IMO, the insurance is what's going to kill hipo boating. We were paying $1200 a year for a 65 mph 28' Powerquest with a black 502. The next year it jumped to $1800 / yr. No accidents. No tickets. Married, 35 years old, perfect record on land and water. Half season in Michigan.

The insurance costs have got us seriously considering a day boat or similar for our next boat - something like a Formula SS. Insurance is half the price and I can still run 55 mph +... Now that we've got our daughter, I'm seriously wondering if the downsides to a hipo boat are worth it - how often will I run it flat out? Factor in the insurance and it really makes ya think...

Once the insurance industry finishes off the commercial property and small business owners, which some of are.
Hi Po boaters will be next.......Try, rate a increase from 700 to 2300/yr for a 3 family house or 3200/yr for an 87 Sonic:rolleyes:

Looks like I'll just keep a low profile and enjoy cruising the river at 50-60 in the little old Baja. Sure seems to be allot cheaper.:rolleyes:

Brian

WHEN YOU SAY A DRUNK DRIVER KILLED SOMEONE BOATING,WE ALL KNOW IT HAPPENS COUNTLESS TIMES EVERY DAY IN CARS. I CAN SEE INS. CO'S POINT( A VERY,VERY,VERY,SMALL POINT) THAT BOAT INSURANCE "CATEGORY" MUST PAY FOR IT'S SELF WITH A PROFIT. OR THERE IS NO REASON TO WRITE THE INSURANCE. THEY CANT MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT THE INCREASES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS IS NO MORE THAN A RIP OFF, FOR SOMEONE WITH A PERFECT RECORD WITH A CAR(1 TICKET IN 2 YEARS) & HAS HAD A BOAT LIKE MYSELF SINCE I WAS 16 YEARS OLD WITH "NO" PROBLEMS. IT TOTALLY SUCKS:mad:

The boat sat across the canal from me in Pompano for a year and did not hurt anyone. Then one night a DRUNK killed a bunch of people while driving the boat. It wasnt the boat it was the drunk. Insurance companies should take note but never do.:mad:

I think one way to solve the problem is for the insurance co. to offer a training class that you can take. By taking this class and having a clean record your insurance would be less. It sounds crazy but it might work. This would stop anyone from going out and buying a boat that goes 100mph with no experience. This might make boat insurance more like car insurance. The better your record the cheaper your insurance. Just my .02

How about the Turbine boats? Way more reliable, Faster, more dangerous?

Some good points up above in the replies. WW - I don't know if I completely retract the egomaniacs statement - and you're right about the Bayliner driver. BUT--The same guy that is capable of 170mph in a big cat that rarely does run it, does run in in the beginning of a Poker Run. Probably pushing the speed boundary a little? Not that I wouldn't. Formula Outlaw, Dockrocker - good points about insurance. Mine has tripled in the past couple years. No accidents,etc. Do the rates rise (like in the 70s) until everyone gets out of the performance boats and then slowly move back in (years later) with "sedans" like the Subaru WRX that will run circles around almost any 70's muscle car?

My gut feeling is that someone new to the sport with a ton of money, and one of the big high power boats is going to do something really out of control in a poker run and end up with Coast Guard regulations; in either a speed restriction or a ban on "formation boating".

And one other question. After reading the Cat Financing thread. Are the banks going to just stop loaning money on these "risky boats"?

good thread.........

We need to be responsiable and keep that pucker factor(wicked one) in ck. I use that mentality and it works..Ego will get you into major trouble eventually, if you dont police yourself on bad decsisions. The boat always talks to you before disaster hits,you just have to recoginize the warnings.