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Insuring Heir Boatworks: cover and premium
sailing boats and sailing yachts · several countries
Heir Boatworks: irish builder of small wooden sailing boats. NAMMERT insures a Heir Boatworks regardless of year built or where you bought it, liability, hull, legal expenses and personal accident cover from one house, taken out online in five minutes.
At a glance
Origin
several countries
Class
sailing boats and sailing yachts
Typical sizes
5,6 m
Premium from
from €39 a year for liability
Worth knowing
Heir Boatworks; cover, cost and conditions
Heir Boatworks is the workshop of designer and boatbuilder Gubby Williams on Heir Island, a small island in Roaring Water Bay in the south west of Ireland, close to Baltimore. Born in Singapore to British parents, Williams had already built his own 34 foot strip-planked gaff cutter and sailed her across to the Caribbean and on to Maine. There he spent eighteen months at Brooklin Boat Yard, learning how good wooden boats are designed and built. Back on this side of the Atlantic he settled on Heir Island and drew the little boat that carries the island's name. A Heir Island Sloop is a small, traditionally built wooden boat made for the waters right outside the workshop door.
Our model records hold a single design: the Heir Island Sloop, listed as an open sailing boat of 5.6 metres with build years from 1998 to 2004. That matches the 18 feet given in the sources. No other line from the workshop appears, and none reaches into the most recent build years. What we have, then, is a short series from one island workshop, built over seven years. The boats are raced and cruised mainly in Roaring Water Bay, and one final example was built later by a boatbuilder in Totnes, Devon. Anyone looking for a Heir Island Sloop today will usually find one in Ireland or the south west of England, sold privately.
A small wooden boat like this rewards steady care more than anything else. Varnish and paint want attention every season, and fastenings, keel bolts and the area around the mast step deserve a close look when buying second hand. Wood that stays wet under a tarpaulin or in standing rainwater is the classic enemy, so a well ventilated boat tent and a dry winter berth matter. An eighteen foot open boat is ideal for day sailing and club racing in a sheltered bay. A survey by someone who knows traditional wooden construction is money well spent before any purchase.
Questions and answers
Frequent questions
Where does the Heir Island Sloop come from?
From Heir Island in Roaring Water Bay, south west Ireland,
where Gubby Williams designed the boat and built it in his Heir Boatworks shop.
One final example was built later in Totnes, Devon.
How big is a Heir Island Sloop?
For Heir Boatworks: Our model records list it as an open sailing boat of 5.6 metres,
which is 18 feet, with build years from 1998 to 2004.
The cover that fits
sailing boat insurance
Tariffs, cover and FAQ for sailing boat insurance in detail.
Third-party liability
The foundation for a boat from Heir Boatworks: damage to third parties, worldwide,
from €39 a year for liability.
Hull cover
Partial or full hull cover for a Heir Boatworks, at replacement value with an agreed fixed value.
For the whole class of boat
For Heir Boatworks: What matters for sailing boats and sailing yachts is the same across every
brand; engine output, how a claim is settled, cruising range and theft protection.
The class page lists every point and every brand in this class, Heir Boatworks included.
Insuring sailing boats and sailing yachts, every brand and every condition
Other builders in this class
Nautical information What counts before you cast off, papers, equipment, waters
Licence
Under sail no licence is needed; with an auxiliary engine from 15 hp one is.
Registration
Official number or boat certificate; a flag document for trips abroad.
Waters
Inland lakes, the Baltic and the North Sea; tide, current and shoals belong in the passage plan.
Equipment
Lifejackets, harness and jackstays, lifebuoy, distress signals, reefing system.
Cruising range
Certificate of insurance for foreign harbours; check that racing is covered.
Weather
Reef in time: first reef from Beaufort 5, second from 6, watch the gust forecast.
General guidance, not a complete account;
what governs are the rules of the waters you are on and the manual of your Heir Boatworks.
Current wind force and direction for your waters are shown on the Home.
Series by Heir Boatworks, build years and cover
Heir Island Sloop is a sailing boat from Heir Boatworks, built from 1998 to 2004.
For the Heir Island Sloop by Heir Boatworks series the market value and the replacement cost often
differ widely.
An agreed value removes the age-based scale, and the figure in the policy stands.
For the Heir Island Sloop by Heir Boatworks series:
On boats this size the condition of rig and fittings decides.
A dismasting is covered, worn terminals after years are not.
What does a used Heir Boatworks cost?
We hold today’s price ranges by year for 1 models by Heir Boatworks.
The table shows what boats in average condition are worth,
from the oldest to the youngest year on record.
Choose your exact model, year and condition in the calculator.
| Model | Years built | Range today |
|---|---|---|
| Heir Island Sloop | 2001 | €10,000 to €12,800 |
Estimate from our boat records, October 2026.
Not a survey.
Heir Boatworks insured in five minutes.
Boat type, year built, length and value of your Heir Boatworks are all we need.
Work out the premium online or call us: +49 3375 29 12 77.
