« Reply #20 on: Today at 1:17 PM »
 
HI Nick,  this is a bit of a long reply - sorry !

For what you probably do, your insurance is perfectly adequate, indeed many insurance companies won't give comprehensive cover for home 'built craft'.

You will be covered for damage and injury to third parties ( and hopefully passengers ! ) but with no cover for damage to the craft, yourself or any legal costs if your craft is damaged by someone else.  With a home built craft that isn't a massive issue as you would likely do the repairs yourself and not make a claim !  It is the third party cover that is the important bit as that could run into millions and you will probably have a £5m limit which is generally reckoned enough.  Until recently that was £2m but has now been increased.  Basic Boat insurance also covers operation on land if part of an organised club event ( as far as I can recall from my Sev Vanguard days ).

Comprehensive cover costs more but is like car insurance and similar to ordinary commercial marine cover.  You get repairs up to an agreed value for damage or if a constructive total loss ( aka write off )  or a full agreed/market value pay out for loss due to sinking or fire plus cover for claims made by passengers as long as not commercial. They will also cover costs for agreed salvage and for personal items lost.  It is actually more complicated than this due to the %age of value on cover but we can ignore that bit.  You will also have an option of legal expenses cover for you and to reclaim any lost no claim bonus or to defend a prosecution against you.  There is also personal injury cover and a good company - I am with Haven Knox Johnson - will take over the damage claim and get the vessel fixed and returned just like a car policy.  You may even get a hire vessel - some hope with a hovercraft ! - during the repair period.   HKJ asked me to rewrite their hovercraft insurance terms some years ago and they still use the wording. 

There were a couple of 'spurious' claims a few years ago when some commercially built but defective craft were 'damaged' and the insurance paid out.  No names !!!!   However many companies took fright and dumped all hovercraft insurance, but a few still offer it although with special clauses and limitations. There are so few of us that they don't understand the mind set and a few maverick operators can cause the underwriters to back out.  Easier to say no than to handle an unknown risk.

The main fear for insurers is that of Road Traffic Act liability and this is an incredibly expensive and dangerous issue for light hovercraft operators.  The liability is unlimited so in the event of an accident on land, any claim company will try hard to make  out that the hovercraft was being used in the manner or purpose of a 'motor vehicle'. That way they can claim huge sums and take their cut.   If the insurers won't pay out, they could go after and potentially bankrupt the operator.

With any publicly accessible space now being classed as part of a highway for the purposes of vehicle use, this is a minefield and why Road Traffic insurance is specifically excluded on hovercraft policies.  It is also a big risk for hovercraft operators on a beach as it could be argued that you are a motor vehicle - certainly a craft operating on a beach with no intention of going on the water might come into this category.  The wording .... from memory ....says 'adapted or intended for use on a road' but there is a massive grey area and that is where lawyers make their money.  A fully equipped seagoing hovercraft heading to or from the water or below the mean high water mark is unlikely to fall into that category, but a basic one using the beach as a playground might,   and lawyers are trained to find a chink in the armour.

Basic Boat insurance, as I recall, covers operators for use on land ONLY if part of an organised club event.  My insurance lets me choose - both obviously subject to the RTA exclusions - and that's why I would need the club to make any hover-in an 'official' event so that anyone with Basic Boat insurance is covered, along with the organisers as club officials !  Not a problem if they decide not to do this,  but it shuts out members without comprehensive insurance cover.

Sorry for the long pontification !
« Last Edit: Today at 2:32 PM by John Robertson »

« Reply #19 on: Today at 10:42 AM »
 
Ross- What does "comprehensive HC insurance" mean?
My Hovercraft basic boat ins is third party only.
Memories are BETTER than Dreams---"Capn" FLINT

« Reply #18 on: Yesterday at 6:12 PM »
 
Did the committee decide if a Hover - in  event at the Helicopter Museum could be  a club event?  From my time on the committee and with the ' Basic Boat' insurance on my old Sev I think it needs to be an approved club event for operators to be covered by their insurance for operation on land.  Organisers would also need cover under the club policy.

I am 95% over this sciatica .... 12 weeks  ... and can now start following it up.  The Heli Museum are up for it,  as are the HCGB and SWHUG  but I need to know if it is a formal club event before I can go any further. 

It only needs agreement in principle as no one knows dates or what will actually happen,  so it is not a carte blanche agreement, but unless the Club can agree it as an 'event' it will exclude a lot of our members who don't have comprehensive hover insurance and I will probably not bother to take it forward as a joint event.

