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.
The USMS Open Water Sanction Guidelines document provides some detail on this topic, too.
The full document is here:
www.usms.org/.../owgto_sanctions.pdf
OW-102.3 WATERCRAFT AND OPERATORS INSURANCE COVERAGE
OW-102.3.1 Motorized watercraft and/or watercraft operators working at the event shall conform to one of the following insurance requirements:
A Hired Watercraft - All motorized watercraft hired for the event (by the host, participants, or others) must provide a certificate of insurance naming United States Masters Swimming, Inc., its LMSCs, officers, directors, employees, sponsors, trustees and event host as additional insured. The certificate shall be submitted to the referee at least 24 hours prior to the event. Liability coverage limits shall not be less than $1,000,000.
B Operators Hired - All operators hired for the event (by the host, participants, or others) must provide a certificate of insurance naming United States Masters Swimming, Inc., its LMSCs, officers, directors, employees, sponsors, trustees and event host as additional insured. The certificate shall be submitted to the referee at least 24 hours prior to the event. Liability coverage limits shall not be less than $1,000,000.
C Volunteered Watercraft - All motorized watercraft volunteered to the event must provide proof of insurance. The Proof of Insurance shall be submitted to the referee at least 24 hours prior to the event.
OW-102.3.2 Exception to Article OW-102.3.1
A Certificates of insurance and proof of insurance are not required when motorized watercraft are owned or operated by or on behalf of Coast Guard, police, fire and rescue, or other government agencies.
these rules will just lead to a bunch of semantic BS.
hired boaters will become "reimbursed volunteers” etc....
the bottom line is: the $1,000,000 policy doesn’t exist except for commercial vessels. it is my belief that these rules were adopted before anyone actually researched this "little detail".
The USMS Open Water Sanction Guidelines document provides some detail on this topic, too.
The full document is here:
www.usms.org/.../owgto_sanctions.pdf
OW-102.3 WATERCRAFT AND OPERATORS INSURANCE COVERAGE
OW-102.3.1 Motorized watercraft and/or watercraft operators working at the event shall conform to one of the following insurance requirements:
A Hired Watercraft - All motorized watercraft hired for the event (by the host, participants, or others) must provide a certificate of insurance naming United States Masters Swimming, Inc., its LMSCs, officers, directors, employees, sponsors, trustees and event host as additional insured. The certificate shall be submitted to the referee at least 24 hours prior to the event. Liability coverage limits shall not be less than $1,000,000.
B Operators Hired - All operators hired for the event (by the host, participants, or others) must provide a certificate of insurance naming United States Masters Swimming, Inc., its LMSCs, officers, directors, employees, sponsors, trustees and event host as additional insured. The certificate shall be submitted to the referee at least 24 hours prior to the event. Liability coverage limits shall not be less than $1,000,000.
C Volunteered Watercraft - All motorized watercraft volunteered to the event must provide proof of insurance. The Proof of Insurance shall be submitted to the referee at least 24 hours prior to the event.
OW-102.3.2 Exception to Article OW-102.3.1
A Certificates of insurance and proof of insurance are not required when motorized watercraft are owned or operated by or on behalf of Coast Guard, police, fire and rescue, or other government agencies.
these rules will just lead to a bunch of semantic BS.
hired boaters will become "reimbursed volunteers” etc....
the bottom line is: the $1,000,000 policy doesn’t exist except for commercial vessels. it is my belief that these rules were adopted before anyone actually researched this "little detail".
