Stotesbery, who currently have—albeit expensive—coverage are doing what they can to keep it. “We have had several major repairs to do on the boat, which we probably could have put in a claim for, but we are too worried about getting dropped or not covered next year, so we just paid for the repairs,” he said. “So it’s sort of a Catch-22. Unless we have a catastrophic type of claim, we don’t want to make one, but we still pay the high premium without really being able to take advantage of the protection. We will definitely start shopping again once we get closer to our renewal date. Unfortunately, there just aren’t a lot of insurance choices out there, so it is quite limiting, and they hold all of the cards.”

Others, such as the Giffords, are going without full coverage for now, while potential cruisers, such as the Fairchilds, might need to put their dream on hold. “As for how this is impacting our plans, it has really made us start to second-guess that this is even a possible plan. We have become discouraged, and this has really put a halt to most of the steps we were taking,” Fairchild said.

Wells, Redden and Lindstrom-Croop are optimistic for things improving in the insurance market over the next year or so, but all emphasize having patience. “We’re hoping that things will change for the better,” Redden said. “We’ve got some companies now that pulled out that are coming back, but it’s a very slow process.”

Jennifer Brett is CW’s senior editor.

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How To Make Yacht Insurance Suck Less

We’re starting our 6th year as liveaboard offshore sailors. And without a doubt, yacht insurance has been the most unexpected pain in the arse!

We’d always been told: Getting sailboat insurance the first year would be a challenge.  It will be the most expensive for year one because we were newbies…with almost zero sailing experience. But those two warnings were quickly followed up with a little optimism: As you stretch your sea-legs, gain more sailing experience and log more time on the water, options would open up and insurance would get cheaper.

Lies. All Lies.

And it’s not just us, it’s every offshore USA flagged boat owner we talk to. Yacht insurance as an American sailor abroad just kinda sucks. Especially in the South Pacific (for some odd reason). I can’t offer up any words of wisdom on how to fix this mind-bending insurance system, but we have learned a lot on how to best present ourselves and our vessel.

Of course, we are NOT experts and there is still a lot we don’t know. But, if you’re a newbie buying your first boat or a fellow sailor struggling to get offshore, bluewater, around-the-world coverage, hopefully, this information will make the process suck a little less.

Here are the biggest tips we’ve learned about getting boat insurance.

Why is it so difficult to get offshore yacht insurance???

We ask this question to all the insurance brokers we contact and here are some of the responses we’ve received.

• “The current yacht insurance market is getting hard to place coverage for cruisers abroad, and with the majority of the south pacific closed it isn’t very appetizing for US or London Insurers to provide coverage. Inevitably with time, the insurance industry will reopen.”
• “Big, negative changes in the boat insurance markets due to 100,000+ lost vessels in the last 3 years.”
• (increase in natural disasters: hurricanes, floods…)
• “If anyone asks you to sign a Broker of Record Letter , they are trying to get you a quote that I’ve already sent to you…the number of options (or offshore insurance) are narrowing down!”
• Underwriters had a lot of losses in the hurricanes and have really cut down on writing new business that involves long passage making and remote places. If the vessel has a claim, it is hard to find a haul-out, get work done, adjustors, survey, etc.

Why We Need Insurance

Our catamaran is our home, transportation, and everything we own. To us, it’s just not worth risking. In the past, sailors talked about cruising without insurance and how it wasn’t necessary. But the rules are changing. Even in the 5 years, we’ve been sailing we’ve noticed more and more places where sailboat insurance is a requirement. If you plan to sail around the world, here are some of the reasons why you may need yacht insurance.

• Many countries are mandating insurance for entering yachts (Australia, Portugal, and others). And some countries like Panama and Ecuador have required proof of insurance from us when checking into the country.
• Marina’s, Mooring Balls, and Haul Out Yards will require proof of insurance.
• If you have a loan on your vessel, the bank will most likely require insurance.
• Hit and Run Boaters are also a thing.  Insurance is expensive and many boaters choose to go without.  Imagine when that person accidentally bashes into your boat while you’re on a provision run…it’s not likely they’re going to drop the hook, dinghy over and leave a note on your boat with their contact info.  Shoot, even if you see them do it what are the chance you’re going to get money out of them?  If you have ‘hit and run’ coverage your insurance company will pay for the repairs.
• Liability! There are a lot of scenarios we could talk about here (dragging anchor, busting off a mooring, hitting a $10,000,000 mega yacht at a fancy marina) and it’s all about what else we could damage that isn’t our boat. If we were to run up a reef, we become responsible for not only the removal and repair of our vessel but any damage to the reef, the property we’re on, and even the government agencies that maintain the oceans/fisheries. Talk about going bankrupt in a hot second!

3 Important Questions To Ask

There is a lot of industry jargon to interpret when it comes to boat insurance. It’s important to do your homework, read the policies, research anything you don’t understand, and ask a lot of questions. Here are some of our standard inquires.

• Is this an ACTUAL CASH value or AGREED AMOUNT value policy? We want Agreed Amount .  If the insurance company has agreed to insure our vessel at $300k, then we should receive a payout near that agreed value (not whatever some random computer says the generic value is. We have a lot of upgrades on our boat that the average coastal cruiser or charter boat wouldn’t have).
• Salvage: Who picks up the bill if the boat needs to be salvaged? (from sinking, hurricane damage, etc) When we have a claim, how much help will the insurance company give us? For example, if the boat is damaged in a storm: Who handles the Salvage claims and repair process (find salver, crane, trucking, towing, repair facility, angry property owners, govt. official/agencies). To handle all of this on your own can be EXTREMELY STRESSFUL.
• Consequential Damage: Does the policy have consequential damage coverage: For example what if a corroded through-hull causes the boat to sink (thinking of our single-hulled friends), or a fire breaks out and we don’t have automatic fire suppression in the engine locker (because we don’t)…If we don’t have consequential damage coverage, then a total loss claim could be chalked up to wear and tear.

Terms are Negotiable

Don’t take the initial quote as gospel. Just because a quote comes back with restrictions and requirements doesn’t mean they can’t be negotiated. If you don’t like something, ask about what you can do to change it.  Provide additional documentation, upgrade something, take a higher deductible, take a first aid class…ya never know unless you ask.

If the policy says you need to be out of the hurricane zone by June 1 st , but your boat isn’t ready to leave, ask for an extension and provide the reasoning. They may give you an extra couple of weeks at no cost. It’s worked for us while we were in Florida.

