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The 5 Most Common Boat Insurance Claims And How To Avoid Them
When you’re spending quality time on your yacht, making an insurance claim probably isn’t top of your itinerary! However, you may have to make a claim if you’re unlucky enough to have a serious accident. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to avoid this happening in the first place. Alison Melia from Insure4Boats looks at the most frequent boat insurance claims and what you can do to avert them.
Yacht theft
As you’d expect, the theft of the yacht itself is one of the main reasons people make claims. However, there are several steps you can take to avoid theft of your pride and joy.
Firstly, don’t leave your keys in the cockpit or any clever location. Secondly, keep your keys to the engine and the cockpit separate, so that it’s difficult to get hold of both. Thieves aren’t stupid, so don’t underestimate them!
Also, make sure you have an anti-theft device installed on your yacht and all the relevant identification details safely stored. The more identifying information you have on your boat, such as photos and the hull number, the easier it is for the authorities to locate it.
Personal items stolen from yacht
Regardless of how much time you spend on your boat, you often have expensive belongings or equipment on-board.
We recommend having a safe on board and taking photos of high-value items with the serial number in the photo while on vacation, so you have some record.
Colliding with underwater objects
With yachties using the same routes on a regular basis, it’s easy to become complacent and assume every trip will be the same. When complacency arises while on open water, it increases the chances of grounding on underwater objects or snagging fishing nets.
To reduce the risk of grounding or snagging, check your charts to ensure there are no unmarked rocks, especially when sailing in unfamiliar waters. Always keep a good watch for fishing buoys and flotsam.
Colliding with another vessel
There is an increased risk of colliding with another boat during the high season when the sea traffic is at a peak. When out on the open water, no one has right of way. Therefore, it is everyone’s responsibility to sail safely and do their best to avoid collisions.
Weather damage
When boats are left unattended out of season, there is a higher risk of damage through bad weather. Ensure you have a gardiennage company keeping an eye on your pride and joy to ensure that any eventuality is dealt with swiftly to minimise the likelihood of claims.
Finally, it’s important to have regularly serviced extinguishers on-board, in case bad weather causes a fire.
While you may take the above precautions to protect your yacht, there’s always the risk of something going wrong. That’s why you need specialist boat insurance to make sure your yacht is fully covered against accidents.
To find out how Insure4Boats’ specialist boat insurance can protect you, call their UK-based customer service team on 0800 668 1661 or email alison.melia@insure4boats.co.uk.