Should you insure your bond or not? There are two groups of sailors: those who never buy bond insurance because they trust that nothing will happen to the boat, and those who always buy insurance because they know that things happen at sea and they want to sleep well.
We spoke with charter operators and sailors to compile a list of the most common reasons for losing your boat security deposit.
- Scratched gelcoat
- Clogged toilet
- Drowned outboard motor
- Broken flap
- Scratched/broken rudder blade
- Lost anchor
- Broken sails
- Bent railing
- Broken treadle, bent boom
- Burned out bow thruster/windlass
What are the most common reasons for losing a boat deposit and how to prevent it?
Scratched gelcoat
We probably don’t know anyone who loves maneuvering in a harbor when it’s tight and the wind is blowing. A scratched boat is the most common damage that can occur. And during the season there may even be situations where scratching your boat in a harbor is not your fault, but that of a careless captain of another vessel.
"Broken or damaged parts of the boat are the most common reason we retain a deposit. Mostly it’s broken railings or damage to the interior of the boat", Says the base manager of Sailing Europe Charter.
Tip: You can’t influence the wind in the harbor, but you can read our article about how to handle harbor maneuvers smoothly.
Clogged toilet
Rule number 1 is: "Never let anything other than the will of the child" . falling into the toilet of a boat". Clogged toilets are mentioned by charter companies like Sailing Europe Charter as a major reason for losing the deposit.
Drowned outboard motor
Handling an outboard motor and putting it on a dinghy is always a bit tricky. Have you ever had an engine drowned? You wouldn’t be the first or the last sailor to have this happen to you.
Tip: Always tie the outboard motor to the boat with another rope and secure it on the dinghy with the help of others.
Broken hatch
The hatch is basically a window, and windows can sometimes be broken or noticeably scratched. Often the hatch is left open and the gennaker sheet gets caught behind it, so that the hinges fold down when it is rotated. This was confirmed by the Greek charter company MG Yachts. Another situation was that the crew forgets to close the hatch before sailing and later steps on it.
Tip: Always keep the hatches closed when sailing.
Scratched/broken rudder blade
Some boats drive too long backwards to the jetty and scrape with the rudder blade on a lower part of the jetty. "Never blindly trust the ship pilots", advises a representative of MG Yachts.
Lost anchor
The bolt securing the anchor should hold, but in our experience not always and while sailing it can fall into the water. When the anchor gets caught on the seabed, there is often no one on board to dive and retrieve it. These things can happen, but the anchor is a pretty expensive item.
The charter company Sailing forever, whose boats we offer, cites a lost anchor (or the whole chain if it gets tangled) and inability to retrieve it, as well as a lost dinghy, as the most common reasons for losing a deposit.
Tip: Make sure you’ve secured the anchor with a line. In case the anchor gets tangled, it’s good to have someone on board who can dive and has goggles and fins.
Broken sails
The sails are probably the most delicate thing on a boat and on a rented boat they are never in perfect condition. Strong winds can tear a hole in the sails or tear off the eye of the sheet. And since sails are expensive, the deposit would likely be retained in full.
Tip: There is a saying among sailors:"If you’re thinking about reefing, reef when you want to hoist the sails again, have a coffee and then hoist them, unless you’ve changed your mind in the meantime."
"Überrisingly, it’s not that often that we have customers who completely destroy their sails. Mostly minor tears caused by the sail flapping near the furling or other sharp parts on the mast", says a representative of MG Yachts.
Bent railing
Whether from maneuvering in the marina or simply because a crew member has held on too tightly, the railing can be pulled or bent off the deck.
Broken treadle or bent boom
Both look very solid, but both can give way. The boom usually can’t take unwanted slack and the flapping strap can’t take too much tension.
Tip: Don’t go all out, even if you can’t help it at the regatta.
Burned out bow thruster or windlass
The tension in the bow thruster and windlass is enormous. An experienced captain uses them carefully and never longer than necessary. Nevertheless, these devices can overheat and stop serving.
Tip: Give them a break. Both the windlass and bow thruster should be operated slowly. Run briefly and then pause and then run again.
Of course, we failed to mention lost or damaged small items, such as z.B. Winch handles, lost fenders (I’m sure many are floating in the ocean), broken doors, including interior locker doors, or an overturned cockpit or salon table.
Do you want to sail or bail, or both?