Crew requirements can be modified. If the underwriter says you need a 4-person crew, resend your sailing resume and plea your case and experience. Explain how your vessel is set up for single-handing, or how you’ve sailed with a smaller crew in more challenging conditions. If it’s compelling, they can make adjustments.  We’ve had to do this a couple of times over the years before paying for a new insurance policy,

If a new policy requires a haul-out and survey, but it’s not possible (or cost-prohibitive) to get this at your current location, tell them your intentions are to get a survey once you arrive at the next destination. They may give you 30 or 60 days after arrival to complete it. One of our quotes for 2021 agreed to let us delay the survey until after we arrived in NZ.

Rates We Have Paid

We all like real-world numbers and not hypotheticals. So here is a very quick glance at what we have paid over the past 6 years of being offshore sailors.

Remember, we have had to find a new policy every freaking year.  Each year we contact everyone on the list below for quotes, but this year (2021) we hit a new record: The worst quote we’ve ever received at a whopping $11,300 from LJJ (a Lloyds of London underwriter).

We insure our 2005 Leopard 43 Sailing Catamaran at a value of $320,000 usd.

• 2016, Florida/Bahamas: $3860
• 2017, Florida/Bahamas/Panama/Ecuador: $4943
• 2018, Ecuador/ French Polynesia: $4655
• 2019, French Polynesia/Cook Islands/Niue/Tonga: $5517
• 2020, Tonga: $6674
• 2021, Tonga/New Zealand – $4305   (Brokerage: The Marina Shop NZ)

Who To Contact

Yacht Insurance is a complicated world filled with what feels like way too many cooks in the kitchen. There are insurance brokers, insurance companies (including mutual insurance associations), reinsurance companies, and adjusters. To further confuse things, many of the insurance companies are backed by insurance giants like Markel and Lloyd’s of London.

For simplicity’s sake, we’re breaking this up into 2 groups: Yacht Insurance Brokers and Yacht Insurance Companies.

Finding companies that insure US-flagged vessels and provide coverage in our intended cruising area is difficult. One year a company won’t quote us, the next they will. It changes every year and so even if you don’t get a favorable quote one year, try again next year.

Yacht Insurance Brokers

A broker is who we contact to get the quotes and they may work with or submit our information to 1 or 100 different insurance companies to get quotes. We contact at least half a dozen brokers every year for quotes. TIP : If you’ve already received quotes from certain companies, tell the broker in advance so they don’t spend their time getting you exactly the same quotes. Here are the brokers we contact each year. Ask your fellow sailors for their broker information too.

• The Marina Shop (NZ), Contact: Bill Garlick
• International Waters Insurance Services, Contact: Susan Waters
• Novamar Insurance, Contact: Charlie Bailey
• Bailey’s Insurance (NZ), Contact: Ken Monk
• W.R. Hodgens Marine Insurance, Contact: Bill Hodgens
• Global Marine Insurance Agency, Contact: Susan Everhard

Yacht Insurance Companies

This is who is writing and backing the policy (underwriter, reinsurance). Here are the ones we’ve tried with notes on quotes or responses.  Your experience with each will no doubt be different.

• Jackline – Will not insure yachts with lithium batteries
• Yachtinsure Limited – Not insuring in the S. Pacific
• Concept – Medium-High quote, loads of restrictions
• LJJ Associates – Highest Quote
• Kemah Marine – High Quote, Few Restrictions
• Admiral Marine – Only insures European vessels
• Chubb Insurance – Cannot quote yachts outside the USA
• Club Marine – Only insures coastal cruising (250 nm from land) in AU, NZ, and TAS
• Pantaenius – High Rate Quotes for the Atlantic & would not quote us for the S. Pacific
• National Specialty Insurance (State National) – Insured us in 2019 & 2020
• Global Yacht Cover – Insured us in 2018
• DUAL Aqua – Insured us in 2017

Sailing Resume, Boat Resume & Maintenance Log

Probably the biggest lesson we’ve learned is to invest time in creating and maintaining a sailing resume, boat resume, and maintenance log. We’ve had multiple insurance brokers compliment us on our approach with these documents and tell us it does make a big difference.

Sailing Resume

Think of it just like a personal job resume. You can even use the free templates online from Microsoft word or whatever program you have. If you want some examples, search for yacht crew resume and you’ll find bunches. But, here is what we have on ours.

• Any professional sailing instruction or certifications (ASA courses). A list or table of the number of days, sizes of vessel, and level of instruction such as basic introduction, skippering training, bareboat charter, off-shore training.
• A good headshot of us at the helm.
• Any safety instruction or certifications. First Aid, First Responder…we even list our PADI open water certification.
• List of boats that you have owned, the type of boat, the size, and for how long.
• We include what country or body of water it was in.
• We note the nautical miles sailed.
• Note if it was a multi-day (list how many days) or overnight passage.
• Special endorsements that you have been given by an instructor (ex: catamaran sailing, engine maintenance, maneuvering and docking, heavy weather, etc.). Letters of recommendations from certified captains can help prove competency.

Boat Resume

I haven’t been able to find any examples online but I think of it much like a for sale listing.  Lots of photos (front, sides, back, top-down) and I list out every safety benefit I can muster.  We include:

• Year, Make, Builder, Length:  2005 R&C Leopard 43 Sailing Catamaran.
• Home Port, Registration (US Coast Guard), MMSI number, Hull ID number.
• Tender information (and photos): Year, make, construction type, registration, hull ID, engine.
• Description of the boat, how it’s known as a bluewater sailboat built for reliable construction, seaworthiness, and performance. With extra emphasis on reinforced construction, sealed bulkheads, high-quality materials…
• Images of the layout of the boat from the manufacture (scans of original brochure).
• List out all additional upgrades and safety equipment (anything showing redundancy, additional safety, or reliability)
• Details of our sail plans for the year (passage from Tonga to New Zealand, coastal waters of New Zealand)
• Quick List of Crew and experience. The cliff notes version of our sailing resumes.

Maintenance Log

This one is fairly straightforward. We have photos from our haul-outs and list work completed, upgrades, and replacements.

We have our most recent survey and a signed survey compliance list from the yard proving that we completed the tasks mandated by the marine surveyor. But ask your broker before sending this, if your survey is more than 2 years old they may want you to ‘keep it in your pocket’ and only provide it if the underwriter requests it.

We also keep a maintenance log of our engines and routine maintenance. We let the broker know this is available upon request.

Tips To Get The Best Quote

There are a lot of factors that affect boat insurance costs. The age and condition of the vessel, the cruising area, and your experience all matter. But there are a lot of extra details worth considering.

