It’s a beautiful summer day. The sky is blue, a soft breeze is blowing, and your boat is slicing smoothly through the waves as it makes its way out of the bay. Suddenly, another boat that had seemed further away is right in your path. You can’t stop in time, and the collision makes your teeth rattle. Luckily, you have boat insurance, which can pay for part of the repairs of your own boat and those of the boat you hit, but you want to keep this from happening again, right?
Bishop Skinner Marine says the most common boat insurance claims are collisions between yachts, usually in the spring and summer when boaters are most active in the water. But a crash isn’t the only thing you have to look out for. First and foremost, you must be fully prepared and educated regarding your boat, how to maneuver it properly, the current weather conditions, and emergency procedures. However, preparation and education can never account for Murphy's Law. Below, we list some of the most common boat insurance claims and give you some tips on how to avoid them.
Weather Damage
Your boat can suffer weather-related damages year round, from lightning strikes in the spring and summer hurricanes to windy autumn days and winter storms. Always keep a close eye on the weather forecast and don’t think you can outrun an incoming storm. The best place for your boat to be during bad weather is on the shore. Lightning strikes are tricky because they can happen in all types of weather. Boating Magazine says some boaters opt for steering with a wooden spoon in one hand and the other hand in their pocket in lightning weather. Avoid touching two metal objects at once for extended periods of time too. To find some tips on how to get your boat ready for a storm, check out our article “Preparing Your Boat For Hurricane Season”. Though it is written specifically for hurricane threats, many—if not all—of the tips can also be applied to smaller storms.
The best time to head back to shore is when the thought first occurs to you.”
—Paul Birch, Managing Director of Bishop Skinner Marine
Fire Damage
A fire can happen any time. Maybe a short-circuiting electronic, a flare-up in the engine, a cigarette left burning, or a lightning strike like we mentioned above. To prevent these situations, make sure you give your electrical equipment the proper maintenance. The wiring should be well-coated and in good condition and your batteries should be free of corrosion. Be wary of electric heaters, which Seaworthy magazine says is one of the leading causes of fire in the winter. Inspect your fuel tanks and connecting hoses regularly to identify any combustible leaks. Having one or more fire extinguishers on board can be the difference between life and death. West Marine has a guide to purchasing the right type and number of extinguishers.
Striking a Submerged Object
Submerged threats are everywhere, from rusty refrigerators and old sunken boats to reefs and rock formations. Striking a submerged object can damage propellers, rudders, and hulls, leaving you stranded and taking on water, which can lead to sinking. Always keep an eye out for debris in the water. Study depth maps carefully to see which spots to avoid. If you do hit something, immediately check to see if you’re taking on water. Plug the hole as best you can while you head back to shore or wait for help.
Grounding
Grounding refers to hitting the bottom of the sea or river bed and getting stuck there. BoatUS recommends finding out how your depth sounder is measuring depth—it could be measuring the distance between the bottom of the boat to the bottom or between the location of the transducer to the bottom. Knowing the difference is key when you want to avoid hitting a sandbank or a rock bed. If you are grounded, your boat insurance policy may include an ungrounding service, where the insurer will send a tow boat to pull you back into the water.
Capsizing
According to Bishop Skinner, most capsizing claims are for dinghies, which is less dangerous than capsized boats. Avoiding capsizing has a lot to do with keeping an eye on the weather, as tall and violent waves can easily overturn a lightweight boat. Overloading the boat is also a major factor in capsizing because, as the boat is weighed down, less of the boat is above water, which can alter the vessel’s center of gravity and cause it to overturn. To avoid casualties, you should also make sure you and all your passengers wear life vests while on the boat. As unfashionable as they are, they are truly necessary.
Theft
Your boat can be stolen while on a trailer, in storage, or (more rarely) moored in the water. The boats that are stolen most often are 20 to 29-feet boats with outboard motors, says BoatUS, small enough to be stolen easily but large enough to turn a profit. The same principles you would use to keep a car from being stolen apply here: don’t leave your boat out on the street unless you make it incredibly hard to steal. BoatUS recommends using locks for the trailer jack, coupler, wheels, and the cuddy. Use alarms and lights if you’re storing it at home, or if you’re keeping it at a storage facility or a marina, make sure it has the necessary security features to keep your property safe. Beware of fancy electronic equipment that could be stripped from your boat as well. If you’re laying up your boat for a long time, store the most expensive and stealable items at home.
Injury
Finally, one of the most common boat insurance claims is injuries to yourself, your passengers, and other boaters. These can be caused by collisions, fire, bad weather—basically any of the dangers we mentioned above. Having a good boat insurance policy is a must if you want protection against the costs associated with injuries. If your policy has Medical Payments Coverage, any injuries suffered by you or your passengers could be covered by the insurer, usually once the limits of your own health insurance have been reached. If, on the other hand, the injured party is another boater or another boater’s passenger, a Bodily Injury Liability Coverage could come in handy; that way, the injured parties can file claims with your insurance company to cover their own medical expenses or loss of income or, if you are sued, your insurance company will cover the cost of the indemnity payment up to your coverage limit. This can often be $1 million or more.
Stay safe and protect your property with the right boat insurance coverages. Don't know where to start? Check out our Top 10 Boat Insurance companies to read our detailed reviews of the industry's leading boat insurance providers.
Image credit: Garrett Parker/Unsplash