Guide
Building insurance sea miles with a skipper in Grenada
If your insurer wants sea miles with a qualified skipper aboard before you sail on your own, you sail those passages with a skipper and keep a record of them. Get the exact requirement from your insurer in writing first — it varies by insurer, boat and cruising area — then plan passages that meet it.
By Terrel Andrews · Last updated 2026-10-19
Why do insurers ask for sea miles?
Insurers price the experience of the person in command as well as the boat. New owners — especially those stepping up in size, switching between monohull and catamaran, or planning longer passages — are often asked to show recent time on the boat, sometimes with a qualified skipper aboard.
What should you ask your insurer before you sail?
- How many miles or days they want, and over what period.
- What qualification the skipper must hold.
- Whether night sailing or open-water passages must be included.
- What evidence they want — for example a log of each passage and the skipper’s details.
How do mile-building passages work?
We plan passages that meet your insurer’s requirement and teach you the boat at the same time — boat handling, sail trim, navigation and anchoring, on your boat rather than a school boat. From Grenada, the trip north to Carriacou and on into St Vincent & the Grenadines gives real open-water legs as well as short coastal hops.
Tell me up front what evidence your insurer wants, so we record each passage the way they need it. If you want support beyond the miles, I can stay aboard through the first weeks of ownership too.
Why start with a shakedown sail?
A shakedown sail tests the boat before the miles start — sails, rigging, engine, electronics and ground tackle — so problems show up close to help, not halfway through a passage. It’s also the easiest way to learn where everything is on a boat you’ve just bought.