• Select the highest deductible you can afford. Often it’s automatically set at 5%-10% on quotes. If you can afford 15% or 20% it can save a substantial amount each year.
• Umbrella Policy: Insure personal articles through another insurance company like homeowners, renter’s insurance, personal items policy, etc.
• Be realistic with your estimated values and revisit them each year. If similar boats are selling for $100k don’t try to insure your boat for $150k. If you paid $10k for your RIB 5 years ago, consider lowering the estimated value to reflect the market value.
• Limit Emergency Evacuation and Towing benefits. Seek 3 rd party companies as they are sometimes less expensive and provide more comprehensive services. For example DAN (Divers Alert Network) or programs like Sea Tow or Boat US.  Also, check with your health insurance company about the costs of adding medical evacuation.
• Safety: Upgrade your safety gear like Bilge Pumps, EPRIB, Off-Shore Life vests, Life Raft, Flares, AIS MOB, etc. One insurance company wanted to make sure our vessel had an EXTRA 1500 gph bilge pump that could be easily wired and placed in the bilge for emergencies.
• Cruising Plans: Be realistic with your Cruising Plans and understand the navigational limits. Cruising grounds requested can play a big role in coverage and cost. Some countries are considered safer to visit and cost less to insure. For example, it is possible to sail to Cuba, but many insurance agencies will charge an extra premium because navigation aids aren’t kept up and charts aren’t always accurate, making it more challenging to navigate. You can often add locations mid-policy, sometimes for free, or for way less than adding it to your planned navigation route from the start.
• Stay out of hurricane or cyclone zones when possible.
• Storm Plan: If you boat in a hurricane zone, your insurer may expect you to provide a hurricane plan. If a storm approaches, will you have it stored in a hurricane-proof facility or will you sail it to a safe harbor? How will you secure it? How many anchors & lines do you have, and what thickness? The right answers can affect your rates, maybe even lower them, but be prepared to follow the plan because your coverage may require it.
• Lock up your dinghy, and dinghy engine even on the davits. Lock lockers with valuable items like SCUBA compressors, or expensive toys. Take photos for proof. Many of our policies had notes in the “fine print” saying if a dinghy (or locker) wasn’t locked up, they wouldn’t cover the loss.
• Recent Marine Survey (Less than 3 Years Old, Proves the Age and Condition of the Vessel).
• Install an Automatic Fire Suppression System.
• Enlist more crew for passages.
• Go propane-free.
• Complete higher certifications (such as a Captain’s License).

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Owners' advice: An insider's guide to world circumnavigation

It's all relative.

Image courtesy of Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

Yacht owners and racers who have done it already offer their advice to help you get the most out of your epic world circumnavigation...

It's all relative: Dee Caffari, record-breaking circumnavigator

“You go through a storm and it’s bad, but the next storm is a comparison to the last one – is it as bad or is it a little easier? And you grow in confidence as you go,” says Dee Caffari, who just finished her sixth circumnavigation, this time as skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race team Turn the Tide on Plastic.

Oddly enough, Caffari says she never set out to sail around the world. “It was an opportunity that presented itself,” says the ex-PE teacher of skippering a yacht crewed by amateurs in the Global Challenge race in 2004, “and from there it kind of evolved. Each time I push my boundaries that little bit further.” You could say the next time she pushed a lot further. Her second circumnavigation made history as she became the first woman to sail single-handed non-stop “the wrong way around”, against the prevailing winds and currents.

So why does she do it? “I love the environment you get to play in. No two days are ever the same; you’re constantly being challenged. The ocean is a pretty magical place and I think we’re lucky to have that as our office.”

“It’s not always going to be smooth sailing, but you will regret not going,” say the owners of Enso . They were inspired by “Sailing La Vagabonde” – YouTube videos of a couple with no previous sailing experience going around the world. “They got out and did it instead of 99 per cent of the world who just think about it,” says the husband.

Enso’s owners jumped into a circumnavigation with both feet, setting off immediately after taking delivery of their new 25 metre Oyster 825. You could say their shakedown cruise was the Oyster World Rally. For the wife, it was a jump into the deep end as her previous sailing experience amounted to a week in Sardinia .

The rewards have been innumerable for Enso’s owners: from freediving with manta rays in Bora Bora to the 300kg marlin they caught and released in the Tuamotus, they have enjoyed vibrant ecosystems off the beaten yachting path. Sharing these experiences with family and friends has made it even more special.

They do admit that leaving so quickly after delivery had a downside. It took time to build the tight-knit crew they’ve had for the past 11 months. And they underestimated the impact that maintenance and warranty work would have on their time. “A new boat is always going to have a lot of warranty work in the first 12 months until it gets into its own rhythm and the crew understand the boat. A year-old boat is actually a much better proposition,” they advise.

Get involved

The owners of 25 metre Southern Wind SW82 Feelin’ Good have been sailing around the world for nearly four years. “Not everyone is able to take the time to be this involved, which makes us appreciate this experience all the more,” they say.

“The long days spent sailing the open sea are the best in my opinion because it is the essence of the journey,” says the husband, who most enjoyed the stretch from Galápagos to Marquesas known as the Coconut Milk Run for its excellent sea conditions. “We sailed the entire passage on one tack! The night sky at sea is like no other, and at the midway point, the closest humans are passing overhead inside the International Space Station.”

The husband and wife both participate alongside their crew on board. “I take my watches along with everyone else, but my wife’s talent is in the galley; she can be down there cooking under any conditions,” says the husband.

Their advice for other owners is to be as involved as possible. “Be on board as much as you can and share the experience with your crew, because it will change your life.”

It's a big world

On Lenny Recanati’s office desk sits an antique globe and a model of his 27 metre Jongert Vivid , which says it all. “I have loved travelling all my life,” he says. “To do it by boat is the best way. On a boat you can go to the end of the world!” Indeed, if the world were flat, he would have fallen off. He spent 12 years travelling on Vivid and has two circumnavigations under his belt, one around the equator and one from pole to pole.

“I like the more remote places where not too many people have been.” The Antarctica expedition stands out, he says, “because of the ferocious sea. In the Drake Passage, the winds were 50mph and the seas were like mountains. The first half hour was a little scary but then the boat gets in a rhythm, you get used to it and relax.”

Enjoy the ride

Many people plan and plan and plan for a circumnavigation and still never actually do it. Eddie Jordan is the opposite. He says he has no real idea what made him want to sail around the world, but now that it’s over, he wants to do it again. Or at least some parts of it.

His was a rush to the starting line of the first Oyster World Rally in 2013 with his then new 27 metre 885 Lush (above). Not studying the cruising guides in advance had some benefits. “I like the surprise element,” he says. “For example, I had never heard of the San Blas islands – probably the last set of islands in the world where they don’t have a currency and operate on a barter system. Our watermakers were running full time to give them as much water as they needed and we got beads and vegetables. We fished off the back of the boat all the time. We had the most magnificent fresh tuna carpaccio with a big glass of rosé wine; that for me was just heaven.”

