Trans Atlantic / Circumnavigation Insurance

[theoracle]

Hi all

In trying to figure out what the minimum requirements are for crossing the oceans I decided to call an insurance company here in The Netherlands to discover if the have such a list.

Yes they did BUT what they said next blew the proverbial wind out of my sails. The sail boat should be a minimum of 12m it is stated & I'm looking at a van de Stadt 34 which is 10.25m.

So now...
How do other people do this?
Is the v/d Stadt safe for crossing oceans? From what I have read & heard I think "yes".
WHY is 12m the minimum?
Forget crossing the Atlantic, what if she takes me to the southern oceans?

Thanks for reading my post
G

[billyruffn]

I can't comment on the VdS 34 -- I own a Samoa 47 and it's a world-class offshore boat. My guess is that VdS designs are pretty good and if the boat was well constructed and maintained that you should be able to make a trans-lant in the trades in the right season (Dec - April) in reasonable comfort and safety.

Re the insurance --- keep asking around. Blue water insurance comes in lots of flavors. You should be able to find someone who'll underwrite a 34 ft boat on oceans.

[Robby Barlow]

Don't who you have been dealing with, but try the following link from a major German Insurer, they offer to give quotes via internet. Shouldn't be a problem to get cover for your boat, but then again it's a question of what is insured and the cost of the policy.

Pantaenius Yachtversicherung

[theoracle]

Hi all

Thanks for the responses. I can say that it seems possible to insure a vessel which is less than 12m by "...just looking around".

Thanks again
G

[camaraderie]

Are you single-handing? If so...my understanding is that Lloyds is the only company that will insure single-handers across oceans and that it is outrageously expensive.
Many VandeStadt designs are home built or finished and thus difficult to insure due to their lack of recognized certification. Don't know what the origins of the one you are looking at are...but that could also be a issue going forward.

[theoracle]

Hi there

I have to learn to sail first before single-handing. Or at least I think that's how it works

Seriously though, the v/d Stadt was yard built & finished at home. She's beautiful. Only prob is the 2 agents on each side of the channel, they're a bunch of back pedalers who have an email phobia. Anybody else is welcome to check yachtworld dot com though, she's the red & white located in France.

My question is motivated more by the desire to understand what is magical about 12m. Does 12m have something to do with average wave size; a humans minimum space requirement; or just statistical info;...??

Kind regards
Graeme