When sailing an average of ten days per year in Europe, it’s nothing compared to over 300 days for a long-distance cruise program like the one currently undertaken by participants in the Pacific Puddle Jump. Statistically, the risk is therefore higher—but is insurance mandatory? How do you get coverage, and at what cost? David Allouch, organizer of the Pacific Puddle Jump (PPJ), and Geoffroy de Lassée, a specialized insurance broker, provide some answers.
From a strictly legal point of view, unlike a car, insuring your boat is not mandatory. The Pacific Puddle Jump also doesn’t impose any insurance requirements but asks participants to comply with the laws of both their vessel’s flag state and the territories where they sail. In French Polynesia, at a minimum, liability insurance is required. In the online declaration for entering and exiting a pleasure craft, it is asked whether the boat is insured, but there is no obligation to submit a certificate. However, marina offices always require such documentation when you make a stopover.
David Allouch, PPJ organizer, emphasizes a local specificity: being covered for “refloating your boat if, unfortunately, you end up on a reef, since it is a dangerous and costly operation.” But in most cases, all-risk insurance is recommended due to the high value of the boat and its equipment, whether new or used. If the boat is leased, the lender will usually make insurance a requirement.
To avoid getting lost in the overwhelming international insurance market, the PPJ strongly recommends “contacting one or more brokers rather than negotiating directly with insurers. A broker provides guidance, prepares the file, and avoids a principle-based refusal by the insurer, which is difficult to reverse.” This is exactly Geoffroy de Lassée’s expertise. He is the founder of his namesake firm based in La Rochelle, with nine staff fully specialized in pleasure craft insurance. “Where an agent necessarily offers their own company’s products, a broker will try to present multiple options to find the best one,” he explains.
Solutions become rarer when heading to distant destinations, which insurers find more complex and risky. “We don’t always have four offers to propose for a trans-Pacific trip,” he confirms. “When we get one, we’re happy; two is exceptional. Insurance companies provide a framework within which they agree to underwrite policies.”
Experience Matters
The first criterion, of course, is the boat to be insured. If it’s over ten to fifteen years old, depending on the company, an appraisal may be required. Then comes the crew’s level of experience. While there is no absolute rule—except for solo sailing, which by definition cannot comply with watchkeeping rules—Geoffroy de Lassée explains that “some companies require at least one crew member to have already completed the planned program, while others require each crew member to be capable of handling the boat.” For a trans-Pacific event like the PPJ, the nautical CV of all crew members is requested. If the level is deemed insufficient for a major crossing, “you must take someone on board who has the required experience,” adds David Allouch.
What about double-handed crossings? “It needs preparation,” says the La Rochelle broker. “You must have gained experience as a pair and spent multiple nights at sea, always ensuring proper alignment between experience, the boat, and the program.” Above all, he notes, “insurers love people who have thoroughly prepared their journey, thought it through, and asked the right questions long before departure.”
Another concern for insurers when covering sailors in the Pacific is geographical limits and the sailing season. Regarding limits, Geoffroy de Lassée explains that “three schemes exist”:
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Coverage zone by zone, e.g., Caribbean zone, Polynesia zone, and a passage between them with a northern and southern limit.
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Some insurers request a detailed sailing program and cover it exactly as described—so the more precise, the better.
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Others offer worldwide coverage, with a northern limit at 60° and a southern limit at 50°, allowing complete freedom of navigation.
Regarding season, some insurers—particularly Anglo-Saxon companies—do not cover cyclone risk; others offer coverage but with clauses requiring preparation of the boat in advance of a storm. Some companies impose both geographical and seasonal limits. For example, “you cannot be insured to sail in December in Fiji without having a reserved marina berth and being there if a cyclone arrives, knowing that the cyclone season in the area runs from mid-November to the end of March,” explains David Allouch. He adds, “Polynesia is well-covered: up to 150° west (between Tahiti and Raiatea), the zone is not considered at cyclone risk.”
Pacific and Polynesia: The Cost of a Distant Paradise
All of this comes at a cost. Assuming all eligibility conditions are met, worldwide coverage can see the premium multiply 3.5 to 4 times compared to European waters. For a trans-Pacific crossing and a well-defined Polynesia zone, “the coefficient is rather between 2 and 3,” says Geoffroy de Lassée. Insurance companies set policy prices based on several criteria: “claims history in the area, how they are managed, and the associated costs.”
He adds: “The remoteness of Polynesia means that even a minor incident can become significant. A simple grounding, which in Europe could be resolved in a few hours at a cost of €15,000–20,000 for towing, can in Polynesia result in the loss of the boat and a cost around €400,000 due to limited intervention capacity. The more remote the location, the higher the insurance premium.”
Both experts stress the importance of personal insurance. “There are brokers specialized in this field, particularly for expatriates,” says Geoffroy de Lassée. He also advises sailors to carefully review contract clauses, what is covered, and what is not. “Coverage must match the sailing program. You can have an excellent insurer but a bad contract if it’s simply not adapted.”