Some destinations that he had built up in his mind before the trip, such as Bora Bora, turned out to be a disappointment. But there are other places he’d like to return to, such as Rangiroa, the Tuamotus’ largest atoll, where he swam with 50 to 60 blacktip sharks that came close enough to nip at his nose. And he never got a chance to visit Vanuatu. He plans to remedy that, perhaps on his just-purchased 45 metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Blush .

“If you want to have a mixture between enjoying the sailing, cruising, a bit of a party, friends on board, I don’t think there’s any better

way to do that than a sailing boat,” says the man who owned Sunseeker motor yachts for three decades. “And I like to be closer to the sea,” he adds. “With this new Perini I’m able to go out the lazarette and just dive into the water.”

You must adore the sea

“Sailing long distances is not for everybody,” says the owner of the 56 metre Alloy Mondango 3 . “If one tends to motion sickness, definitely not. And even if not, one has to be happy with the quiet and tranquillity of being on the sea for days without the sight of land.”

He wasn’t so sure about himself at first. “Although I had always been a water person, I had never been to sea, as in a long crossing in my own vessel. My wife had only crossed the Atlantic on a large passenger liner. So we did an experimental crossing on Sea Cloud from the Canary Islands to Antigua. It was an easy crossing. However, there was very little wind. The one time the sails went up was very exciting and we were hooked. Since then, he and his wife have logged more than 200,000 nautical miles between their two Mondangos and they always do the crossings.

To other owners considering the same, he says you must adore the open sea and the peace and quiet that comes with it. He also warns that mistakes come with the territory. “Although I have been involved in water sports and sailing dinghies most of my life, this dream was fraught with mistakes,” he says. “You have to go through this no matter from whom you buy your boat. Constant vigilance. Constant spending. Constant adoring.”

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Planning a Circumnavigation

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Amy

Plotting world circumnavigation routes is a lot easier than it sounds.  There are cruising boats LITERALLY all over the world.  There are boats in the Northwest passage (up and over Canada), in the Antarctic, and everywhere in between.  There are a few key things to take into consideration, but 95%* of circumnavigation routes follow the same general course.

Table of Contents - Click to Jump

Insurance Restrictions on Circumnavigation Routes

There are two major restrictions put on us by our vessel insurance; stay out of highly pirated areas and stay out of named storm zones.  Insurance restrictions come with the option to ignore them.  You can always go to these restricted places, BUT if something happens, your insurance will not be covered.  Another option is that you can pay significantly more to be covered in these places as well.  We have made the choice for ourselves to follow the restrictions set by our insurance.

By definition, piracy is the act of attacking and robbing ships at sea.  By that main definition, the Caribbean is one of the worst places for piracy.  Petty theft of boats and their tenders is a major issue in some parts of the Caribbean, and steps should be taken to protect yourself and your assets.

However, the piracy of the biggest concern is murder and kidnapping.  There are two main hotspots where our insurance will not cover us;  the Philippines and the Red Sea/Suez Canal (hereby referred to as simply Suez).   Again, people cruise literally everywhere in the world, and there are people who cruise the Philippines (2015 reports state 200 yachts).  The other side of the coin is true too.  Just because you avoid the Suez or the Philippines does not mean you will avoid being kidnapped or murdered.

It’s up to you to decide the level of risk you are willing to take when planning out a circumnavigation route.

Tropical Storms

In North America, it’s a hurricane.  South of the equator, it’s cyclones.  In Asia-Pacific, it’s typhoons.  Either way, your insurance probably has a word or two to say about where you spend tropical storm season.

Our insurance requires us to avoid certain parts of the world during storm seasons.  This is why there is a mass exodus of boats from the Caribbean every year.  Our insurance requires us to be north of roughly the Florida-Georgia line.  Now, that doesn’t mean we are safe from hurricanes, but it does mean if something happens, we will have the  privilege of consoling ourselves of our losses by applying for an insurance claim.

For those moving quickly, your primary concern is systems in the southern hemisphere.  Just make sure you are moving from east to west quickly enough to pass through the storm zone.

World circumnavigation routes, like ours, usually have you dipping out of these storm zones for the season. It’s a great time to haul your boat out for annual maintenance, like we did in New Zealand, Australia, and Thailand.

Tradewinds for Circumnavigating

Around the equator lies the doldrums.  This is typically an area with very little wind.  However, each ocean has a wind pattern.  In the northern hemisphere, winds circulate clockwise.  In the southern hemisphere, winds circulate counterclockwise.  This means that on either side of the equator lies a band of wind flowing from east to west.  This is why 95%* of cruisers plan their circumnavigation routes to sail from east to west.

Factoring the Wind into Outfitting Your Boat

Knowing where you will sail will help you determine what kind of sail performance you are looking for in a boat.  For someone doing a typical circumnavigation route, sailing east to west, you’ll be sailing downwind a lot.  Some monohull owners have complained to us about how uncomfortable their boat is sailing dead downwind.  Catamarans, however, typically perform best downwind.  We have a very smooth ride when we are traveling with the wind and waves.

Outfitting your sail locker also factors in where you are sailing.  For a downwind circumnavigation, spinnakers are highly useful – or so we hear.  We’ve not had terrible success with our spinnaker, but find our screecher to be very useful.  That could possibly be because we deviate enough from the standard downwind route.

For more about sail configurations in a cruising catamaran, read our Sail Trim blog post.

Those Who Sail West to East Circumnavigation Routes

There are a few who do sail the “wrong way”.  It can definitely be done and done fast.  However, you need to have a boat that sails well to wind.  While most catamarans sail well downwind, we do not sail well into the wind.  However, if your catamaran has daggerboards, you’ll sail much better to wind than a catamaran without daggerboards.

Circumnavigation Routes & Bottlenecks

This is why most circumnavigations follow the same basic route.  There are major bottlenecks to passing around the continents, so again, we’ve got the 95%* of boats funneling into one narrow part of the world.

Panama Canal

We paid $1300 to transit the Panama Canal because the only other option is to sail against the wind and waves around either North America or South America.  Taking one of the high latitudes routes is pretty dang extreme, takes a significant amount of time, and a toll on ship and crew.  Ushuaia, a port of call in Argentina, reported 64 boats in 2015, versus 1,079 boats transiting the canal – 95% transiting the canal*.

Torres Strait

The Torres Strait occupies the space between Australia and New Guinea.  It’s fairly small, just 650 nm between Thursday Island and Indonesia’s first port of clearance.

