Sun, fun and great times in your boat all summer. Unfortunately, there are mishaps that can occur that need your immediate attention. Whether you are a first time boat owner or a professional sailor, it is always a good idea to prepare for the possibility of a boat incident. This is why you need to make sure you have the proper insurance on your boat in case of any injuries or physical damage. At Mariners Insurance Group, we can help you to select the best type of coverage for you, at the most affordable rates.
Being pro-active can help avoid any of these problems. Here is a list of a few “top of the list” boat insurance claims.
Theft of your boat and/or accessories
When you moor your boat at the dock, it is a good idea to conceal all your accessories such as fishing gear, life jackets and any additional equipment that is not attached to the boat. It is an easy target for thieves, no one is going to question someone walking down the pier with boating equipment.
If you are only at the cottage for the weekend and the boat is sitting at your dock all week, secure the boat as much as you can so no one can get in, start it up and go for a ride. Even the boat houses should be secure. The name itself advertises to people what is probably in there.
Hitting a submerged rocks or any type of hidden object.
Many of the larger rocks in the lake could be hidden just under the water enough that you cant see them. Hitting a submerged object is rock or even a tree stump happens all the time. There are many lake associations which are set up in many of the smaller lakes who troll and mark as many as they can find.
Wind and Water Damage
If there is a storm forecast in the area, do what you can to tie the boat to the dock or get it out of the water. It doesn’t take long for a sustained high wind to pick it up and flip the boat over. This is especially important in the hurricane areas. That being said, it seems the weather is causing havoc everywhere these days so you can just do what you can.
Collision while boating
There are quite a few boat collisions that happen in the water. It is hard to see how that could happen so much, because you are not driving in rush hour, but this is a common claim. I would suspect that most of them must happen while a person is trying to park the boat at the dock and succeeds only after hitting a few boats that were in the way.
Never believe the boater beside you who says he gets real cheap boat insurance. Anyone can get cheap insurance. No doubt he is carrying the minimum coverage and under insuring himself. It is a little like auto insurance. Each vehicle is different, requires different coverage, and has different values. At Mariners Insurance Group we have the expertise to provide you with the most comprehensive boat insurance policy, with the best boat rates available.
Finally, if you have your home or auto policy with us, not only will you get a multi line discount on the boat policy, you will get it on any other type of policy you have with us that is with the same insuring company.
Happy Boating!!!
