From A. C. Bolger
I was appalled to read Mick Hamer’s article about the heavy rate of loss at sea of bulk carriers (“Clampdown on the rust buckets”, 29 April).
What I would like to know is what the attitude of maritime insurers is. After all, surely it would go a long way to solving the problem if all marine insurers, before granting cover, were to insist on the production of a report from a reputable marine surveyor and were to lay down as conditions of cover requirements about proper use and maintenance of vessels?
I can only suppose that there are some shady insurers about who are prepared to offer cover on a “no questions asked” cut-price basis, no doubt calculating that they can afford the odd loss, on the basis of additional premium income earned over the years. Or am I just being cynical?
