Hazel complained to us when her insurer declined a claim to repair her damaged boat. Her insurer said her policy excluded loss or damage caused by corrosion or wear and tear.
What we said
Hazel was sailing her yacht out of the local harbour when the main mast collapsed. After the boat was towed back to its berth, Hazel made a claim to her insurer for the cost of repairs, which totalled £14,000.
The insurer appointed a marine engineer to inspect the damage. The engineer assessed the boat, including the collapsed mast, and concluded that the mast was corroded and this had caused it to collapse. The insured rejected Hazel’s claim because her policy excluded loss or damage caused by corrosion or wear and tear.
Hazel disagreed that corrosion or wear and tear was the cause of damage. She said there were strong winds when the mast collapsed and she felt this should be covered as accidental damage, so she complained to her insurer. Unhappy with the final outcome, Hazel referred her complaint to us
What happened
We looked at all the available information, including the policy terms. While we accepted there were reasonably strong winds at the time, we found they weren’t storm force winds.
We also considered the marine engineer’s report. This showed the mast had extensive corrosion because it had been exposed to the elements over a period of time.
We also asked Hazel for the yacht’s maintenance records, but she could only provide a visual check of the hull.
We were satisfied the engineer’s report showed the reasons for the mast’s collapse were corrosion and wear and tear. As these were excluded under the policy, we thought it was reasonable for the insurer to reject the claim.