As a boat owner, your boat is susceptible to various weather-related dangers, such as thunderstorms, hurricanes, wind, and hail. Fortunately, you can get an insurance cover that can protect your vessel against these perils. An insurance policy will cover repairing or replacing a vessel after a storm. Others cover the damage your boat has caused on other people or property during a storm. Make sure you know what the policy you are about to buy covers so you can avoid surprises on the day you make a claim or avoid spending too much money repairing your damaged boat. Read on to learn more about hurricane and storm coverage.
Does boat insurance cover hurricane damage?
If your boat insurance policy has a physical damage coverage, it can cover the damages or replace your boat. Getting this kind of insurance is not mandatory, but sometimes, your lender may want you to provide it. Find out in advance whether your financing company of choice requires this coverage or not. The policy will cover the boat repair or replacement if the damage was caused by a weather-related accident.
Occasionally, boats get damaged whenever there is a storm. Suppose your insurance policy carries physical damage coverages. In that case, you can notify the insurer about the incident, and they will pay for the damages on your vessel which covered perils like storms have caused. If your insurance only has property damage liability coverage, it will not cover damages to your boat. Instead, it will pay for damage you caused to another person’s property, such as structures, property, boat, and dock.
Can boat insurance cover sinking and hurricanes?
Boat insurance cannot cover sinking. However, the policy can cover the cost of getting the boat out of the water and the damages your watercraft sustained. Based on your insurance policy, if your boat is damaged beyond repair, your insurer can pay the amount you agreed on while applying for the policy or the vessel’s fair market value.
Your boat insurance policy might pay for damage that hail and wind in a hurricane caused on your watercraft if indicated in your policy. Talk to your boat insurer and establish what damages your policy can cover if a hurricane damages it.
Boat comprehensive and collision insurance, hull insurance, or property damage insurance is a coverage that you can add to your policy to cover your watercraft. Comprehensive boat insurance protects your vessel from hazards you can’t control, like extreme weather, theft, and vandalism.
On the other hand, collision insurance protects your watercraft in case it collides with an object or another boat. The coverages are essential if you have an expensive vessel and cannot afford to pay for repairs out of pocket.
How can I protect my boat from storm damage?
There are ways in which you can avoid a storm and protect your boat from damage. To begin with, you can ensure that you constantly keep up-to-date with the weather reports and always observe the water body where you usually use your boat and watch out for unusual weather. Some signs that there could be a storm shortly are lightning, dark clouds in the southwest or west sides, or when there are flat clouds that appear to be hanging lower than usual. It would also help if you are always prepared and know what you will do in case you are caught in a storm. Also, make sure all your safety equipment is in good condition and maintain your boat correctly.
Hurricanes and boat insurance
The Atlantic hurricane season happens between June 1st and November 30Th. During this season, storms can be as many as 21, including about ten hurricanes. The hurricanes can be in categories 3, 4, or 5.
Category 3 hurricane is the kind of hurricane that has a speed of about 111 to 129 mph, category 4 hurricane’s winds travel at a speed of 130 to 156 mph, and category 5 hurricane’s winds move at a speed of 157 mph or more. It can have devastating effects on your boat if it happens when you are in the water.
A hurricane is a storm that happens above subtropical or tropical waters. A hurricane is a storm whose winds rise to 74 mph. Your policy can cover hurricanes and other natural disasters such as floods, windstorms, hail, and lightning.
What is named storm boat insurance?
A named storm hurricane boat coverage protects you against losses due to specific incidents. The coverage is beneficial for people who live in the coastal region. These coverages include wind and hail coverage, flood coverage, and named storm insurance. The wind and hail coverage pays for repairing your boat if its structure and personal tools are damaged by hail and winds. The hail and wind could result from a named storm, winter storm, tornado, or hurricane.
Flood coverage protects your boat against a flood on land that a named storm may cause. A named storm insurance covers damage to your watercraft resulting from a hurricane, storm, or tropical depression named by the National Weather Service. It is important to note that you cannot obtain a named storm insurance just after the National Weather Service announces that a storm is underway. It would help if you got it well in advance to be valid when a storm happens.
Can your insurance cover the repairs you did before a storm?
If you replaced or repaired parts of your boat before a storm, the insurance will not cover those costs.
Can your boat insurance pay for repairing a leak in the hull?
A boat insurance policy can pay for repairing a leak in a vessel’s hull. Nevertheless, this coverage will not pay for any extra repairs that could be essential, like replacing the engine.
Will your boat insurance cover damage you are liable for during a storm?
If you are liable for damages that occur following a storm, your coverage may pay for costs related to the injuries. It will also cover damage to other people’s property or vessels the storm has created. Nevertheless, the coverage will not cover any legal fees that you may need due to the occurrence.
Conclusion
Boat insurance is essential for a boat owner because it makes things easier when something unexpected happens since you won’t have to use your savings to pay for hospital bills or repair and replacement costs. You can add coverages to your policy to protect your boat against natural disasters like storms, hail, hurricanes, and floods. A boat insurance policy may not cover storm and hurricane damage, but you can always add coverages to your policy and cover your vessel against these natural calamities. Also, you can avoid getting caught in a storm by knowing the weather forecast before hitting the waters and ensuring your boat is well-maintained. Remember, when taking out insurance, ensure you know the covered damage in your policy to know what to expect when such incidents happen. Storms can cause severe damage to your vessel and other property around you, such as docks, and with the right insurance coverage, you can bounce back quickly as it will cover the costs of covered damage.
