Although not in the generally considered by the general public, boat insurance is more than likely the oldest type of insurance in the world. A boat, just like all vehicles is liable for an insurance policy, under the Marine Insurance Act. With car insurance plans there is usually an excess to deter people from claiming on small dents and scratches but with boat insurance the excess is considerably larger to avoid the same problem. So the major difference between boat insurance and car insurance is the amount of coverage a policy provides.

As soon as you become a boat owner in America, most states will require you to have a boat insurance policy in force. Houseboats are a strange case because although they are not generally moved that are required to have an insurance policy which covers pleasure boats like cabin cruisers, sailboats and ski boats etc. A speedboat for instance, is capable of high speeds requires a much different type of insurance than a small fishing vessel would because of the potential liability for the insurance company that comes with a speedboat compared to a fishing boat.

Most boat insurance policies should cover your boat, the motor, and the trailer used to transport the boat, but Actual Cash Value boat insurance policies finance replacement costs, minus depreciation at the point of the loss. When the craft is a complete insurance right-off then the second hand value of the boat is used to estimate its market value. If you require insurance to cover for additional situations like emergency services to your vessel, repairs, boat trailer and wreck removal for instance then it is possible to take out an Optional Insurance Cover. Where there has only been limited damage to the vessel, partial damage repairs include the restoration less any items that can be deducted.

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A better boat insurance plan is the Agreed Value policy which is where both the vessel owner and the insurance company agree on a value for the boat and should it be written off, then this amount is paid out in full. Another benefit of Agreed value policies is that old items are replaced with new, irrespective of the value of the items being replaced. With most Agreed value policies, the boat insurance company will require replacement value of some items like dinghies, sails, covers, drive units to name a few, before the policy payout value is agreed.

Essentially boat insurance covers two distinct areas; that of legal liability and that of damage or loss of property. When an individual insures his boat for liability, it guards an individual against harm to another person’s assets brought about by the boat. Remember to try and find a boat insurance agent with a good reputation of getting the best possible policies for his clients and a good record in claim settlement. Make sure your boat insurance policy also has provisions for lawful protection, in case one is charged for something that is protected under the boat insurance.

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