Sorry if the details of complying with the new sanctions are posted elsewhere. If they are let me know.
We've chosen to sanction our 2013 event through USMS because we believe we can fulfill the new requirements. Last year our event had a number of paddlers around our 2.5k perimeter supported by 4-5 motorboats. Two were government boats, the other three private.
My approach to trying to secure the 3 private crafts again this year will be to:
First seek boats with inboard motor (which I believe can operate around/outside the course)
Then boats with outboard motors (stationed at anchor with engines off around the perimeter)
As far as insurance (getting boaters to produce a cert of liability for with a min of $1M), this actually seems more complicated than I first realized. A boating friend emailed me this:
Vessels that are insured usually include $300,000 liability. A $1m increase would require additional insurance premium. For example, our craft has a hull insurance of $200,000 and a personal liability of $100,000. We do that because we have the umbrella on our homeowners of $1m.
Bottom line, the vessel insurance is not the way to go. the operators will have to get personal individual $1m liability from their insurance co or yours.
Has anyone done this yet or is anyone aware of the costs involved to a private boater to securing a cert of liability in this amount?
If the new rules are too prohibitive to secure private boaters our approach will be to recruit as many paddlers as we possibly can to station around the course supported by the two government boats. Not the way we prefer to go but sounds like there are no other options.
Have you been in touch with the USMS Open Water Compliance Coordinator, Bill Roach? He should be able to answer any questions you have.
Rob - thanks, i did speak to Bill Roach when we went over our safety plan last week, but the insurance/additional insured issue continued to confuse me. I just called him up again to clarify this issue (based on your suggestion) and what I've learned is the following:
Volunteer boaters need only submit proof that their boat is insured.
Anybody that you HIRE who operates a boat must produce a certificate of additional insurance with a $1M+ policy listing USMS
If you are part of the event (organizer, volunteer, etc.) and you HIRE a boat from a marina, for example, this is a gray area -- but it is likely the marina will need to produce that same certificate of insurance.
The lesson here is: volunteer boats and government boats are the way to go. The downside is that we like to rent a boat for our own purposes during the event but we'll need to find a volunteer to help us out instead. To achieve that (meaning ensure we have a few dedicated boater volunteers around) what I'll probably do is offer a stipend. But, does this mean they're no longer volunteers and they're now hired contractors if I'm writing them each a check afterwards? No, so long as the stipend is not described as pay for services but described as (for example) reimbursement for gas, their lunch, etc. and it's clear that's the intention, then they are still considered volunteers and do not need to produce the cert. of liability.
Have you been in touch with the USMS Open Water Compliance Coordinator, Bill Roach? He should be able to answer any questions you have.
Rob - thanks, i did speak to Bill Roach when we went over our safety plan last week, but the insurance/additional insured issue continued to confuse me. I just called him up again to clarify this issue (based on your suggestion) and what I've learned is the following:
Volunteer boaters need only submit proof that their boat is insured.
Anybody that you HIRE who operates a boat must produce a certificate of additional insurance with a $1M+ policy listing USMS
If you are part of the event (organizer, volunteer, etc.) and you HIRE a boat from a marina, for example, this is a gray area -- but it is likely the marina will need to produce that same certificate of insurance.
The lesson here is: volunteer boats and government boats are the way to go. The downside is that we like to rent a boat for our own purposes during the event but we'll need to find a volunteer to help us out instead. To achieve that (meaning ensure we have a few dedicated boater volunteers around) what I'll probably do is offer a stipend. But, does this mean they're no longer volunteers and they're now hired contractors if I'm writing them each a check afterwards? No, so long as the stipend is not described as pay for services but described as (for example) reimbursement for gas, their lunch, etc. and it's clear that's the intention, then they are still considered volunteers and do not need to produce the cert. of liability.
