You purchased a boat to provide years of personal enjoyment- ensure your pleasure by choosing the right insurance protection. This week we’ll provide you with the everything from the basics to the nitty gritty of Boat owner’s coverage.
Additionally, you’ll be equipped with some essential safety tips for hitting the water this summer. With knowledge of Boat owner’s coverage and these valuable loss prevention tips…you’ll be sure to have a fun, safe, and leisurely time on the watercraft or boat of your choice this summer!
The Basics
A small boat, such as a canoe or other un-motorized boat can usually be covered under the personal property portion of your homeowner’s insurance policy. If you own a larger, faster boat, you’ll need a separate boatowners insurance policy. A boat owners insurance policy is designed to protect your boat, motor, equipment, and passengers. It affords similar coverages to automobile insurance, including:
- Physical Damage: Physical damage coverage can insure your boat, motor, boat trailer, boat equipment (anchors, oars, fuel tanks, life jackets, dinghies, tools, etc.) and against theft, accidental loss or damages.
- Liability: two principal liability coverages are included:
- Personal Liability- a boatowners insurance policy provides protection for legal liability and pays, up to the limit of your policy, the legal obligations imposed upon you due to an accident resulting from the ownership, maintenance, or use of your watercraft, including bodily injury, property damage, and legal defense.
- Medical Payments- this pays medical expenses, up to the limits in the policy, including the insured’s boating-related medical expenses from an accident arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the boat.
Additional Coverage Options
For added Protection, consider the following additional coverage options:
- 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.
- 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.
- Umbrella Liability: Provides additional boat insurance coverage across the board for home, auto, and watercraft.
Top Ways to Save
- Complete an approved safety course
- Inquire about a multi-policy discount
Safety Tips
Docking
- Use forward and reverse at idle speed when docking and moving your boat near a marina.
- Have bumpers, mooring lines, and boat hooks ready before docking.
- Keep all body parts in the boat until you have come to a complete stop.
- Tie the line that holds the boat against the wind first when docking.
General Boating Precautions
- Dock at a marina that had standpipes, fire extinguishers, good lighting, surveillance cameras, and security measures in place.
- Always wear personal floatation devices when on the eater, and require them for children and those that cannot swim.
- Do not swim near a marina since boaters cannot see you when they are trying to dock.
- Wear non-slip shoes on the boat and dock.
- Keep your boat in good condition with all equipment meeting safety standards established in your area.
- Ensure that the marina has the proper power voltage for your boat.
- Add fuel to portable tanks on the dock only; never on the deck of your boat.
In addition, to avoid a potential fire onboard, inspect fuel hoses and containers on a regular basis to prevent the escaping vapours from going into bilges. Also, check the wiring and all appliances on deck for damage frequently.
As a safety precaution, keep fire extinguishers on deck and fit smoke detectors to the cabin.
For more information on coverage for your boat or watercraft give us a call at 800-668-1653 or visit http://www.stoneridgeinsurance.ca/get-a-quote.
StoneRidge Insurance now has 15 locations across Ontario and the GTA willing to assist you. Remember- we’ve got you covered, and we guarantee Rock Solid Protection.
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