Blog March 2017

HOW DO you determine the right amount of coverage to meet your specific needs

Here are some items you need to consider

• Navigational Area:– Know where you are covered in the water. Some companies offer protection that covers you up to 75 miles from the U.S. coastline; into Canadian coastal or inland waters; and into the Pacific coastal waters of Mexico. In California, Florida and Oregon, additional coverage area can be purchased.
• Agreed Value Coverage: – Watercrafts depreciate just like automobiles. Actual cash value policies can make it difficult to replace a boat that’s been stolen or destroyed. This means that if your boat is a total loss you will get the value you insured it for, minus any deductible.
• Liability – Like car insurance, personal liability coverage provides coverage to other boaters and boat owners in the event you are at-fault for an accident on the water. This coverage will pay to repair or replace the property of someone else as well as for their medical care, lost wages and other costs incurred as a result of a boating accident for which you are at-fault.
• Medical Payments – Medical payments coverage will pay for the cost of needed care that is the result of a boating accident. This coverage is available from $500 to $10,000 and covers you, your passengers, and even your water skiers/tubers, regardless of who is at-fault.
• Physical Damage Coverage– Physical damage coverage pays for the cost to repair or replace your watercraft, its motor, any permanently attached equipment, and your trailer, if it is stolen or damaged.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Watercraft Bodily Injury – Since boat coverage is not always mandatory, many boaters choose not to get insurance. If you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured boater, and you are injured, this type of coverage pays for medical treatment, lost wages, and other costs associated with the accident.
• Fuel Spill Liability and Wreckage Removal – Should your boat sink or be seriously damaged, there is a chance that it could leak oil or fuel into the water. As the boat’s owner you are required by law to have this cleaned up, which can be time consuming and expensive.
• Personal Effects – Your policy can provide coverage for many personal effects, including clothing, jewelry, cell phones, scuba/snorkeling and other sporting equipment, and fishing equipment. Limits vary by state – check with Maritime Coverage Corp. Island Wide Marine ProCap Insurance Agency for information. Personal effects coverage does not include jewelry, watches or furs.
• Unattached Equipment Coverage – This pays to repair or replace equipment that isn’t permanently attached to your boat or personal watercraft, but is designed for use primarily on a boat. This includes items like lifesaving equipment, water skis, anchors, oars, fire extinguishers, tarps etc.
• Emergency Assistance – The Emergency Assistance Package provides coverage for towing, labor and delivery of gas, oil or loaned battery if the watercraft is disabled while on the water.

Every need is unique and watercraft insurance coverage varies.

Charter and Headboat Operators' and Guides' Licenses

SO YOU WANT TO BE A CHARTER CAPTAIN?

DON’T FORGET TO GET LICENSED!

A Charter Captain or Boat License is required to carry paying customers (where a fee is paid directly or indirectly) for the purpose of taking, attempting to take, or possessing saltwater fish or organisms. 

To be a saltwater fishing guide in Florida, you must comply with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requirements.  The U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) requires all operators of for-hire vessels to have a Captain license/Merchant Mariner Credential.  

Charter, headboat and saltwater fishing guide operations must have an FWC charter captain or boat license to cover their passengers, who are not required to hold a recreational saltwater fishing license.  Customers authorized to fish under the vessel license are not required to hold a recreational saltwater fishing license.

Dive charters:  Scuba divers engaged in fishing or lobstering must have an individual saltwater fishing license and all necessary permits if the vessel they are on does not have the necessary vessel license.

Charter Captain License (allows a licensed captain to go from boat to boat)

A Current Coast Guard License to Operate or Navigate Passenger Carrying Vessel License must be provided in order to purchase these licenses.

Protection for your marine business

There are risks to owning a business and owning a commercial marine business is no exception.  With over 30 years of experience, Maritime Coverage Corp, Island Wide Marine Agency, Pro Cap Insurance understands the risks and liabilities you are exposed to in your commercial marine business, and has developed comprehensive insurance coverage to help protect it.

Some example business risks that would fall under the Marine Tradesman program include:

• Rental facilities
• Charter (guides, bareboat, sightseeing, sportfishing)
• Bed and breakfast boats
• Boat clubs
• Boat schools
• Commercial fishing boats
• Owner/operator (environmental, artisan, weed control, etc.)

Maritime Coverage Corp, Island Wide Marine Agency, Pro Cap Insurance

• Dedicated marine underwriters and claims specialists who provide quick, responsive service
• Flexible coverages to fit your specific needs
• Flexible payment options including automatic and online payments
• Electronic policy delivery

We will insure everything from commercial fishing boats to bridge repairer barges, to boat rental facilities.

When Does Spring Begin?

The March equinox is Monday, March 20, 2017 at 6:29 A.M. EDT.

Astronomically speaking, the equinox falls on March 19 or 20 every year, marking spring’s beginning in the Northern Hemisphere (whereas it announces fall’s arrival in the Southern Hemisphere). The equinox happens at the same moment worldwide, even if our clock times reflect a different time zone.

Meteorologically speaking, in the Northern Hemisphere, the official spring season always begins on March 1 and continues through May 31. Summer begins on June 1; autumn, September 1; and winter, December 1.

• Weather scientists divide the year into quarters this way to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun, and they more closely follow the Gregorian calendar. Using the dates of the astronomical equinoxes and solstices for the seasons would present a statistical problem because these dates can vary slightly each year.

What is an Equinox?

