The Cruising Lifestyle Series

Guy Matthews, NAMS-CMS (licensed Insurance Adjustor & Marine Surveyor) of Houston, TX has over 45 years experience in the marine insurance establishment and more than 50 years of boating experience. Mr. Matthews is opinionated and feels strong about some aspects of his marine insurance experience. Mr. Matthews has given us permission to re-publish four of his articles, which should be of interest to the cruising community (The Surveyor and the Salvor, The Islands of Paradise, The Aristocrats of Caribbean Cruising & The Modern Pirates of the Caribbean).

Guy Matthews has written two very good handbooks, "Yacht Owners Guide to Marine Insurance" and "A Cruisers Guide to Yacht Insurance". The focus of the Yacht Owners Guide to Marine Insurance is to provide the owner with dependable information on how to properly insure the yacht and how to deal with the marine insurance system in the event of an accident. Mr. Matthews lists the following basic rules of marine insurance that apply throughout his handbooks. His rules are as follows:

When buying yacht insurance, the purchaser generally gets what he pays for.

The yacht owner should ALWAYS read the marine insurance policy before the coverage attaches.

The claimant should always put all relevant comments, information, agreements and findings in writing when dealing with marine insurance claims.

Marine or Yacht insurance policies cover accidental happenings or acts of God, not events that are inevitable.

The yacht owner has a responsibility to maintain and operate the insured vessel in a reasonable manner and follow good marine practice. These responsibilities are not transferable.

There are many variables in the marine insurance experience, but if the yacht owner’s actions are conducted with an awareness of the above basic rules, the experience will be more satisfactory – and if not satisfactory, more understandable.

The idea for a yacht insurance guide for cruisers originated late one Friday Night in 1992 at the Trinidad Tobago Yacht Club during a discussion with fellow cruisers about problems with their insurers and difficulties in getting yacht claims adjusted and paid. Blue Water insurance, Inc. highly recommends this publication and offers a limited number of fist publication of this guide on a cost + handling charge of $8.00 per handbook. Interested parties should submit you name and mailing address along with a VISA / MasterCard # and we will mail you the publication.

Jean and Capt. Tom Service is an experienced cruising couple preparing their CSY-44 cutter, S/V Jean Marie, for their second circumnavigation. The objective of their articles is to communicate a philosophy of boat, gear and cruising lifestyle for Blue Water voyaging to folks prepared to go cruising for the first time. Often asked questions regarding life aboard a cruising sailboat, and the equipment that is needed are answered. Jean is an accountant and office manager for a law firm, and Tom is a retired US Navy Diving and Salvage Officer as well as a past President of the Seven Seas Cruising Association.

In the fall of 1987, on the same day that Tom retired from the Navy, the family (Tom, Jean, Jennifer and Dawn, ages 11 &13) set off on a voyage around the world. From 1987 to 1991 the Service family conducted a 36,000-mile trade wind circumnavigation of the Southern Hemisphere, west about via the Panama Canal, over Australia, and under the Cape of Good Hope. After visiting over 40 island groups and countries around the world they returned to St Petersburg, Florida to complete the girl’s education.

Experience is a great teacher, and this time around Tom & Jean have the benefit of their first circumnavigation to help them navigate the maze of decisions necessary to outfit and equip a Blue Water cruising boat. During their first circumnavigation, the CSY-44 walkover proved to be a superb BlueWater cruising boat, and comfortable and secure live-aboard home. However, S/V Jean Marie is over twenty years old and has seen many miles of cruising – she needed a complete refit. Tom and Jean are well into an extensive overhaul of S/V Jean Marie in preparation for moving back aboard and returning to a voyaging lifestyle.