There are some cruisers (like our friends on S/V Field Trip) who are going over the top of New Guinea to get to Southeast Asia.  Getting any further north than that requires dealing with the Philippines – either through or around the top of the Philippines into the South China Sea.

Cape of Good Hope

Traveling around South Africa requires tackling the Cape of Good Hope, which is not to be taken lightly due to the challenges in the winds and currents.  The alternative is the Suez.  There used to be a rally passing through the Suez.  The other alternative is to hire private security, but that’s pretty complex.  Reports show 358 boats sailing through Cape Town verses 19 through the Suez – again, 95% choose Cape Town*.   I know the Mediterranean is a great cruising ground, but we decided if we want to cruise it, we’d rather cross the Atlantic twice than go through the Suez.

How Long Should a Circumnavigation Take?

Barring racing yachts who are smashing world records, it’s not uncommon to complete a circumnavigation in a year and a half.  This is a fairly straightforward and quick route.

The World ARC is a one and a half year rally that circumnavigates the world.  They have a fantastic route and schedule on their website.

Longer circumnavigation routes still use the same general track, but add on detours.   For example, we extended our South Pacific portion into two seasons by sailing south to spend cyclone season in New Zealand.

We’ve met sailors who have taken 15 or more years to circumnavigate. That’s a lot of detours!

Our Circumnavigation Route

Our sailing circumnavigation route took us four years and three months to travel all the way around the world. You can read the summary of our world circumnavigation for more details.

Book: World Cruising Routes

This is LITERALLY the bible of sailing around the world. If you have ever asked yourself (or, god help you, asked on a forum) “I wonder when the best time to sail from X to Y is?” the answer is in this book.

Even though we know our route, I’m still pulling out this book every so often to look up possibilities. It’s a great guide to planning your circumnavigation route overall and planning each individual passage.

Buy Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Routes .

Book: Cornell’s Ocean Atlas

This handy reference book is full of windgrams  – “a summary of wind direction and strength derived from the individual windroses along a specific ocean route “. Basically this means you can open a chart for a particular region and month and you will be able to tell where the wind “usually” blows from.

Buy Cornell’s Ocean Atlas .

Book Review: How to Sail Around the World Part-Time

• Who: Linus Wilson and his wife, Janna
• Available: Kindle, Kindle Unlimited or Paperback
• Published: January 2016
• Editing (scale of 1-10, 10 is best): 10

Linus Wilson has been cruising part-time on his 31-foot Island Packet. This is his second book, and in it, he details how one could sail a circumnavigation part-time. I agree – it is possible and might be the solution more potential cruisers should consider.

Wilson pulls a lot of statistics about sailing. Did you know fewer people complete a sailing circumnavigation every year than climb Mount Everest? An hour spent above base camp on Mount Everest is 264 times more dangerous than an hour sailing?

One question unanswered is how long it would actually take to sail the world part-time. Of course, it depends on how much time you dedicate every year, but hypothetically:

• Year 1: the Caribbean to Panama, store in Panama
• Year 2: Panama to French Polynesia, store in FP
• Year 3: French Polynesia to Fiji, store in Fiji
• Year 4: Fiji to Australia, store in Australia
• Year 5: Australia to South Africa, store in SA
• Year 6: SA to the Caribbean

Of course, you’d see a lot less than you would on a 6-year circumnavigation like ours, but you get it done in a fraction of the cost and less risk.

Bottom line: it was a short, interesting, and informative read. If you don’t want to full-time sail, or can’t convince your partner to full-time sail, consider how fulfilling a part-time adventure could be.

*Jimmy Cornell is the foremost expert on tracking cruising boats, and the statistics for this blog post were pulled from his article Where do all the boats go?

23 Comments

Wonderful article. I am from Goa, India. I wish you had come to Goa. I would have happily looked after your boat, and you could have travelled through India and enjoyed its majestic and diverse cultures and sites. I am 67 years old grandfather. I have been coastal and competitive sailing for the past 50 years. I am now planning to go on a circumnavigation on a Leopard 39 sailboat starting from Goa. Hoping to do it in 2 to 3 years. Your article and videos have inspired me. All the best. Thank you for your well written and detailed articles.

Wow, great to hear from you! It is amazing to us when we hear from people like you all over the world! We have some friends who visited Cochin last year on their boat, I think that’s a popular stop for cruisers. I know that formalities in India are complicated.

I have never been, but I love the food and the culture that I’ve experienced so far! I hope we get to visit someday.

Do sail down to Goa anytime you want. I will sort out all you entry formalities. Wish you all the best. Keep inspiring us with your wonderful sailing and videos.

Hi, how many miles is it when circumnavigating around the earth please? Captain cook did it in 60k, but is this because you cant just sail direct around the earth due to islands and storms etc?

Hi! Our circumnavigation was about 34,000 nm. You can read more about it here: https://outchasingstars.com/world-sailing-circumnavigation-summary/

Amy, when you and David are on a long passage, what kind of watch schedule do you keep? Assuming you’re both healthy (unlike your passage to St. Helena), what do you find to be a comfortable limit for the number of days at sea before exhaustion begins to set in?…or does it ever set in for you guys?

We do a soft 7-hour watch. The only actual watch is I do 7 pm to 2 am. Then David goes on watch while I sleep. When I wake up we switch, and he naps. Then when he’s up, I nap. By then it’s time to do the whole thing all over again! The worst night is the second. You’ve been tired, but not tired enough to sleep off your normal routine yet. But after the second night it gets a lot better. Exhaustion does not set in long-term – boredom does!

I really enjoyed reading your article, it’s very informative although that I don’t have a boat, it’s too expensive where I’m from, and it would take a fortune to be registered if it’s allowed in the first place, as authorities put a lot of restrictions for civil citizen to do so after military took over in 60s, for example we can’t camp as a first without a security permit bla bla bla that it raerly issued or thread fishing without a license and permit bla bla bla….etc, there isn’t a proper Marina for docking not even mention the amount of visas that it required. I love to sail one-day but till that time I’m really enjoy reading and watching. I’m from Egypt, and it makes me sad that sailors stop passing by, as we have a great shores, great diving spots, the Suez canal, and the right wind, but to be considered as unstable area for the Somalian pirates acts, and all the Egyptian governmental claims about fighting terrorist and repel ghost they imagine, this is horrible. It’s really tearing me that after around 8000 years on Earth people couldn’t yet handle their conflicts. I’m sorry to make it very long. Glad that some people had the privilege to try and be able to chasing stars and wind. Godspeed

Sarah, thank you for your comment! It’s amazing to us that we have someone reading from Egypt!

