Many people believe sailboats or powerboats are covered under their auto or homeowners policies. But, for most insurers, that isn’t the case. Consider this:
- Typically, an auto policy won’t provide liability or physical damage coverage for a boat.
- Most homeowners policies provide a limited amount of coverage for physical damage to boats. They also restrict automatic liability coverage to low-powered boats.
Large, fast motorboats, yachts and personal watercrafts such as jet skis and wave runners require a separate boat insurance policy. Boat insurance offers coverage for things like:
- Bodily injury – for injuries caused to others, such as swimmers, jet skiers or other boaters
- Property damage – for damage caused to someone else’s property
- Theft and vandalism – that can occur on land or in the water
- Medical payments – for injuries to the boat owner, family members and others who are injured
ERIE’s Boat Protector Policy
With a policy from Erie Insurance, you’ll get comprehensive coverage that covers many types of losses. It will cover, for example, damages resulting from a collision, fire or lightening. ERIE offers:
- Up to $500 in coverage for boating equipment and accessories at no additional cost
- Payments up to $250 per occurrence for emergency towing to the nearest marina, if your boat is disabled or stranded on the water
- $1,000 coverage of non-owned property
- $500 fire extinguisher recharge
For an additional premium or fee, ERIE also offers optional coverage such as uninsured boater protection. This coverage protects you should you be involved in a boating accident caused by a hit-and-run boater or a boater who has no insurance. Credits are available, too, for things like radars, built-in fire extinguishing systems and ship-to-shore radios.
