GL: Insurance in Florida (was Miss Happ Docked in Palm Coast, Florida)

[Randy Pickelmann]

Wade wrote "...my boat insurance went up more than 120% (pro-rated) as soon as
I hit the Florida border."

That ain't nuthin'!
When we left Florida in 2006 our insurance was with BoatUS.  Premium had
climbed from $1400 to about $2500 over the previous 4 or 5 years but when we
left Florida they lowered our premium to approx. $1400.  Great!  When this
year's renewal came I noticed that they had changed my limits of navigation to
Chesapeake Bay, Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds.  I called them because we wanted
to travel up to New York and they wrote a rider for that trip.  $150 for two
months.  I posed the question about returning to Florida for the winter.  They
informed me that they would re-rate me at Florida rates and it would be
$6250!!  Yep, that's six thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars!  Over the
following three months I inquired again several time, always with the same
results.  So, after 35 years with BoatUS, I switched insurance companies.  One
of the Krogen Cruisers members made a presentation to our rendezvous last year
and I contacted him.  He got quotes from Zurich and American Reliable and we
wound up going with the latter.  We can't be in Florida until after November 1
and have to be out by June 1.  Big deal.  (BTW, I offered those same dates and
geographical limits to BoatUS but they weren't interested..  "We don't do
that")  My new limits of navigation are Maine to Mobile, including the
Bahamas, and the premium was just north of $2600.  The sad thing is when I
called BoatUS to cancel the policy they asked why.  When I told them they said
OK and promptly returned the unearned portion of my premium.  They couldn't
have cared less that they were loosing a trouble-free, 35 year customer.

Regards,
Randy Pickelmann
hard aground in Clearwater
MORNING STAR
lying in Marathon, FL
www.morningstar.talkspot.com