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How long may I leave the boat unattended?
Short answer
In a sheltered marina nobody minds.
On an open coast, lying unattended is one of the sharpest exclusions in the wordings we reviewed.
The question comes up on every long cruise: the boat lies in a bay or on a mooring and the crew flies home for four weeks. In a sheltered marina berth that is unproblematic. On an open coast it becomes one of the sharpest clauses in the wordings we reviewed.
The range is wide and it is strict. Several wordings exclude the loss as soon as the yacht is left unattended on an open coast for more than 24 hours, or as soon as more than four on the Beaufort scale is forecast, which in practice is nearly always. Others set the line at 48 consecutive hours and additionally require assurance that the boat can be moved without delay. One provider excludes lying unattended on an open coast outright, in the same breath as inadequate mooring. And one defines open coast as everything within 20 nautical miles of the mainland.
What to take from this: before any longer absence, check two things in your policy. First the hour limit, and whether it applies to an open coast or to any berth. Second, whether a named person must be reachable who can move or secure the boat. Settle that in advance and name someone locally, and the point is dealt with before it becomes a problem.
Worth remembering
In a marina
nobody minds an empty boat
Off an open coast
it is one of the hardest clauses
It is not the number of days that counts but the place. The same week is two different risks in two berths.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
What counts as an open coast?
Each wording defines it for itself, and the definitions differ widely. One provider counts everything within 20 nautical miles of the mainland. Read the definition, not just the number of hours.
Is it enough if the harbourmaster keeps an eye on it?
If your policy requires a named person, name them expressly and tell your insurer. An informal eye is hard to evidence in a claim.
Related
Not sure whether you qualify?
Whether it is “How long may I leave the boat unattended?” or another question: send us your residence and the flag your boat flies. You will get a straight answer in one email; including a no, if that is the answer.
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