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Dismasting and a torn sail: what does the insurance pay, and what not?
Short answer
If the mast breaks or a sail tears, hull cover usually pays when an accident is behind it.
If a corroded fitting caused it, the fitting itself is usually not paid,
but the consequential damage to mast, sails and hull often is.
Dismasting is one of the most expensive things that can happen to a sailor. The mast rarely comes down on its own: it takes sails, shrouds and stanchions with it, dents the deck and in the worst case damages the hull. Whether the insurance pays almost always turns on the cause. Was it a gust, a collision or a mistake during a manoeuvre, or was some part of the rig already tired before the day it failed?
Many hull wordings name the breaking of masts and the tearing of sails expressly as an insured accident. What they exclude is wear and tear and defects in material, and usually only for the part directly affected. So if a corroded rigging terminal fails, the insurer will often not pay for the terminal, but will pay for the mast, the sails and the hull damaged when the rig came down. This line between the cause and the consequential damage is exactly where claims get argued.
What you can do: have the standing rigging inspected regularly and keep the invoices and inspection reports. Many riggers advise replacing wire rigging after about ten years. After a dismasting, make the crew safe first, then cut the rig free or secure it so it cannot hole the hull, take photos, keep the broken parts and report the damage straight away. The fracture itself is the most important piece of evidence for the surveyor. When you compare wordings, look at whether dismasting is named as an accident and whether the wear and defect exclusion is limited to the failed part.
Worth remembering
Cause
a tired part, often not insured
Consequential damage
mast, sails, hull usually insured
Keep the broken fitting, it decides the claim.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Does hull insurance pay for a dismasting?
Usually yes, if an accident caused it. Many wordings name the breaking of masts expressly as an insured accident; check that cover for accidents to the boat is part of the policy you hold.
What if an old shroud gave way?
The broken part itself is usually not paid, because wear and material defects are excluded. The consequential damage to the mast, sails and hull, on the other hand, is often paid.
Is a torn sail insured?
If it tears in an accident, for example in a gust or a collision, usually yes. A sail that has gone brittle from sunlight and age is not.
Related
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