{"id":15034,"date":"2023-03-15T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gesselins.com\/?p=15034"},"modified":"2025-02-11T10:47:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T16:47:28","slug":"what-does-watercraft-insurance-cover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gesselins.com\/blog\/what-does-watercraft-insurance-cover\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does Watercraft Insurance Cover?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Coast Guard’s 2020 Recreational Boating Statistics Report found that the total number of accidents\u00a0<\/span>increased by 26.3 percent<\/span><\/a>, costing about $62.7 million dollars in property damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you own a watercraft of any kind, you know accidents can happen. The question is: are you covered if they do?<\/span><\/p>\n

Watercraft insurance is what can guarantee that you will get the help you need if an accident occurs. Let us take a closer look at what boat insurance is and what it covers.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Watercraft Insurance?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watercraft insurance is an umbrella term, under which you can find three different kinds of insurance: boat insurance, yacht insurance, and personal watercraft insurance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watercraft insurance covers damage to vessels that have a motor with a horsepower of at least 25 miles per hour.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some policies might include watercraft liability coverage, which covers bodily injuries to people other than the boat’s owner and family. There are some insurance options that require you to purchase this liability coverage in addition to the regular boat insurance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The size of your boat will dictate the coverage you purchase. Boat insurance is for vessels that are under 197 feet, while anything that is at least 30 feet long is a yacht. Personal watercraft insurance is for vehicles such as Jet Skis, Yamaha Wave-Runners, and other surface-skimming vehicles.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Does Boat Insurance Cover?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have a vessel under 197 feet, you need boat insurance. There are two basic sections to the typical yacht or boat insurance policy: physical damage and liability.<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical Damage<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can expect the physical damage part of the insurance to pay to repair the damage the accident caused on the boat. The kind of policy you want is one that provides coverage for all risks so that even if the exact cause of the damage is not listed, you will still have coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some common causes of damage that policies cover include:<\/span><\/p>\n