Hitting the Water: Insure Your Boat Before It’s Too Late

As the weather warms here in Central Florida, many residents are pulling their boats out and shining them up for the spring and summer months.  When the temperatures soar, there’s no better place than the water, and a boat is one of the best ways to enjoy our numerous lakes and beautiful beaches!  However, if your boat is uncovered by an insurance policy, you could be taking a huge financial risk, and in the case of an unexpected event you could end up losing a lot more than just your boat.

Why is boat insurance so incredibly important?

First, boats are rarely kept right on the water, so more than likely you willuse be towing your watercraft to get it to the nearest lake or to the ocean.  While it might be attached to your car via trailer, boats are actually NOT covered by your vehicle insurance.  Not only would damages to your boat end up coming out of your pocket in an accident, but there’s a chance any liability due to injuries or damage to other vehicles caused by your boat wouldn’t be covered either, depending on the individual circumstances and the stipulations of your auto policy.  Additionally, if your boat detached from your car in an accident, it would be completely uncovered, meaning you alone would be financially responsible for any damage it caused.

What’s more, not having boat insurance puts you at risk for liability costs. If you are on the water and someone is injured by your boat, or while on your boat, you might end up holding the medical bills yourself if you have no coverage.  In serious cases, lawsuits and the resulting costs could also end up being sent your way, and that could send you into a downward spiral of financial ruin.  Since boats are automatically “risky” due to their use on water in an outdoor environment and people are more prone to injuries in these types of situations, it would be very unwise to leave your boat uncovered.

Finally, not having boat insurance means you would completely lose your boat if something happened to it, whether while on the water, or while sitting in your own yard.  Storm damage, theft or vandalism, etc. can pose risks to your boat, and oftentimes your homeowners coverage will only cover part of the damages, if they cover anything at all.  Again, the fine print of your policy is where you will find the answers, but chances are you’d be left with only a portion of what your boat costed, and that wouldn’t be enough to replace your watercraft.

Don’t put your summer boating fun at risk.  Carroll Marshall Insurance offers a variety of boat policies that fit your individual needs and budget.  We can help you customize a coverage plan to give you the peace of mind that your water fun is insured and you are financially taken care of, regardless of what comes your way.  Don’t be afraid to get out there and enjoy the great outdoors! Give us a call or stop by our Winter Haven office and get your boat ready for the 2017 season.