This is one of my favorite topics, which is a bit odd. I hear from so many people, including people who work in the industry, that you cannot insure or find moorage for a wooden boat. My question is-what are you talking about? I have never had a wooden boat purchase not close due to those two things. Are there constraints to insurance, of course. Are there some private marinas that don’t like wooden boats-I know of two.
Insurance first-Insurance providers come and go from all sorts of markets as their business models evolve. Not all providers insure wooden boats and some you would not want. Have wooden boat owners had their providers leave the market-yes, and that is painful. It does not mean that a boat is uninsurable, however, there have been changes in the process of getting and then maintaining your policy. First, during your pre-purchase survey you will have to pull a sampling of fasteners (typically between 6-12) so the surveyor to check their condition and add to his report. This is excellent information for you as the buyer to have as it may affect your buying decision or purchase negotiations. Second, during your ownership you will need to get an insurance survey done approximately every 5 years. This is also good! We can all get blind spots with regards to our boats and having a professional, unbiased review on a regular basis is a good thing to do. I am surprised that it is not required of all older boats. Don’t wait for your provider to ask for this as it will never be at a convenient time. Plan ahead and time it with your regular haul out schedule- you will be ahead of your insurance provider every time and you can rest easy knowing that there is not some problem lurking just beneath the surface. My personal view on insurance is that these changes are all for the good. As consumers of insurance we are better informed about our boats and about the industry we are going to rely on when things don’t go well.
Now moorage– yes, some marinas do not allow wooden boats. This is not the majority. As I am writing this, I am only aware of two marinas in the Puget Sound that don’t allow wood vessels. Based on 2021 data (Puget Sound Maritime Emissions Inventory published in 2024) there are 30,594 slips in Washington State. Deduct for transient and commercial slips you are between 20,000-25,000 slips. That is still a lot of moorage! As a percentage it is a very small number of slips not available to a wood boat owner. If a marina manager has a concern, offer to show them a copy of your most recent survey. A proactive marina will ask you for it. Also consider joining a yacht club with moorage. Not only will you get all the benefits of club membership, but you may also have an option to purchase a boathouse which is the best protection any boat could ask for!
People hate change and there has been change in these two areas, but it is hardly at the pearl-clutching level we hear while walking the docks. Understand the changes, see how they can benefit you and motor on!
Next month we will attempt to wrap up this discussion-see you then!
