Aluminium does not rust, but it does corrode galvanically: as soon as the hull, the propeller shaft and the shore power connection form a current path, the metal slowly dissolves, and that is precisely the type of damage no policy pays for.
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In brief
An aluminium hull behaves differently from polyester or wood when it is damaged. A collision usually leaves a dent rather than a fracture, so the vessel stays afloat but the plating is deformed. Repair therefore means welding and letting in new plate, not filling and respraying. That makes the cost of small collisions relatively high, while the chance of a total loss is low.
The risk that is typical of aluminium appears as an exclusion in almost every policy: electrolytic and galvanic corrosion. Worn or missing sacrificial anodes, a poor bonding connection or a current leak through the shore power connection attack the metal gradually. Gradual means: no sudden and unforeseen event, and therefore no cover. Consequential damage from that process, such as a plate corroded through, also falls outside the cover.
When you apply, we therefore record where the vessel lies, whether shore power is used and whether a galvanic isolator or an isolating transformer is fitted. That information falls under your duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code. If you would first like to see the difference in materials, read insuring a fibreglass boatas well, where osmosis rather than corrosion is the gradual risk.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Liability
Liability
Damage you cause to others with the vessel.
Collision and jetty damage
No legal obligation
Often required by the marina
The vessel itself
Own-damage cover
Damage to the boat, the engine and the fixed equipment.
Fire, storm and sinking
Theft
Collision and grounding
Extensions
Extensions
What you add separately.
Trailer on the road
Occupants
Salvage and wreck removal
What is covered
Situation
Liability
Own-damage cover
Damage to another vessel or a jetty
Yes
No
Theft of the boat or the outboard motor
No
Provided that
Fire and storm damage in the berth or ashore
No
Yes
Sinking through a leak or through rainwater
No
Provided that
Salvage and removal of the wreck
Provided that
Provided that
Osmosis, wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
There is no statutory insurance requirement for pleasure craft. The WAM applies only to motor vehicles. Marinas, harbours and hire companies do generally require liability cover. Pay attention to the sailing area described and to the lay-up or winter storage period: outside the sailing area or during undeclared storage, cover may lapse.
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Anodes are maintenance, not an accessory
Sacrificial anodes are meant to dissolve. That is what they are for. If they are gone and the hull itself starts to corrode, the loss adjuster will treat that as deferred maintenance. Have the anodes checked at every winter service and keep the job sheet showing the date and the number of anodes replaced. In a claim for pitting in the hull plating, that is the first document you will be asked for.
Shore power is the most underestimated cause
An aluminium vessel at a jetty with shore power is electrically connected to every other vessel on that same jetty. An earth fault on a neighbouring boat can use your hull as an anode. A galvanic isolator or an isolating transformer breaks that path. Insurers do not always require such a device, but without one any resulting damage stays uninsured, because the process is gradual.
Repair means welding, not panel beating
Aluminium cannot simply be pushed back into shape: the material work-hardens as it deforms and cracks if it is worked a second time. A proper repair calls for the damaged plate to be cut out and new plate welded in by a certified welder, in the correct alloy. Have the repair yard agree the approach with the loss adjuster in advance. A cheaper local repair that cracks later is rarely paid for a second time.
A dent without a leak is often cosmetic
Many policies pay for damage that affects the structure or the watertightness, but take a cautious view of purely cosmetic deformation. On a bare aluminium hull every repaired patch shows, even after expert welding. Agree in advance whether a cosmetic exclusion or a separate excess applies to damage that causes no loss of function. On aluminium that difference between insurers is greater than on painted vessels.
What does your premium depend on?
Sum insured or valuation. A custom-built aluminium vessel has no common market price, so the valuation becomes the basis for the calculation.
Yard and year of build. A professionally built hull with known plate thicknesses and alloy is judged differently from a home-built boat or a bare hull fitted out later.
Salt or fresh water. In salt water the electrochemical process runs faster and the insurer sets stricter requirements on the type of anode and on inspection.
Mooring and shore power situation. Whether the vessel is permanently connected to shore power and whether a galvanic isolator is fitted both count in the assessment.
Engine power and drive. A bronze propeller on an aluminium hull calls for extra protection and affects both the risk and the cost of repair.
Excess and claims history. Previous hull damage and the excess you choose help determine the premium the insurer charges.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
No. Galvanic and electrolytic corrosion develop over a longer period and are therefore not a sudden, unforeseen event. Almost every pleasure craft policy excludes this, together with consequential damage such as a plate corroded through or a damaged propeller shaft. Damage from an identifiable incident does remain covered, for example a collision or a grounding, even if the hull is deformed as a result.
May I sail an aluminium vessel in salt water?
That depends on the sailing area in your policy, not on the material. It does matter that you use the right type of anode: zinc anodes belong in salt water, aluminium anodes in brackish water. If you use the wrong type, the protection is inadequate and the loss adjuster will treat the resulting damage as a maintenance defect.
Can I recover corrosion damage from the vessel next to me?
In theory yes, through the tort provisions of Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code, if you can show that a wiring fault on that vessel has attacked your hull. In reality that proof is demanding: you have to measure the current path and have the fault established before it is repaired. If you suspect this, call in a surveyor straight away and record the situation.
Which documents should I keep?
Keep the job sheets for anode maintenance, the reports of hull thickness measurements and the invoices for earlier welding repairs stating the alloy used. In a claim for hull damage, these show that the vessel has been maintained and that the damage does not stem from a slow, underlying process. Without those documents the discussion automatically shifts to deferred maintenance.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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