Catch 22

[Windkiller]

Here's an interesting Catch 22 I'm discovering up here in Canada
I have a wooden sailboat 25' , that's currently uninsured
The boat was inexpensive (under $2000) not too old (30 years) seems well made and sound with relatively dry bilges ( a bit of seepage but very minor)
I do have extensive woodworking skills and I've been researching surveying a lot
It has not been surveyed recently (last 10 years)
It does however need a scrape and bottom paint and maybe a look at the caulking to be safe ,general painting and some work that could better be accomplished on the hard

However

To haulout, one needs insurance (pricey for wooden boats)
For insurance one needs a recent survey
For a survey one needs to haulout
and round and round

If one can only afford to spend money on fixing the boat rather than surveys and pricey insurance so that one can go for a bit of a sail occasionally with a clean and seviced bottom(no jokes please) what can one do?
Is there anyway around this?? or other feasible alternatives

I imagine a certain number of people will say if you don't have piles of money you shouldn't have a boat but I refuse to believe sailing is only for the rich or well-heeled

[DelmarRey]

Insurance to haul out? Never heard of such a thing. Depending on your location you could take it to the USA and haul it there. Port Townsend, WA is a woody town where one would see lots of wooden boats.

[CalebD]

Not sure about Canada, eh, but I have heard of an in-water survey being done. Don't know enough about insurance surveys to know it this would 'please' and ins. co. or not.
I hate regulations and insurance too but they are kind of like wimmin: can't live with 'em, can't live with out 'em.

Your wooden boat spent the winter in the water up there? In fresh water or salt?

Maybe you should look around and see if there is anywhere to pull the boat out where they are not as picky.

[Windkiller]

The boat is in salt water
I've been looking around but will keep doing so

[mitiempo]

Where are you? I have never heard of that on the left coast.

[Windkiller]

Hi Brian I'm in Burrard Inlet Vancouver
I was looking to haulout at the Lynnwood
People seem to think they were reasonably priced
I'd heard that was common here(from others) but I'll look into more
I was curious if anybody else had the same difficulty

[mitiempo]

Try Mosquito Creek Marina.

Maybe Faster will chime in - he lives in the Vancouver area.

[Minnewaska]

There is an argument that you shouldn't be on the water without liability insurance, in the event you accidentally or unavoidably damage someone else's property. Whether you insure your own against damage is optional.

[TQA]

Lots of yards will not haul you without insurance. But there are some who will. Sometimes if the yard has this as a policy you can ask the yard manager if signing a waiver will do instead.

No wooden boats seems to be becoming more of the norm I think it is in part the risk of damage during the haul and the tendancy for such boats to become a deteriorating permanent resident in the yard. We have all seen them in the yards waiting for the final bonfire.

Again a waiver might help and a discussion with the yard amanger convincing him that it wil be a short term visit.

[paulk]

Our yard solves this problem by lumping haulout and launching charges together -- when they pull you out. That way, you've already paid for the launching, whenever it occurs. They also require boats to be launched each season because they need the parking spaces for the marina slipholders and restaurant clients. For the Original Poster... shouldn't the yard have its own insurance, if they plan to stay in business? If they require YOU to have liability insurance, you should be able to obtain an inexpensive policy just for the hours or the day or two you would need to get the work done. An insurance survey is usually quite minimal. They want to make sure that the boat actually exists, and isn't about to sink. For a liability policy, they'll want to make sure your mooring line isn't chafing through or your cleats about to pull out with you to windward of a $20,000,000 yacht, that your propane tanks and lines are properly run, that your bilge isn't a fire hazard, and that you have the appropriate safety gear and fire extinguisers. It shouldn't be too intimidating, though it may cost more than not buying any insurance at all. If this is too much of a problem, isn't there a pier somewhere that you can tie alongside at high tide and ground out at low, and work on the bottom there?