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The American Hull Insurance Syndicate was created in the wake of World War I
as the result of the American government's realization that the growth of the country's
maritime trade was vital to our national interests. This growth demanded ready access to
hull insurance for American flag vessels, which could only be adequately provided by allowing
the insurance industry to pool its resources.
The Syndicate was launched in 1920 and was comprised of 90 insurance
companies with a capacity of $2,500,000 per vessel. The first risk insured by the Syndicate was the general
cargo vessel "Sophe Frankel" for the sum of $785,000.
The Syndicate showed its strength by supporting American shipping through the Depression and World War
II. In the late 1940s, in response to the changing face of the world's merchant fleet, the
Syndicate expanded its capabilities by becoming a truly world wide resource by writing foreign flag vessels.
Today, after over 80 years, the Syndicate continues to be the most prominent underwriter
of bluewater hull and related risks in North America. The Syndicate insures a diversified book
of international business competing among markets in London, Norway and the Far East. It offers
its insureds the most experienced underwriting and claims staff in North America along with the
unmatched financial strength of its subscribers.
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