Thanks for all the get well messages - it was a bit of a battering!

« Reply #17 on: Sep 16, 2025, 3:24 pm »
 
Well done Ross 8)

« Reply #16 on: Sep 15, 2025, 10:00 pm »
 
The HCGB Cruising Committee have responded and are looking at dates to see what would work for them. Once I have that information I can start putting a plan together and canvass dates from our Club.

« Reply #15 on: Sep 10, 2025, 10:47 am »
 
OMG - a year - 2 1/2 weeks has been bad enough.  I think Gill will move out if it lasts that long.  She says she always knows where I am from the grunting and swearing! ::)

« Reply #14 on: Sep 10, 2025, 8:39 am »
 
Hopefully you'll be on the mend soon, Back pain is one of the worst pains going, as every movement you make hurts.  Even when you don't move it hurts.  June last year I fitted a towbar on a Fiesta, ended up damaging a nerve in my neck that took almost a year to sort itself out, "so annoying" ,  I suppose as we get older our bodies take longer to heal
« Last Edit: Sep 11, 2025, 6:53 am by Gaz »

« Reply #13 on: Sep 09, 2025, 8:20 pm »
 
Thanks Kim.  Its incredibly frustrating ... and b painful.  One 13 mm partially seized bolt and this is the result.......

« Reply #12 on: Sep 09, 2025, 8:06 am »
 
Get well soon Ross

« Reply #11 on: Sep 08, 2025, 11:15 pm »
 
Does anyone have an email address for someone on the HCGB Committee ?  I have emailed both their website email addresses and had a notification of receipt but they don't respond.  I thought it would be a courtesy to see if any of them might like to join us for the event I am trying to set up but there is just a stony silence.  I have emailed them previously and had the same response - or lack thereof - so am not sure if the links don't work or they don't wish to communicate with me.  Any help in making contact would be appreciated or if you know anyone on their Committee,  feel free to copy and paste the suggestion from this thread.

I've not been to the Heli museum yet as I messed up my back changing a Land Rover starter motor and have sciatica that has  put me on industrial strength painkillers and crutches for 2 weeks so far.  Once I can drive ... or walk ... I will follow that aspect up.

« Reply #10 on: Sep 01, 2025, 11:52 pm »
 
If  it happens it will be next year Jon.  I've 'done my back in' big time and am out of action for the remainder of the hover season :-(

« Reply #9 on: Aug 31, 2025, 5:57 pm »
 
sounds fun!
im in the middle of building two craft, so will not have anything to bring.
maybe next year!

« Reply #8 on: Aug 21, 2025, 9:37 pm »
 
Thanks Everyone for the expressions of interest. Much appreciated.


Nick - That's the problem we would have - no motorhome, trailer prevents a caravan ( if we had one ) and its a b long way to travel for a short time!!!


What I might be able to do - and I've not been to see the museum yet - is to arrange for secure hovercraft storage so that the option of a hotel is possible - Weston is loaded with them.  We can always provide secure storage at our place but its a 20 mile round trip to the museum so might not be much help.


Launching is another issue as the Council has withdrawn day permits for Weston and a 12 month one is silly money for a weekend, but again there may be other possibilities including a local marina who are keen to help..... but there is a lock to go through and a 10 knot tide the other side at full flow.  However it is doable.  I can explore options and I don't think launching is a deal breaker - where we launch might be.


If we can get a few craft together, then I am sure we can take pax to give everyone a trip out.




I am approaching the 'big 7' and the idea of hard ground, wet flapping canvas and a sleeping bag is not appealing - and Gill would refuse flat - so I will be looking at this from my point of view ..... that it is supposed to be enjoyable, and at some of our ages this involves hot water and a decent night's sleep.




Leave this one with me.  I'll keep you updated on this thread and if anyone else is interested please comment so that we have an idea of the level of interest.


« Last Edit: Aug 22, 2025, 6:40 am by Gaz »

« Reply #7 on: Aug 21, 2025, 4:56 pm »
 
Hi Ross, I would be interested in attending.  Would it be possible to extend the event after the weekend for a few days, for extra cruises to make it worthwhile as it's a 540 mile round trip for me.

« Reply #6 on: Aug 21, 2025, 12:03 pm »
 
Thanks Ross. If you are only asking for a show of interest at this point, I would be interested in supporting the idea. I no longer have a craft but could maybe come down to assist in some way. Years since I've been to WsM heli museum as well 8)