Liability
- Collision and jetty damage
- No legal obligation
- Often required by the marina
Own-damage cover · corrosion · sailing area
An aluminium boat on pleasure craft insurance
An aluminium boat is light, strong and easy to move on a trailer, but it has one risk of its own that no policy covers: corrosion. The rest of the cover is the same as for other pleasure craft.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Aluminium boot op de pleziervaartuigverzekering.
Calculate your premium or request a quote
Without obligation; a reply within one working day.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert.nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out your own premium with the calculator.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
The policy has three separate sections. The liability cover pays for damage you cause to others with the boat: a collision, damage to a jetty or injury to someone on board another vessel. The own-damage cover pays for damage to the boat itself. The occupant cover pays out on permanent injury to or death of people on board. You choose them separately; liability only means you bear your own damage entirely yourself.
On aluminium, the hull cover extends to the hull, the welds, the frames, the engine and the fixed fittings. Corrosion and electrolysis are excluded. Aluminium in the water forms a galvanic system with bronze propellers, stainless steel fastenings and shore power; if the sacrificial anodes are not replaced in time, that attacks the hull and the underwater parts. Insurers regard such deterioration as wear and tear and deferred maintenance, not as a sudden event.
You set the sum insured on the basis of the purchase value or a valuation report. A valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code makes the amount binding for an agreed period, so that there is no discussion about market value in the event of a total loss. See also the general pleasure craft insurance.
What does insurance for an aluminium boat cover?
Three components that you choose separately, with an overview per situation below.
Own-damage cover
Damage to the boat, the engine and the fixed equipment.
- Fire, storm and sinking
- Theft
- Collision and grounding
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.
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Where things go wrong with aluminium boats
Four points that determine whether the policy actually pays out in the event of a claim.
Corrosion and electrolysis are covered nowhere
This is where aluminium differs from polyester and wood. Deterioration of the hull through galvanic corrosion, electrolysis or pitting corrosion falls under no hull cover at all. If a leak develops because the anodes had wasted away or because a shore power connection was faulty, that is deferred maintenance and not a sudden event. Have the anodes checked and replaced periodically, and keep the maintenance invoices. When a claim is reported, the surveyor almost always asks for them.
The sailing area is a policy provision
The policy schedule states where you may sail: for example the Dutch inland waters, a wider area including the IJsselmeer and the Waddenzee, or coastal waters and abroad. If you sail outside it, there is no cover, not even for liability. For an aluminium boat that is all the more relevant: salt water speeds up corrosion, and when extending cover to salt water insurers sometimes set additional requirements for the protection of the underwater parts. Always declare an extension in advance.
Winter storage and transport by road
Almost every policy has a lay-up period with limited cover and a lower premium; in those months cover generally remains only for fire, storm and theft. Frost damage because the engine, the cooling system or the pipework has not been drained is not paid for. Because aluminium boats are often kept on a trailer, transport matters too: not every boat policy covers damage during transport by road, and the trailer itself is never covered by the boat insurance but by a separate policy or the trailer cover on your motor insurance.
Maintenance, reporting and cooperating
Alongside corrosion, wear and tear, faults in materials and construction, and deferred maintenance are also excluded. The usual restrictions apply as well: no cover for taking part in speed races, for sailing without the required boating licence or for hiring the boat out without declaring it. Damage caused deliberately or recklessly is excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. On the application, state the mooring, engine power and use correctly (Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code); an incorrect statement can cost you the payment (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code). Report a claim as soon as reasonably possible (Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code).
What does your premium depend on?
- Insured value — purchase value or valuation
- Construction type and year of construction — aluminium hull and welded construction
- Engine power and speed — this determines the risk class
- Sailing area — inland waters, coastal waters or abroad
- Mooring and storage — marina, trailer or locked shed
- Type of cover and excess — liability only or own-damage cover as well
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and 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.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
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.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Is corrosion of an aluminium hull insured?
No. Galvanic corrosion, electrolysis and pitting corrosion are excluded on almost every policy, just as osmosis is on polyester and rot on wood. Insurers regard such deterioration as wear and tear or deferred maintenance. Only consequential damage from a sudden covered event can fall under the cover; repairing the deterioration itself does not. So check and replace the anodes in good time.
Is insurance for an aluminium boat compulsory?
Not by law, unlike for a motor vehicle. In practice you will rarely avoid it: marinas and mooring operators require at least liability cover, and abroad a valid policy is checked regularly. Without cover you bear the full cost of collision damage to other vessels and to jetties and locks yourself.
What happens if I go sailing in salt water?
Then the sailing area on your policy schedule has to allow it. Many policies are limited to inland waters. If you sail outside the area covered, cover lapses, including for liability. Apply for the extension in advance; on aluminium the insurer may set additional requirements for the protection of the underwater parts.
Am I covered during transport on the trailer?
That varies from policy to policy. Some insurers include transport by road within the area of cover, others exclude it or ask for a separate module. The trailer itself is never covered by the boat insurance; you insure that separately or through the trailer cover on your motor insurance. Ask about this specifically if you move the boat regularly.
Should I have the boat valued?
On aluminium boats of any value that is sensible, certainly on one-off builds or converted vessels whose market value is hard to determine. A valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code fixes the value for an agreed period, so that no discussion arises in the event of a total loss. If the valuation expires, have it renewed in good time.
Read more
Similar pages
Is your aluminium boat properly insured?
Request a quote without obligation; we check the sailing area, the insured value and the conditions on storage and transport.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
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.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.