Although not in the generally considered by the general public, boat insurance is more than likely the oldest type of insurance in the world. The Marine Insurance Act ensures all marine craft like boats are legally obliged to have insurance cover. As with car insurance, policies come with an excess to discourage small claims and for boat insurance, this is usually quite a large sum of money, as the intention of the insurance is to cover you against substantial losses instead of just scratches and dents. Therefore the only real difference between the cover for boat insurance and that for car insurance is the amount.

As soon as you become a boat owner in America, most states will require you to have a boat insurance policy in force. Houseboats are a strange case because although they are not generally moved that are required to have an insurance policy which covers pleasure boats like cabin cruisers, sailboats and ski boats etc. A speedboat for instance, is capable of high speeds requires a much different type of insurance than a small fishing vessel would because of the potential liability for the insurance company that comes with a speedboat compared to a fishing boat.

Almost all boat insurance policies will cover the cost of replacing the vessel, engine and the boat trailer but Actual Cash Value boat insurance plans only pay for replacement less any vessel depreciation from the point of loss. When the craft is a complete insurance right-off then the second hand value of the boat is used to estimate its market value. It is possible to take out Optional Insurance which will include additional extras such as emergency services to the boat, cover for reasonable repairs, removal, the motor and trailer. Where there has only been limited damage to the vessel, partial damage repairs include the restoration less any items that can be deducted.

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To guarantee the value of the boat should it happen to be an insurance write off then an Agreed Value boat insurance policy can be taken out where the boat owner and insurance company come to an agreement about how much the vessel is worth and compensate to this value. This type of policy also takes into account that old items have depreciated and have less value but are still replaced with new ones. With most Agreed value policies, the boat insurance company will require replacement value of some items like dinghies, sails, covers, drive units to name a few, before the policy payout value is agreed.

Essentially boat insurance covers two distinct areas; that of legal liability and that of damage or loss of property. When an individual insures his boat for liability, it guards an individual against harm to another person’s assets brought about by the boat. Remember to try and find a boat insurance agent with a good reputation of getting the best possible policies for his clients and a good record in claim settlement. A final piece of advice surrounds the liability section of the boat insurance and the need to ensure you are covered should legal charges be brought against you relating to a matter that is protected under the boat insurance.

Boat Towing Insurance

Insurance for Dummies…

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