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Insuring Jay R. Benford: cover and premium

sailing boats and sailing yachts · several countries

Jay R. Benford: classic sailing yachts and dories. NAMMERT insures a Jay R. Benford 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.

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At a glance

Origin

several countries

Class

sailing boats and sailing yachts

Typical sizes

5,2 to 18,3 m

Premium from

from €39 a year for liability

Worth knowing

Jay R. Benford; cover, cost and conditions

Jay R. Benford is not a yard but an American naval architect whose designs are sold as plans and built by yards and amateurs alike. He is best known for his sailing dories, first drawn in the 1960s as capable cruisers for a small budget. Most are built in plywood fastened to the bulkheads and joinery, which serve as the framing, though aluminium, cored fibreglass and steel versions exist. The name usually gives the type, Sailing Dory, Catboat, Motorsailer or Schooner, plus the length in feet.

Our model records list 30 Benford designs, 22 sailing yachts and eight smaller sailing boats. Build years run from 1971 to 2017, and none is still in production. Lengths range from 5.2 to 18.3 metres, with half between 6.7 and 13.1 metres. The catboats run from the Catboat 17 at 5.2 metres to the Catboat 22 at 6.7. The Sailing Dory 32, 34 and 36 measure 9.8 to 11.0 metres, the Benford Dory 30 9.1 metres. The Colin Archer 35, 40 and 45 span 10.7 to 13.7 metres, the motorsailers 8.2 to 14.0, and the schooners and the ketch Harambee reach 18.3 metres.

Almost every Benford boat is a one-off, and the quality of the build matters more than the design. Two Sailing Dory 34s can differ widely depending on who built them, how the plywood was sealed and how they have been kept. Many were built for long passages, so rig, sails, self-steering and ground tackle weigh heavily in any valuation, and only a proper survey of the hull gives a reliable picture.

Questions and answers

Frequent questions

Is Jay R. Benford a boatyard?

No, not for Jay R.

Benford either: Benford is a designer.

His designs are sold as plans and built by yards or amateurs, the sailing dories mostly in plywood,

but also in aluminium, fibreglass or steel.

How long are the Benford sailing dories?

For Jay R.

Benford: In our records the Sailing Dory 32, 34 and 36 measure between 9.8 and 11.0 metres,

and the Benford Dory 30 is 9.1 metres.

The number in the name is the length in feet.

The cover that fits

sailing yacht insurance

Tariffs, cover and FAQ for sailing yacht insurance in detail.

Third-party liability

The foundation for a boat from Jay R.

Benford: damage to third parties, worldwide, from €39 a year for liability.

Hull cover

Partial or full hull cover for a Jay R.

Benford, at replacement value with an agreed fixed value.

For the whole class of boat

For Jay R.

Benford: 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, Jay R.

Benford included.

Insuring sailing boats and sailing yachts, every brand and every condition

Other builders in this class
Gade Bootsbau Garcia Grand Soleil Gulet (Turkish wooden build) Hallberg-Rassy Hans Christian Hanse Hein Bootswerft Herreshoff (Klassiker) Hylas Yachts Italia Yachts J/Boats Jongert Judel/Vrolijk Kelt / Gib’Sea King Marine Classic wooden boats Classic keelboats Koopmans Kraken Yachts Latitude 46 Linnekuhl LM MacGregor

Directory of all makes from A to Z

Nautical information What counts before you cast off, papers, equipment, waters

Licence

A powerboat licence (inland or coastal) is required from 15 hp (11.03 kW).

Registration

Registration from 3 hp; for trips abroad carry the boat certificate or flag document.

Waters

Inland, coastal and abroad; plan fairways, bridge clearances, draught and tides.

Equipment

Lifesaving gear, fire extinguisher, anchor, signalling equipment and correct navigation lights.

Cruising range

The agreed cruising range is stated in the policy and can be extended at any time.

Weather

Check wind force in Beaufort and wind direction before casting off, and allow for gusts.

General guidance, not a complete account;

what governs are the rules of the waters you are on and the manual of your Jay R.

Benford.

Current wind force and direction for your waters are shown on the Home.

Series by Jay R. Benford, build years and cover

Benford Dory 30

Benford Dory 30 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1980 to 2017.

Colin Archer 45

Colin Archer 45 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1974 to 2013.

Sailing Dory 32

Sailing Dory 32 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1980 to 2012.

Sailing Dory 34

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1980 to 2012.

Sailing Dory 36

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1979 to 2012.