At the Vernal Equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator on its way north along the ecliptic.

All over the world, days and nights are approximately equal. The name equinox comes from Latin words which mean “equal night”—aequus (equal) and nox (night). 

Enjoy the increasing sunlight hours, with earlier dawns and later sunsets. On the equinox, Earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the Sun’s rays about equally because the tilt of the Earth is zero relative to the Sun, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun.  (Note, however, that the Earth never orbits upright, but is always tilted on its axis by about 23.5 degrees.)  

St Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on or around March 17. It particularly remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.

Every year on March 17, the Irish and the Irish-at-heart across the globe observe St. Patrick’s Day. What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green.

St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in America in 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston, including a feast and religious service. This first celebration of the holiday in the colonies was largely to honor and celebrate the Irish culture that so many colonists had been separated from.

This holiday is celebrated every year on March 17th, honoring the Irish patron saint, St. Patrick. The celebrations are largely Irish culture themed and typically consist of wearing green, parades, and drinking. Some churches may hold religious services and many schools and offices close in Suffolk County, the area containing Boston and its suburbs.

People all over the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially places with large Irish-American communities. Feasting on the day features traditional Irish food, including corned beef, corned cabbage, coffee, soda bread, potatoes, and shepherd’s pie. Many celebrations also hold an Irish breakfast of sausage, black and white pudding, fried eggs, and fried tomatoes. Common traditions include:

• Parades – This event is most often associated with the holiday. Cities that hold large parades include Boston, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Savannah, and other cities worldwide.
• Drinking – Since many Catholics are Irish-American, some may be required to fast from drinking during Lent. However, they are allowed to break this fast during the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. This is one cause for the day’s association with drinking heavily.
• Dying water or beer green – Chicago dies its river green for the festivities, and many bars serve green-dyed beer. The White House fountain is also dyed green.
• Other incorporations of green – In Seattle, the parade routes are painted in green. Observers are supposed to wear green or else risk being pinched. Parade floats and decorations will feature the color green.

The spring boating season will kick off soon. Before it does, make sure you and your boat are ready. Advance preparation will help to ensure you’ll squeeze every ounce of fun out of the upcoming boating season. This handy checklist  explains what to take care of now so you can sail right into spring!

1. Vessel Preparation and Maintenance. What exactly this step should entail will depend on the type and size of your boat. At minimum, though, have your engine and all other critical parts and mechanical systems evaluated by a professional and have all fluids changed or topped off.
2. Navigation and Safety Equipment. Your navigation lights are critical to your safety on the water. Make sure they’re operational and that you have replacement bulbs on board. Check that your emergency equipment like radios and fire extinguishers are in place and in good condition.
3. Trailer Maintenance. Check the condition of your trailer tires and ensure they’re properly inflated. Also check all lights, signals, and safety chains.
4. Trip Preparation. Nothing puts a damper on boating fun like procrastinating to plan your trip and discovering that your intended destination has no available boat slips. The time to plan and book reservations is now!
5. Additional Tips. The more experienced you are as a boater, the more you learn about the little things you can do to set yourself up for a successful season. As you discover these gems of wisdom (ie: playing cards help pass the time during a long journey, packing detergent and a roll of quarters is a time saver for the laundromats in port), write them down and keep a running list. Refer to that list and add to it from year to year.

Thanks to Discover Boating

March Madness 2017

It's the last day of the week for some, but for those in the know, its’ a harbinger of warmer weather to come, and it means one thing: March Madness is almost here.

That's right; Selection Sunday, is on March 12, and soon we'll know the entire field of play for the 2017 NCAA men's basketball tournament.

That means we can still have some time to pour over the dates of the schedule, and plan our viewings and happy hours.

If you're already working on your bracket, the NCAA.com has you covered with some key stats and trends. Check them out. For instance, did you know you're going to want to pick about six upsets within the 10-15 seeds?

The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to determine the national championship. The tournament was created in 1939 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and was the idea of Ohio State University coach Harold Olsen..Played mostly during March, it is known informally as March Madness or the Big Dance, and has become one of the most famous annual sporting events in the United States.

So get those brackets ready, stock up on your beverages of choice, and make sure you know your allowable sick days.

Enjoy March Madness!

What Boat Insurance Should I Get?

Try Agreed Value Coverage

Perfect for Cruisers, Yachts and Sport Fishing Boats

Choose Agreed Value Coverage for the best protection for your boat, engine and gear. Available for almost any boat type, and recommended for larger boats including Cruisers, Yachts and Sport Fishing Boats. Sorry this Not available for Personal Watercraft (PWC).

Featured Coverage's:

• Agreed Value Coverage

You'll always know what your claims check will say with this coverage that pays to replace or repair your boat up to its agreed hull value, determined at the onset of your policy. Covers your boat, engines, machinery, dinghy and boating equipment.

• Broad Cruising Area Options For Larger Boats
  
  

No Cruising Limits - Boats under 40 ft. are free to cruise in US and Canadian Coastal and Inland waters.

• Medical Payments Coverage

In the event of on-board injury, your policy includes up to $10,000 in per person, per occurrence medical coverage, and up to $25,000 for Family Members

• Liability Coverage

Enjoy up to $500,000 in per occurrence liability coverage (higher limits may be available).

• Consequential Damage Coverage

• Covers immediate damage to the insured boat resulting from fire, explosion, sinking, or collision, even when the initial cause of the loss was excluded — such as wear and tear or deterioration.