BBIII Complete and ready for the water. Questions.

David Wheeler

David Wheeler

Member
Dan and I met with our local CO yesterday and completed the inspection on our BBIII. We passed!!!! Ready for the water except.......... We will have to wait on the Commonwealth 2-3 weeks for the Hull ID and registration. The CO told me yesterday that the county clerk would issue a temporary registration and the we would be legal to hunt the early teal season this weekend. The clerk said otherwise. So Dan is up for a big disappointment this evening. The good news is we will have some time to work on the dodger frame this weekend so we can get it done with that by the Thanksgiving opener.

One question. My insurance agent is telling me he can't find any companies that will insure a homebuilt boat for physical damage. I assume some of you may have run into the same problem in the past. Who have you insured with? Any trick to it? While preparing for the CO I went thru my receipts and made a spreadsheet so I could sort out how much I spent on what and to add it to the scrap book of the project for Dan. Wow. It's no ChrisCraft by any means, but I'd rather have a little security before pulling it out of the driveway.

View attachment Completed BBIII a.jpg
View attachment Completed BBIII (b).jpg

View attachment Completed BBIII (c).jpg

View attachment Completed BBIII (d).jpg

View attachment Completed BBIII (e).jpg


Thanks,

DW
 
While trailering it, it is under the insurance of the vehicle towing it. Check with your homeowner's insurance, I know in New Jersey it covers it both in the yard and while sitting in a marina. We've had a few boats sink at the dock (dead battery means no bilge pump) and their homeowner's covered salvage costs, electronics replacement, even the fishing rods that were onboard.
 
State farm is one of the only major insurers that will do it. Some State Farm agents will and some won't do it, it is a mix in the collective experiance.

I don't have State Farm for anything other than the Snowgoose. My agent required pictures of the boat and the price I used was Devlin's price to build.
 
Your boat looks great! have fun with it! That being said, It isn't worth whatever you pay for insurance... .. I have never insured any boat..
 
Your boat looks great! have fun with it! That being said, It isn't worth whatever you pay for insurance... .. I have never insured any boat..
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Liability is the bigger issue.
 
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Liability for what? And wouldn't homeowners cover what liability issue?
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Most if not all homeowners policies do not cover liability while on the water.

So if you collide with another vessel or dock, your boat sinks and a passenger gets hurt (or worse, drowns), or otherwise cause injury to someone else or their property while using your boat, you will have no coverage unless you have a liability policy on the boat.

And a lot of home owners policies only cover the boat while it is parked at your residence, period. Once you leave the driveway, your coverage ends.

I found this out when my trailer was stolen at the boat ramp. If it had been stolen at the house, it would have been covered. Since it was not at the residence, no coverage. And the truck policy only covers the truck and "contents" for theft, a trailer is not considered "contents" by a lot of vehicle policies.

Boat policies are cheap, mine is around $80/year from State Farm. Thats a small price to pay to know they have my back.
 
Liability for what? And wouldn't homeowners cover what liability issue?
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Most if not all homeowners policies do not cover liability while on the water.

So if you collide with another vessel or dock, your boat sinks and a passenger gets hurt (or worse, drowns), or otherwise cause injury to someone else or their property while using your boat, you will have no coverage unless you have a liability policy on the boat.

And a lot of home owners policies only cover the boat while it is parked at your residence, period. Once you leave the driveway, your coverage ends.

I found this out when my trailer was stolen at the boat ramp. If it had been stolen at the house, it would have been covered. Since it was not at the residence, no coverage. And the truck policy only covers the truck and "contents" for theft, a trailer is not considered "contents" by a lot of vehicle policies.

Boat policies are cheap, mine is around $80/year from State Farm. Thats a small price to pay to know they have my back.
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I am no expert by any means, but yes, what Carl said. I don't get real excited about insurance on individual things like riders for guns and such, but having some liability protection on vehicles is important for me in case of an accident I cause (or couldn't prevent).

T
 
I've been told that homeowner's only covers what can't be registered, so boats, cars, motorcycles, atv, etc. are all outside that umbrella and require their own coverage, even if parked IN your garage. Just what I've been told...
 
I've been told that homeowner's only covers what can't be registered, so boats, cars, motorcycles, atv, etc. are all outside that umbrella and require their own coverage, even if parked IN your garage. Just what I've been told...
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For us to have an umbrella policy required a certain level of liability on all registered vehicles.
 
My home owners policy covers all 6 of my boats, 3 of them home made. All are scheduled, motors, trailers, all registration numbers. I pay money for each and every one of them. Covers me on the water and off. That said, under 16' did not require extra money, only my 2 boats that are over the 16' limit cost more money to the insurance. I can not recall exactly who it is off hand as it has been bought and transfered a few times, I am thinking either West Bend, Indiana Ins. seems to ring a bell, at one point it was progressive. I will check and post. But they are out there. It actually gets harder to ins. them if they are larger boats or ocean going.

Just checked, West American is my policy, bought now recently by Indiana...covers boats, homemade included.
 
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David:

Very nice build. American Family insures my BBIII for liability and up to $3,500 for about $30 bucks a year. No issues with pictures or push back from the agent. I called and they tacked it onto my other policies. Liability for trailered boats is covered by the tow vehicle policy, but on the water it needs its own.

How does the Yammie 25 work? Have you tried it loaded yet? Looks great!

Kevin
 
boat insurance is cheap and dont forget to you can cover personal property also on your boat insurance. I pay roughly $80 a year and have I think $2000 personal property also, so if my gun falls to the bottom of the lake I'm covered. Most states require insurance.
 
Thanks all for your help. I will follow up with some of the names provided. I have insurance on my other store bought/non wood boats but no luck with the home built yet. But I will keep trying.

Kevin: Actually have not had the boat on the water yet. I just completed the inspection on Sunday and have not recieved the hull ID and registration paper work yet from the state. I'll let you know when I get her running.

Thanks,

DW.
 
David,
you are a saint. If I had that thing sitting done it would have already been in the water a bunch for "Experimental" testing.
That stinks about the clerk giving you a hassle and the ins. agent not helping out with a home built.
There are insurance agents that specialize in marine.
If you strike out do a search on the wooden boat magazine forum. Those guys all have home built wood boats and they spend a fortune and I am sure want it insured.

Nice work on the Boat
Bob
 
Not all auto policies cover towing. Mine doesn't. Home owners suck. Do it right and insure the boat,motor and trailer and have at least $300k of liability. You want to protect your assets not your ass. Go to Chaterlakes.com get there number and give them a call. They only insure Boats. There very resonable. I know there are other guys on here that I sent to CharterLakes and they said it was a snap. I have all of my boats insured through them. Good luck.
 
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