Catboat 20

Catboat 20 is a sailing boat from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1980 to 2009.

Catboat 17

Also a sailing boat, built from 1980 to 2005.

Cat Ketch 44

Cat Ketch 44 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1984 to 2005.

Colin Archer 35

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1993 to 2005.

Colin Archer 40

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1973 to 2005.

Cruising Cat 19

Cruising Cat 19 is a sailing boat from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1984 to 2005.

Motorsailer 27

Motorsailer 27 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1980 to 2005.

Motorsailer 35

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1979 to 2005.

Schooner 30

Schooner 30 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1980 to 2005.

Catboat 22

Also a sailing boat, built from 1980 to 2003.

Sailing Dory 32

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1995 to 2001.

Colin Archer 35

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1971 to 1999.

C.B. Motorsailer 50

C.B.

Motorsailer 50 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1979 to 1998.

Catboat I

Catboat I is a sailing boat from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1984 to 1992.

Catboat II

Catboat II is a sailing boat from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1984 to 1992.

Schoner 42

Schoner 42 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1983 to 1992.

Schooner 60

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1983 to 1992.

Catboat 5,18

Also a sailing boat, built from 1983 to 1990.

Catboat 5,79

Also a sailing boat, built from 1983 to 1990.

Topsail Schooner 42

Topsail Schooner 42 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1979 to 1987.

Cutter 32

Cutter 32 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1979 to 1986.

Ketsch Harambee 60

Ketsch Harambee 60 is a sailing yacht from Jay R.

Benford, built from 1979 to 1986.

Motorsailer 43

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1979 to 1986.

Motorsailer 46

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1979 to 1986.

Topsail Schooner 60

Also a sailing yacht, built from 1979 to 1986.

What this means for the cover

For the Benford Dory 30, Colin Archer 45, Sailing Dory 32 by Jay R.

Benford and 12 more 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 Colin Archer 35, C.B.

Motorsailer 50, Catboat I by Jay R.

Benford and 11 more series there is no list price left.

That is why we work with an agreed value: you state the figure, we agree it,

and in a total loss exactly that amount is paid, with no deduction for wear.

For the Benford Dory 30, Colin Archer 45, Sailing Dory 32 by Jay R.

Benford and further series: On sailing yachts the rig and the underwater hull are the expensive

parts: a dismasting quickly costs a quarter of the boat,

and osmosis counts as wear and is covered by no hull policy.

For the Catboat 20, Catboat 17, Cruising Cat 19 by Jay R.

Benford and further series: On boats this size the condition of rig and fittings decides.

A dismasting is covered, worn terminals after years are not.

All series at a glance

The Jay R. Benford range in figures

These figures come from the model records we keep for Jay R.

Benford: boat type, build years and length, nothing estimated.

sailing yacht
22 models, 1971 to 2017, mostly 9.1 to 18.3 m
sailing boat
8 models, 1980 to 2009, 5.2 to 6.7 m

Which model was built when?

Sailing boat Motorboat RIBEach bar is one Jay R. Benford model, running from its first to its last year of build. The colour shows the type of boat. Showing 24 of 30 models.

What does a used Jay R. Benford cost?

We hold today’s price ranges by year for 12 models by Jay R.

Benford.

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.

ModelYears builtRange today
C.B. Motorsailer 501982 to 1995€98,700 to €179,900
Cat Ketch 441987 to 2000€60,800 to €101,500
Catboat 221995 to 2000€23,300 to €35,800
Catboat I1989€4,600 to €5,800
Catboat II1989€5,800 to €7,400
Colin Archer 351974 to 1996€34,600 to €70,800
Colin Archer 351996 to 2002€38,600 to €79,700
Colin Archer 401978 to 2000€72,200 to €172,500
Cruising Cat 191987 to 1988€6,600 to €9,100
Motorsailer 272001 to 2002€24,200 to €32,000
Motorsailer 351984 to 2002€27,400 to €131,600
Sailing Dory 322001 to 2009€29,600 to €47,100

Estimate my boat

Estimate from our boat records, October 2026.

Not a survey.

Wooden sailing boat at a pontoon at night, a lantern on the planks

Jay R. Benford insured in five minutes.

Boat type, year built, length and value of your Jay R.

Benford are all we need.

Work out the premium online or call us: +49 3375 29 12 77.

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A girl steers a sailing yacht, her father points ahead and her mother smiles in the sunshine

The next generation at the helm

She's got the helm. We've got your back.

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Jay R.

Benford: from €39 a year for liability

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