Insurance Claims

if by saying the "we have done it again" you mean you went sailing in conditions where damage was likely then the insurance may well have a problem with your payout.

Mind you that is the times when sailing is best!!

May a tree got blown over in the stong winds recently & mushed the mast we just don`t know!.

What was the circumstances of the breakage? Not enough mainsheet tension with kite up? That's the most common reason unless it's a Laser with the XD pack and you have overcooked the cunningham or kicker. ( don't get me started on a fit-for-purpose argument re Laser masts - grrr )

But it shouldn't make a difference to your claim. If you are insured they should pay up. But as everyone else has said - expect your premiums to rise. If you are paying £300 pa for your insurance and breaking a £500 mast twice a year (figures are arbitary) then, taking into account your £100 policy excess, your insurer is down £500 on the year. Balanced against all the other non-claiming members on his books the insurer is still OK but, if you have a history of breakages, a picture starts to emerge. If you have just been unlucky this year and have been otherwise claim-free over previous years then your insurer may see it as a blip.

Talk to them. Even the largest marine insurer doesn't operate on the same scale as Direct Line or Norwich Union and because of the specialised nature of the insurance you will probably be talking to someone with knowledge of boats rather than a call centre operator.