I recently read a memoir about a yacht who sailed through the Suez, and it sounded like they had a lot of difficulties, not just with pirates and corruption, but it’s hard sailing too! Egypt is very high up on my list of places I would truly love to visit because of its amazing history and culture.

We hope that somehow you get to enjoy sailing, even if it’s just continuing to follow us along.

You are amazing, all the best in your upcoming, and hopefully everyone can enjoy sailing in Egypt one day, and be able to see you here in the future.

Hi Amy, first, what a nice simple but very informative blog. I have run a ‘sailing for disabled people’ organisation for the last 25 years and as part of our 25th anniversary are planning to build a 20m cat for a round the world adventure. Planned for start in 2025 I need to get people to understand the real dangers and risks of such travel as well as the good things, would you mind if I used your blog in this matter, I would of course say that is yours. Details of us are under the ‘new projects button’ at http://www.disabledsailing.org

Hi Mike! You are welcome to link to our blog post. If you need anything beyond that, send us an email and we can talk more!

Excellent and informative article. I’d just like to point out the following statement where it states: “Ushuaia, a port of call in Chile, reported 64 boats in 2015….”

Please note that Ushuaia is not located in Chile, but rather within the Tierra del Fuego province of Argentina.

Thank you so much for the correction! I will fix it right away. Geography lesson of the day. 😉

Now you can completely delete my comment 🙂 It’s all sorted. Happy and safe sailing to you and your family. Antonella

Nice write up. Very helpful. Keep up the good work. However sailing through the suez is not really that dangerous. My friends Ingo and Maya sailed through from turkey to India and onward to thailand and had no probs with pirates.

I do hear that the piracy situation is improving. I do think there are a lot of good reasons to go around South Africa though, and I am glad we did.

Great informative article, thanks for sharing.

Where do you store your bladder when it is full? Also, thanks for all the info and videos. It has helped us a great deal in preparation for purchasing our boat,

Thank you! I’m glad you’ve found it helpful. We store the duel bladder in the cockpit.

On the longer passages, how much extra fuel do you carry in your blatter tank. What motering range do you think is sufficient for your longer passages?. I’m thinking the Helia goes about 750 miles on 125 gallons of diesel. Thanks Jon

Our fuel tank holds 125 gallons, plus four 5-gallon jerry cans, plus the 50-gallon fuel bladder, to total 195 gallons. If we motor at 1800 rpms with one engine it’s roughly .8 gph. Theoretically, our tanks should take us about 900 nm. Of course, we go months and thousands of miles without using all of our diesel.

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With our combined knowledge of ocean crossings, sailing experience and our global contacts within the sailing community, we can provide our clients with the best boat insurance coverage that suits their sailing needs at all times.

We very much pride ourselves on our personal boat insurance service and we provide an in-house claims  service to ensure that any claims are processed fast, efficiently and stress free for our clients.

So, whether you own a  Beneteau ,  Jeanneau ,  Hallberg Rassy ,  Oyster Yacht ,  Hanse Yacht ,  Discovery Yacht  or even a  Rustler Yacht  just to name a few, then make sure that you choose Admiral Marine for your global boat insurance coverage.

If you would like to request a  boat insurance quote , please complete our online quote request form and our experienced and friendly team will get back to you. Alternatively, if you would like to call or email us please  contact Admiral Marine .

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Our standard policy allows you to take part in any race or regatta, but does not cover for the rig unless it is damaged by collision, stranding, sinking or fire. The hull is covered, but with double excess during racing.

Your claim will be assessed on the basis of the ‘agreed value’ – the insured value stated on your policy schedule at that given time and in accordance with the terms of your policy.

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What Our Clients Think

"handled with ease".

“An unusual set of circumstances due to distance and awaiting a survey report were dealt with without any problems at all. A smooth change of vessel handled with professional ease and helpfulness. I have used Admiral Insurance for a good while, including several long distance voyages including a circumnavigation which all were handled with ease.” Mr Emery - Customer

“Great service, good value marine insurance”

“Cristelle helped me to insure our new (to us) 44 year old boat, a SHE 36'. An old boat always has a few wrinkles and Cristelle made the process easy and straightforward. This is the second boat we have insured with Admiral Marine and I wouldn't go anywhere else. You get good value for money and an excellent, personal service. What more could you want from marine insurance?” Mrs Ginny Kidd - Customer

“Admiral Marine made it easy”

“Admiral Marine made it easy for me to insure my boat. All correspondence was via email so no waiting in long phone queues, and all communication was very prompt. Would certainly recommend Admiral Marine.” M Smith - Customer

Admiral Marine is a trading name of Admiral Marine Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 306002) for general insurance business. Registered in England and Wales Company No. 02666794 at 1st Floor, One The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6DG

If you wish to register a complaint, please contact the Compliance and Training Manager on  [email protected] .  If you are unsatisfied with how your complaint has been dealt with, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).  The FOS website is  www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

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The marine insurance leader for over 45 years.

Find a Markel marine agent and get a free, no-obligation quote today.

If you love your yacht, you’ll love our insurance.

We’ve been the yacht insurance leader for over 45 years because we provide coverages that fit your yacht and your lifestyle. Markel yacht insurance can offer distinct advantages in coverage features, options, knowledge and experience.

Why do you need yacht insurance?

Whether you own a yacht or a houseboat, we understand it’s not a typical boat and shouldn’t be covered by a typical boat insurance policy. That’s where we come in—each Markel yacht insurance policy can be customized to fit your yacht, your needs, your budget and your style.

Still not sure?

Here’s a few of the potential advantages to insuring your yacht with us:.

More complete coverage than any other carrier at no additional cost.

Experienced yacht underwriters and marine claims specialists who provide prompt, responsive service.

Discounts and cost-effective coverage options to save you money.

Flexible payment options.

Save money by customizing your yacht insurance

Actual cash value coverage (ACV) Reduce your coverage to ACV, which factors in depreciation of your yacht should you have to file a claim.

Lay-up option We’ll discount your yacht insurance premium during the winter months when your yacht is not in use.

Higher deductibles If you can manage minor repairs to your boat on your own, selecting a higher deductible will reduce your premium.

Windstorm exclusion Live in an area that isn’t at risk for a hurricane? You may consider removing windstorm coverage from your policy.

Liability only Coverage in case you damage another yacht and/or person (doesn’t require a survey—even for older boats).

What we offer

We offer coverage for a variety of watercrafts over 26 feet in length, including:.

