Press Release

Recreational boaters this holiday season are being advised that safety doesn't just begin at the boat ramp. Data from RACT Insurance shows that many boaters come to grief in their own back yard, or on the way to the boat ramp.

Unlike the glamour yachts taking out line honours in the Sydney-Hobart, more than 90% of the Tasmanian recreational boating fleet is made up of runabouts, commonly called "tinnies". The popularity of these small craft is reflected in the type of vessels insured by RACT Insurance. 60% of its boat portfolio is made up of small runabouts.

"Over 30% of our claims are for incidents that occur on land," said Trent Sayers, Chief Executive of RACT Insurance. "Most commonly, they relate to trailers, with boats being damaged while being loaded or unloaded, or while being towed.

"Incidents quite common to our claims experience include engine propellers dragging on the road on the back of a trailer, boats being dropped and damaged while being put onto or off a trailer, boats either partially or fully coming adrift from their trailer while being towed, or even wheels coming off trailers, and trailers un-hitching. 

"In other words, if you're going boating, you need to be vigilant from the moment you retrieve your tinny from the back shed."

Last financial year, 13% of the insurer's total boat claims were for theft, either accessories stolen off boats, or engines stolen from boats, particularly outboards and auxiliary engines.

"If your boat is kept on a mooring, try and take equipment such as safety flares, depth sounders, GPS plotters, and life jackets home with you, and if you're storing your tinny away, try to make sure the outboard engine is securely stored.

"Leaving a dingy on a trailer outside the shack overnight, with the outboard engine attached, is a tempting offer for an opportunistic thief."

ENDS