So you’ve just helped your customer secure coverage on her home and car, and perhaps an umbrella policy as well. You offer to obtain a quote for coverage on the family boat, but your customer advises that it isn’t necessary because the loan on it has been paid. Many boaters cancel their coverage once their loan is paid off and coverage is no longer required, as it is only mandatory in Utah and Arkansas.
People may think that, because they are safe and experienced boaters, they don’t need any additional protection on the water. The truth is that boat insurance is just as important as car insurance, and your customers are arguably more at risk on the water due to the number of uninsured boaters.
Here’s why you should advise your clients to never go out on the water without coverage. Working in claims at SkiSafe, we learn one lesson very quickly. No matter how experienced or cautious you are, you can’t protect yourself against careless or inexperienced boaters or the wrath of nature. It’s not until your customer finds that another boater at fault for their damage has no insurance that she regrets not having her own boat insurance.
Imagine your customer has a car accident that isn’t her fault, and you look to the other driver’s insurance policy to provide coverage. If there is any dispute regarding that coverage, your customer can always fall back on her own insurance. Everyone is required to carry car insurance. However, this is not the case on the water and could leave your customer with an inoperable boat and a large repair bill.
If your customer’s boat is damaged, you know right away that the most she has at risk is the cost of replacing the boat in the case of a total loss, and significantly less in a partial loss. Customers will thank you for insisting they have boat insurance when a guest slips and falls aboard the boat, is injured while fishing or water skiing, or if they collide with another boat and injure a passenger. Without watercraft insurance, they would be responsible for medical bills and personal liability in amounts much greater than the boat’s value. This is reason enough to maintain at least a liability boat insurance policy.
There are a bounty of losses and accidents that can happen on the water. If your customers won’t drive without car insurance, then they shouldn’t navigate without boat insurance. The relatively low cost of this coverage is a small price to pay for peace of mind to protect their family’s interests.
To learn more about boat insurance coverages and package options available for your agency’s customers, contact SkiSafe at 800.225.6520. For an immediate online quote from SkiSafe, select the Watercraft button on Tower Hill’s Rating and Policy Management (RPM) system.
About SkiSafe. For over 20 years, SkiSafe has been providing coverage for more than 400,000 boats and jet skis nationwide. Watercraft is SkiSafe’s specialty — from jet skis to yachts, and sailboats to tournament ski and bass boats. In 2014, Tower Hill partnered with SkiSafe to offer watercraft insurance to your Florida customers.