• Sport fishing boat

Our coverages can include:

• Coverage for your yacht
• Coverage for you
• Optional coverages

Hull and equipment insurance protection including:

• Protect and recover can cover reasonable costs incurred when trying to protect your yacht from further damage after an accident
• Consequential damage for non-wood yachts–normal wear and tear and deterioration is not typically covered under a yacht insurance policy. However, if your yacht suffers damage from fire, explosion, sinking or collision because of one of these conditions, you may be protected
• Ice and freezing damage coverage if you contracted with a commercial marina or repair facility
• Agreed value for total loss
• Deductible waived on most total losses
• No depreciation on most partial losses
• Automatic tender coverage

Windstorm extra expense If there is a named storm, watch or warning, we will share the expense with you to help protect your yacht before the storm makes landfall.

Personal effects coverage For all the “extras” you physically bring onto your yacht. (i.e., smart phone, camera, etc.)

Emergency towing and assistance Coverage for towing expenses if your yacht happens to get stuck in or out of the water, including the delivery of gas, oil and parts.

Rental reimbursement coverage Coverage for when your yacht is being repaired from a covered loss.

Uninsured boater Unfortunately, not all boaters on the water have insurance. This coverage helps protect you and your family members if you are injured in an accident caused by an uninsured boater. Coverage is automatically included if watercraft liability is purchased.

Pollution liability Pollution coverage helps protects you if you are held legally liable due to an oil pollution leak or spill.

Medical payments Coverage for injuries suffered during an accident on your yacht.

Paid crew (Jones Act) Protection for you if you are legally responsible for injuries to a paid captain or crew member while on your yacht.

Protection and indemnity Coverage in the event that you are responsible for injuries to another person, or damage to their boat or property. Wreck removal is included with purchase of hull coverage.

• Boat trailer coverage
• Boat lift and boat house coverage
• Fishing tournament reimbursement for fishing boats
• Fishing equipment protection
• Transit and storage coverage
• Trip coverage
• Trip interruption reimbursement
• Personal liability coverage if you live aboard your yacht

Frequently asked questions about yacht insurance

General questions.

How much coverage do I need? Each boat, person, location and situation is different. There isn't a good way to give a "ballpark" figure for how much coverage you need. It’s best to evaluate your comfortable level of risk when protecting your boat, assets and passengers. Your best option is to call our boat specialists at +1.800.236.2453 to discuss the best coverage for you.

Can I insure my yacht for liability only? Yes, we offer protection and indemnity (liability only) coverage to help protect you in case you are responsible for injuries to another person or damage to another boat or property. Many carriers do not offer liability-only policies for yachts, or if they do, require a survey. However, Markel’s protection and indemnity coverage does not require a survey, so you’re able to do what you love without worries out on the water.

Will my policy cover normal wear and tear of my yacht? Most insurance policies will not cover normal wear and tear of your yacht and the deterioration or the resulting damage. However, if your yacht is damaged from fire, explosion, sinking, collision or stranding, you may be protected under our consequential damage coverage.

Can I use my yacht for chartering? We know that sometimes yacht owners charter their yacht for sightseeing tours or even sport fishing to help offset some of the costs of owning a yacht. Markel offers an optional limited charter coverage for these situations provided the captain of the watercraft has a minimum of 2 years loss-free experience of yachting. Additional restrictions may apply.

I live on my yacht. Am I covered? Markel provides live aboard coverage. Be sure to disclose that you live aboard to your agent.

My yacht is in a corporation's name. Can I still insure it with Markel? Our yacht insurance policy can cover corporately titled boats for both personal use and client entertainment. We do require all corporately titled boats designate a designee of the watercraft. Contact your agent to learn more.

Do I need to insure my yacht in the winter? It may seem that since you don't use your yacht in the winter you don't need to insure it. This is a risky way of looking at insurance and one that we have seen cost far too many people far too much money. Your yacht is at risk for damages at all times of the year, not only when it's on the water. For example, if your yacht is placed in storage for the winter and is damaged, you will not have any assistance in paying for those repairs without an active insurance policy.

Do you cover unique boats? We offer coverage for various kinds of boats that other insurers may shy away from, including: high performance boats, airboats, hovercraft, etc. Not sure if your watercraft will be covered? Give us a call at +1.800.236.2453 to speak with one of our marine insurance specialists.

What kind of fishing equipment is covered? Your rods, reels and tackle are automatically covered under your personal effects coverage up to the limit purchased. If that coverage isn't sufficient, our fishing equipment coverage provides insurance protection at replacement cost. Please contact one of our marine insurance specialists at +1.800.236.2453 to find out more.

Claims questions

How do I file a claim? We understand that no one wants to file a claim. That's why we do everything we can to make the process as painless as possible. You can report your yacht insurance claim by calling our office at +1.800.236.2453 or submit your claim online and we'll take it from there.

How long will it take for my claim to be processed? We are committed to investigating, evaluating and resolving marine insurance claims in a timely manner.

Is there anything I can do to help speed up the claim process? Yes, you can help streamline the claims and settlement process and avoid delays by providing the following information when you file your claim:

• Policy number
• Date, time and location of loss or damage
• Description of loss or damage
• Digital photos (if possible)
• Phone number to reach you

Additional resources

Related articles.

From boat safety tips to breaking down yacht insurance, find the information, advice, and resources you’ll need all in one place.

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Markel is a proud supporter of Warrior Sailing, an organization dedicated to healing and strengthening the lives of veterans through sailing. Visit warriorsailing.org to learn about Warrior Sailing and how you can donate to the program so they can continue to help the lives of wounded veterans.

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Insurance for personal watercrafts (PWCs) such as a Jet Ski, Sea-Doo or WaveRunner.

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Coverage for speedboats greater than 26 feet in length and capable of speeds 66 to 120 m.p.h.

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For over a hundred years, we've offered unparalleled stability and protection with our boat and yacht insurance.

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Figure eight knot.

An ideal knot to keep the free end of a line from running out of a block or fairlead.

Bowline Knot

Sometimes referred to as the “King of Knots,” it forms a fixed loop that won’t slip, but is easy to untie.

Square Knot

Used at sea for reefing and furling sails.

Anchor Bend Knot

Used to secure a line to a ring on a buoy or anchor rode. A strong, chafe-resistant knot.

Two Half Hitches Knot

Reliable, quickly tied, and the hitch most often used in mooring.

Clove Hitch Knot

The general purpose hitch, used wherever you need a quick, simple way of securing a line around a post, railing, spar or cleat.

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Blue water : What does it cost to sail around the world? The biggest items per month

Kristina Müller

 ·  18.04.2018

"How did you finance it?" and "How much does it cost per month?" are among the most common questions asked by long-distance and round-the-world sailors. No wonder, since the dream of great freedom for most people depends on how big the cushion in their bank account is - or rather, how big it should be for the round-the-world voyage.

