Way to step up Scott

Vigilant Insurance Company is the name on my Certificate of Ins, the policy is underwritten by Chubb Yacht Program, the agent is Boaters Ins in Ca. I think the premium was $658 last year for a 96 Scarab valued at 35K.

Scott, I will be contacting you in the next couple of days. I really appreciate your offer to help out. Work has picked up so it might be a few days.

The mechanic I used for the estimate and to tear down the drive was Dan Theys aka Stretch. He is real good and has a great reputation. I trust his work to be right and fair, however I think he may have listened to the surveyor on this. I intend to chase this dog around a couple of trees before settling. With what the ins company paid I feel that the boat can be repaired with new parts and be made right. It just rubbed me the wrong way when the estimate was made, sent to the adjuster and then the surveyor decided to set the amount.

Thanks to all for the interest, comments, and offers of help in this.

I have heard that chubb is a good insurance company. I never checked if they would write a cat. May have to check with them to compare prices if they do. As far as the claim handling. Thats sounds about normal. Most insurance companies won't let a shop send them a bill (estimate) for 20k and them just mail out a check. If that was the case than we would be paying even more for insurance (if thats possible) than we already are. Most will send a adjuster out to photo, id and get agreed price with the shop on preliminary repairs. If they don't have a field adjuster than they will hire a third party to go out and review damage. If your questioning that the shop was trying to charge you too much than take a copy of the estimate and your boat to another shop and ask them if they can start repairs with what the insurance company has written.

The majority of insurance companys give u the run around on boats and motorcycles. alot more than cars. Im getting the same on a harley right now. They are wanting to write for used parts to. Dont let the adjuster fool u there usually on the same side as the appraiser.

THE INSURANCE CO. is the jerk. everyone involved works for them....including the mechanin....cause guess what if doesnt go along with what the survryor says then no more work for that mechanic from that surveyor or insurance co......and the surveyor works for the adjuster cause guess what the lower the payout the better the adjusters loss ratio looks on pay outs and guess what he gets a bonus for that.......oh and guess who the adjuster works for.....you got it the insurance company...THEY ARE THE LINK THAT DROPS CUSTOMER SERVICE......everyone else is just a puppet on a string doing the dance of the man to keep that paycheck coming....

.Former Agent
Farmers Insurance Group...

can u fix it for that price? you r lucky they told me they would pay for some bushings on mine i got stuck w/ the other 4grand

I have checked a lot of prices for drives and transom assemblies and think it can be done for what they sent me, but the labor costs might be something else. I can always go back tot he mechanic and have him fix it for the price he quoted me.

are you fixed up yet? time to get back on that horse power.

Far from it. I deposited the check and it was sent back to the lien holder,Key Bank. Key Bank held the check 10 days then sent the check to me with a form letter wanting a copy of the estimate. Yesterday I over-nighted the the estimate, the check, their crappy form letter and a note from myself explaining I was never told to send Key a copy of the estimate, questioning the 10 day wait for their endorsement, and why I was called so I could have faxed a copy of the estimate. Typical we are too busy for that answers.

But I am going to pull the engine this weekend and start cleaning the bilge and pulling the transom off. As son as I get the check in my bank account then I will seriously start looking to get parts.

The Ins. company did get me a letter stating that if the repairs ran more than the check they would cover it. That is a relief.

Starting to think I have been snake bit.