Life’s Extras · Boat & watercraft
Boat & watercraft, explained.
On the water, at the dock, on the trailer.
What it covers
A boat policy has more parts than the boat. It can cover the hull and motor, what you might do to other people on the water, the trailer that carries it and the gear on board, and many policies have their own rules about storms and the off-season.
Hull and equipment
Physical damage to the boat, motor and permanently attached equipment, whether from a collision, a storm or theft.
Liability
Injuries or damage you cause to others while operating the boat, including a swimmer or another vessel.
Medical and uninsured boater
Medical bills for people aboard, and, on many policies, protection when the other boater has no insurance.
Towing, trailer and personal effects
Getting a disabled boat home, the trailer itself, and the fishing gear and electronics that are not part of the hull.
One good first question
“When a named storm is coming, what does my policy expect me to do with the boat, and by when?”
Bring this one to Elona and the rest of the conversation gets easier.
What Elona looks at
- Year, make, length, engine and where the boat lives, which shape both eligibility and coverage.
- Agreed value versus actual cash value for the hull, and what each means when a claim is paid.
- Named-storm plans and lay-up periods: what some policies expect you to do before a hurricane, and how coverage works while the boat is out of the water for the season.
- Whether your homeowners policy already covers a small craft, and where that coverage ends.
Sixty-second answers
Often quoted together
Talk to Elona
Ask Elona about boat insurance.
A real person answers. Tell her what you have and what you are worried about, and she will tell you what fits.