Three long-distance crews had their monthly accounts scrutinised so that the average largest cost items per month could be determined. It became clear that as different as the budgets of the three crews are, the expenditure items and their weighting are very similar.

Each crew has its own way of keeping accounts. The sailors of the Hanseat 42 "Atanga", for example, only list the insurance for their boat under "Insurance", but not their health insurance. Instead, Johannes and Cati Erdmann ("Maverick too") list restaurant visits and excursions/flights home under "Miscellaneous".

However, the biggest cost drivers are the same for all of them: expenses for catering and ship maintenance. Laundry and clearance fees have the least impact on the long voyage budget.

The "Miscellaneous" section shows that even when travelling the world, small animals make a mess. Here, the crews include everything that doesn't fit into other categories: Clothes, candles, fishing hooks, club fees, new guitar strings or a visit to the hairdresser.

All costs are average values from several years of travelling. This includes months in which the crews are significantly over budget, for example due to expensive purchases such as a new engine or sails, as well as times when they cross an ocean or live at anchor - and spend correspondingly little.

These three crews had a look at the monthly accounts:

SY "Blue Felix"

Sabine, 33, and Sven Seren, 48, sailed their Catalac 10M catamaran (built 1987) to the Caribbean for four years until the birth of their daughter. Their expenses: approx. 1500 euros/month.

www.blue-felix.de

SY "Atanga"

Sabine, 53, and Joachim Willner, 56, have been sailing around the world in their Hanseat 42 (built in 1989) for four years. They live off their savings and spend around 2500 euros per month.

www.atanga.de

SY "Maverick Too"

Cati, 31, and Johannes Erdmann, 32, have been sailing the Atlantic for almost two years in their Contest 33 (built in 1972). Their average from 20 months: around 2100 euros per month.

www.zu-zweit-auf-see.de

Further sources of information:

• Information about blue water sailing and the costs of sailing around the world can also be found on the Website of Bobby Schenk .
• Jonathan and Claudia report on the Costs on a 35-foot steel yacht .
• The detailed accounts of a three-year Mediterranean voyage on a Hallberg Rassy 352 can be found here
• Martin Finkbeiner reveals how he plans to realise a trip around the world on a tight budget from summer 2018 in his blog . It is to be the 33-year-old's second trip around the world - why he is now undertaking it with a much smaller boat than his first long voyage is explained in the blue water special in YACHT 6-2018, which can still be ordered here .

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> > Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. 25-02-2003, 07:18   Boat: FP Belize 43 cat (2001) company to use for a 43' - mostly in tropical and sub-tropical waters? I hear many cruisers use Pantaenius - are they the best choice? _________________ Gisle 29-04-2006, 01:33   with them. I recently sunk my in and they have simply been disgusting. Four months later and they have still paid nothing and twice stated they would not pay anything at all- I had a no claim with them for nine years....nice people. 29-04-2006, 04:46   Boat: WHOOSH, Pearson 424 Ketch to find his flooded out; major damage. Pantaenius gave him quick settlement, chose to avoid subabrogation and he's very satisfied. Collecting just this kind of info, both + and -, and then going back to the carrier with your specific Q's to winnow out where they might not be as responsive as you'd like is your only real pre-claim option. FWIW there was much grumbling in Horta the year we crossed to about Pantaenius. The gist of the discussion was that they went thru a rough patch of claims and, apparently because they weren't adequately reinsured, they were not as reponsive to claims as they previously had been. This was the same point in time when they withdrew from the N American market (they apparently will not continue coverage for you, once you reach the Caribbean) and the intervening years seem to find them being more positive in honoring claims. It seems to be a moving target, and the best you can do is get clear on what is knowable today and then sail with prudence and care, hoping you don't have to 'use' your premiums. Good luck on the run! Jack 29-04-2006, 10:19   and have been speaking to from three here about my problems. I must say that I am also with said firm through . I met another Swedish boat whom were fighting them also because their overheated and expirted and they are not receiving any after they agreed per that the cost would be covered. Pantaenius aparently stated that the bill was too high and that they should have sent the back from to Scandinavia. Another story from a German guy down here was that he was anchored in the Balliarics and someone stole his boat- he also never received a cent because the company concerned stated that he should have had someone watching the boat. Most Sweedish people I speak to (because Pantaenius are very big in scandinavia and Germany) already know the story of the guy whom was off the north coast of , both his wife and his boat and stated that he also was not covered. The case ended up in court (in I believe) taking two years before he gained some satisfaction.(sic) He was aparently supported by other sailors in fighting them with costs. They have also apparently been letting a lot of off their lists in for no aparent reason after years of being covered.The figure I heard was 20,000. This has aparently been raised with the British Sailing Associations to no avail. If you want to know how good they are just read their nice once yearly information brochure.I use to enjoy it knowing that I too would be covered. Unfortunately I never knew any of this information before. After just spending three months mud off everything I own Jack and throwing away every item I owned etc. at this stage I wish I was your friend. Kindest Regards Thread Tools Rate This Thread : Posting Rules post new threads post replies post attachments edit your posts is are code is are are are Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post irwinsailor Dollars & Cents 150 05-12-2020 09:54 FreedomSeekers Dollars & Cents 12 09-05-2006 09:25 irwinsailor Dollars & Cents 19 01-06-2004 16:12 tenknots Dollars & Cents 0 16-04-2003 00:18 - - - - - - - Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. Sailing Travel Insurance Annual, multi-trip & single policy sailing travel insurance. Whether sailing on your own boat, cruising with friends, training, or sailing as volunteer crew, our Yachtsman’s Travel Insurance products offer comprehensive personal travel insurance coverage whilst sailing. We can offer either single trip travel insurance, annual or multi-trip policies, with options to customise your coverage. Our Policies Cover: Cancellation & Disruption Emergency Medical and Repatriation Expenses Personal Accident Cover Legal Expenses and Personal Liability Personal Baggage & Property Wide Range of Water Sports & Activities Included* (refer to policy wording) Winter Sports (Optional) Why choose our Yachtsman’s Sailing Travel insurance for Your Sailing Trip? Our multi-trip policies can give you peace of mind whilst travelling, offering coverage whilst at sea, local sailing and on general holidays too. Includes offshore sailing, meaning we have you covered while sailing more than 12 miles outside the standard coastal cruising area imposed by some insurers Extend your coverage to include travel Worldwide and cover long trips away – perfect for if you are completing a circumnavigation. Add coverage for your Yacht Charter Deposit to any of our Yachtsman’s Policies. Need Assistance Whilst Sailing? 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