Boats, Yachts, and Personal Watercraft

 

Your boat is most likely one of your most treasured and valuable possessions. Do you want the peace of mind that your insurance program protects your investment in case of accidents, storms and theft? We recommend that you purchase limits of coverage to protect you from a serious loss.

Hull – Physical Damage coverage insures your boat, motor and trailer including hauling, launching, storing or while out on the water. Hull insurance includes coverage for:

• Sinking 
• Fire 
• Storms 
• Theft 
• Capsizing 
• Stranding 
• Collision 
• Explosion 

Liability:

• Watercraft liability coverage provides protection for legal liability because of an accident resulting from the ownership, maintenance, or use of your watercraft, including bodily injury, property damage and legal defense.

• Uninsured Boater Liability coverage pays for necessary medical expenses incurred by insured persons if injured in an accident where another party is responsible for the injuries but that party does not have insurance.

• Watercraft medical payments coverage pays medical expenses for you and other occupants of the boat injured by an accident arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of the watercraft.

 

Additional coverages include those for:

 

• Reasonable repairs covers repairs incurred to protect covered property from further damage.

• Emergency service pays for reasonable costs that you incur resulting from specified emergency service to your boat, motor or boat trailer.

• Towing Service pays for towing to the nearest repair facility.

• Fuel Spill Protection covers unintentional oil or fuel spills that are your legal responsibility.

• Wreck removal pays the reasonable expenses you incur for any attempted or actual raising, removal or destruction of the wreck of your watercraft when damage is caused by an insured loss and removal or destruction is required by law.

• Personal Effects pays for unattached items related to using the boat such as fishing equipment, skis and skiing equipment, navigational and communication electronics as well as personal articles.

 

Watercraft insurance is generally broken down into three categories:

 

• Boats: Generally defined as being 26 feet or less and either sail or motor powered. A Homeowners policy might provide automatic coverage for a sailboat or a powerboat with less than a stated horsepower limit. However, more often than not, a Watercraft policy will provide broader coverage and optional coverages that would not be available on the Homeowners policy. Premium credits for boater safety course, safety equipment and boating experience help reduce the watercraft policy premium. Many policy premiums are based on where you operate the boat.

• Personal Watercraft: As ATVs are popular off-road vehicles, Jet Skis are popular on the water. Due to the nature of the craft, they require a specialized policy.

• Yachts: A yacht is an expensive investment that must be insured properly for your protection. Do you cruise along the Chesapeake Bay, up and down the Inter-Coastal Waterway or around the world? Do you captain your Yacht yourself or do you use a paid crew? Will your Yacht be laid up during the off season or do you use it year round? All of these things must be considered when purchasing a Yacht policy. Experience, safety equipment, navigation territory all affect premium. A Yacht policy provides coverage for the Hull, Protection & Indemnity, Dingy or Tender, Uninsured Boater and Personal Property. Often and particularly with older boats a Marine Survey will be required to properly insurance your investment.

 

Regardless of which type of watercraft you have, Pinnacle Risk Managers can design a program with specialized coverages to protect your boat, personal watercraft or yacht.