82 Boating New Zealand
s director of Mariner Insurance, one of New
Zealand’s only specialised marine insurers,
Aaron Mortimer’s seen some pretty way-
out claims in his time – and says people
might be surprised by what their insurance
policy will pay out on.
Many of the claims he handles are for the usual things –
“hitting other boats, hitting rocks... coming into an unfamiliar
bay or even a bay you’re familiar with and just being a bit
careless. Also, it’s not so much theft of boats but theft of items
from boats or trailers. Someone comes along with a sharp knife
and cuts through your covers and rips out the electronics, or
they kick in the companionway hatch and steal the lifejackets
and other safety equipment. Sometimes boats will get
completely cleaned out, and all that is left is the actual hull.”
But then there are the doozies. For example, one
unfortunate owner’s trailer boat was hit by a visitor while he
was manoeuvring in his sloping driveway. The trailer broke free
of its chocks and the entire package took off down the drive
towards the neighbour’s house. It’s wild ride was eventuallyA
Owners of insured vessels are confident of cover if the boat gets stolen, catches fire on its
trailer or gets banged up in the pre-start of a particularly intense Wednesday night race.
But what about some of the more obscure mishaps?
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InsuranceWORDS BY SARAH ELL
PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED