My insurance company ( GJW ) has just dropped a bombshell on me stipulating that an “ out of water exhaustive inspection “ by a qualified marine surveyor is required before they will renew my policy . Also they require an estimate on the current market value ??? As most of the CMBA members will know my Moonfleet Aquila is in first class condition and was shown at the London Boat Show in 2015.
The cost of the aforementioned survey is almost three times as much as I’m paying for my fully comp insurance ! I’m pretty much aware that this is a similar subject and query which has arisen occasionally on this forum, so any guidance and advice off someone who’s has been in this scenario? The boat has only done 10 hours or so in the water since it was on show at Excel . The GJW team actually saw it on our stand as I invited them to come and look at it
Many thanks in advance.

Not sure what agreement the CMBA has with GJW these days; guess self-certifying immaculate classics is out the door. I switched to Navigators & General after GJW dropped multi-boat policies and increased their prices. Generally I'd consider us lot to be low risk, in the same vein as classic car owners, but I got the hump after being quoted more than it costs to use my 200hp / 145mph car on the roads every day - that quote was for a selection of boats, 1 used at a time, 6 times a year.

I still wonder whether insurers took fright after the Fletcher incident on the Thames and there have been a couple of lack of 'kill switch' incidents too.

Here's another thread on the same subject, so not much appears to have changed:-

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14803&p=35614&hilit=gjw#p35614

I had the same recently trying to insure Miss Isle. No company would cover it without an independent survey and written valuation. I could only get a basic 3rd party cover in order to go to events. The third party cover with Nav and Gen was very easy though and you can do it online in minutes: https://quote.navandgen.co.uk/Policy/St ... ourDetails

Just an update on this topic, I telephoned GJW Just before the bank holiday and clarified to the lady I spoke to that the boat (Moonfleet) barely does 10 hours a year in the water,kept on a trailer at home, plus offered to send photos of all the parts that concerns them ( ie under the waterline hull stern gear etc.) with proof of date of the picture ( holding a newspaper with the date ) plus reminded her the rep from the company saw the boat on our stand at Excel, in 2015 and then she backed down completely and said, “ seeing as you’ve been with us so long, we’ll review this again in two years”

Interesting one this. I have been told that I cannot get insurance for the Grey Falcon until I have had a survey. Then I am told that as it is a ‘home build’ the price of said insurance will be in the region of £1200!! And I am having trouble finding a surveyor. I have spent six years building it, it lives in a garage on a bespoke trailer. I cannot put it on the water anywhere on the south coast without the insurance and a bunch of extra cash for launch fees, conservancy (who also want to inspect it) not to forget the price of parking the car and the trailer (two vehicles)
All these costs and the difficulty of finding somewhere to use it make me look again at keeping it.

If you shop around there will be companies prepared to insure you - be ready to supply photos of the build, but don't be put off by those silly quotes.
As for not being able to launch anywhere on the south coast without insurance. This is a slightly misleading statement in my humble opinion. I have never actually been asked to show or display proof of insurance while on the water. There is simply no policing going on here in Devon except in Salcombe due to the huge numbers of yachties and shortage of summer time berths and landing space down there.
The only time I have needed to provide proof of insurance on the water was for the purpose of competing in dinghy sailing races and then the organisers need to see proof before you can compete. Obviously this other sort of water sport involves some close contact with competing boats and light collisions sometimes occur but are quite rare.