Summer holidays with your own boat – what you need to know!

Summer holidays with your own boat – what you need to know!

Munich / Grünwald, 7 July 2010. The best time of the year is once again just around the corner – the summer holidays. But, particularly when going on holiday with your own boat, this also means: taking precautions and following all information regarding the destination – otherwise, the most beautiful time of the year can quickly turn into the most expensive. BAVARIA Versicherungen therefore recommends careful preparation and identifies the most important points that should not be overlooked.

Travelling by private boat, especially in summer, is an unforgettable experience – but such a journey also needs careful planning and consideration of a number of points in order to secure against all eventualities. Above all, it should be noted that the weather on the open sea can change rapidly during the summer months. Especially those who take their own boat on the Adriatic Sea must always be prepared for sudden strong winds and storms. Skippers should therefore be constantly aware of the current weather situation. For this purpose, the German National Meteorological Service, which is always available at www.dwd.de/seewetter, is recommended.

Since it is not always possible to reach the next port on time when weather conditions are unfavourable, the necessary safety equipment must also be on board in addition to a fully functional GPS system and up-to-date maps. In addition to life jackets, whose functioning must be checked before departure, this also includes light sources for sending rescue signals and, ideally, a life raft for all crew members. In addition, different holiday destinations have different rules on the mandatory on-board rescue gear – these should be checked against the usual cruising guides and supplemented as necessary.

If your boat is moved to other European countries in a trailer, co-insurance with the car insurer is mandatory. If the trailer is not used on site, a drawbar lock and wheel clamp are recommended to protect against theft. There must also, of course, be adequate insurance coverage for the boat itself if travelling abroad. In this context, holidaymakers in Italy should note that the required minimum coverage for boats in this country is currently three million euros. In general, it is advisable to carry all of the relevant insurance certificates abroad, in order to prevent complications.

It is also helpful to have a boat pass, in which information about the boat, engine and trailer is to be entered so that they are immediately available if needed. This pass must be kept in a safe place at all times. BAVARIA insurance provides such a boat pass for free download at www.bavaria-yacht.de/formulare.

If, however, all precautionary and safety measures fail at some point and an accident or other damage occurs during the boat holiday, the BAVARIA claims hotline is available around the clock to all policyholders. The hotline can be reached 24 hours a day on +49-89-693923-88.

About BAVARIA Versicherungen:

BAVARIA Versicherungen was founded over 30 years ago by the internationally successful regatta racer, Dieter Krautgartner. His daughter, Sandra Ahrabian, has led the company with headquarters in Munich since 2003 and has developed BAVARIA into one of the largest specialist brokers in Europe for yacht and aircraft insurance. Over the last five years, BAVARIA has doubled its revenue.


For further enquiries:

BAVARIA Spezialmakler für Yacht- und Luftfahrzeugversicherungen GmbH
Südliche Münchner Str. 15
82031 Grünwald/Munich, Germany

Your contact person: Sandra Ahrabian
Telephone: +49- (0)89- 693 923- 30
Fax: +49- (0)89- 693 923- 99

Internet:
www.bavaria-air.de
www.bavaria-yacht.de