[PUP] Offshore insurance

[Peter Pisciotta]

Scott - I worked with the folks at Overseas several
years ago to develop an insurance certification
program. Here's a basic list of skills that needed to
be covered (I no longer do this type of work, its for
example only). It was designed to be covered in a
couple days and was reasonably priced:

http://tinyurl.com/yjmvrg

You're probably better off than you know - I believe
you have crewed up/down the coast a few times. As far
as your wife, depending upon her interest, aptitude,
and skill, spending some time with the good folks at
Sea Sense might make sense (www.seasenseboating.com).
Sea Sense teaches men and women, but their forte is
working with women. They're located in Florida - given
the winter you've endured in the PNW, it might be a
timely trip anyway. They usually do a charter trip in
the PNW once a year, you may be able to hire them for
a day or two of private instruction aboard your boat.

Intuitively, big boats are purchased by people with a
fair amount of disposable income. I can tell you from
first-hand experience they didn't get that way by
messing around in boats - many, many people have a
skills' gap. Yet they all get insured somehow. Don't
despair, and don't get discouraged by your first
quotes.

Honestly, the only insurance sign-off work I did was
the occasional person who had a bad accident and the
insurance company wouldn't lift 'port risk'
restrictions (can't leave the slip) until they spent a
bunch of time with someone like me (oh, the
stories....). Which tells me insurance companies are
writing a lot of policies without comparable
experience

Good luck - 

Peter
www.SeaSkills.com