7 reasons why it pays to take out cancellation insurance

Are you one of those people who simply assumes everything will work out as planned? We've all heard of Murphy's law, and although 95 % of the time nothing does go wrong, unexpected events can make it difficult or impossible to go on holiday. If this happens to you, you really don't want to lose all you funds. Take a look at 7 reasons why you need trip cancellation insurance for your sailing vacation.

The peak of the Covid-19 pandemic may be over, but it hasn't gone away. Plus, there are other diseases or epidemics which could lead to quarantine or effect your ability to travel. Cancellation insurance will cover the costs in the event that you or any of your crew fall ill, have to be in quarantine, and if any official regulation prevents travel to the country in question, such as a border closure. Welcome in these uncertain times, it provides peace of mind before you depart on your boat holiday.

As Murphy's law states: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong (and at the worst possible time). For example, the captain sprains their ankle the week before departure, their partner could fall down the stairs and break their arm, or perhaps a vital crew member has to go in for emergency surgery. If you take out charter cancellation insurance, you'll be covered for any of these eventualities and you won't lose your deposit or your payment for the boat rental — there's no need to stress over the unexpected happening.

Misconduct, change of management or downsizing — there are many reasons to dismiss an employee. We certainly don't wish anyone to lose their job, but it happens. In the event that you lose your job and cannot afford to pay for the trip or your vacation costs in any way, cancellation insurance covers you too. 

It doesn't always have to be the captain's fault. Crews are made up of a variety of people with different approaches to preparation, to dealing with last minute issues and with differing lifestyles. That's why you often don't know ahead of schedule whether someone will drop out at the last minute. Holidays are often planned well in advance, and the same thing that can happen to you, can happen to any member of your crew (illness, accident, death, death of a relative, termination of employment, etc...). Cancellation insurance insures not only the captain but also the entire crew.

At yachting.com we want to offer a complete service for sailors — you don't have to settle just for charter cancellation insurance. Other services, such as airline tickets, can also be insured on top. The cost of these services will be included in the insurance coverage limit when taking out the insurance.

Unfortunately, this isn't a joke, but a rather a fact of life. Of course, if you were to die, the last thing on your mind will be cancelling your trip. However, it may be that one of your relatives dies and you are forced to cancel your yachting trip due to bereavement, the funeral itself or the reception. This also applies to the need to care for seriously ill relatives.

Cancellation insurance costs 5.5 % of the total charter price. This is a negligible amount compared to the loss in value of the entire charter. So, for example, if you rent a Sun Loft 47 for €1,500, the cancellation insurance for the charter will cost you €82.5.

If you are unsure of the calculation, ask our sales team or customer service staff — they'll be happy to discuss any questions or potential scenarios with you, calculate the costs and, if you agree, take out an insurance policy with your boat booking.