Liability
- Collision and jetty damage
- No legal obligation
- Often required by the marina
Insuring an inflatable boat
On an inflatable boat, most of the sum insured lies not in the boat but in the outboard motor hanging on it.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
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Work out for yourself what it would cost.
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.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
An inflatable boat is light, cheap compared with the motor and easy to move. Those three qualities together determine the insurance. The motor often represents a multiple of the value of the tubes and the floor, and it is also the part that gets stolen. Insurers therefore assess the motor above all: type, power, serial number and the way it is secured to the transom.
What goes wrong with the boat itself usually falls into the category of gradual damage. Leaking glued seams, tubes hardened by UV radiation and small tears along the folds are signs of wear and are therefore excluded. What is covered is the sudden event: a tube torn open on a sharp quay wall, a fire, or a boat that breaks free in a storm.
Note the distinction with a RIB as well. A boat with a rigid plastic or aluminium hull and inflatable tubes is assessed differently and often falls under different conditions from a fully foldable boat. See Insuring a RIB if your boat has a rigid hull.
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An inflatable boat: what is covered?
The structure of the cover in three parts, 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.
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.
What does your premium depend on?
- Value of the motor. The outboard motor is valued separately and on these boats usually forms the largest part of the sum insured.
- Value and type of the boat. A foldable boat with a slatted or air deck floor is assessed differently from a boat with a rigid hull.
- Engine power. The power determines the speed attainable and therefore the seriousness of a possible collision.
- Storage and security. Storage in a locked garage with a motor lock and security bolts is judged differently from a boat left at the jetty.
- Sailing area. Use as a tender on inland waters is a different matter from sailing on the Waddenzee or along the coast.
- Excess and claims history. Theft of the motor is regularly subject to a separate and higher excess than other own-damage claims.
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.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The motor determines the sum insured
State separate values for the boat and the motor, including the motor's make, type, year of build and serial number. On a total loss the motor is settled at its own market value, and that falls differently from the boat's. If you replace the motor with a more powerful one, report it at once: an undeclared motor affects both the premium basis and the underwriting, and is not covered if it is stolen.
Glued seams and UV are maintenance, not damage
Tubes coming apart at the seam, material hardened and cracked by the sun, or a floor that gives way along the fold after years: these are all gradual processes and are therefore excluded. Store the boat dry and out of direct sunlight, do not leave the tubes fully hard in the sun and do not fold it in freezing conditions. Keep the purchase invoice and the maintenance history.
What you can carry, someone else can take
For theft, insurers set requirements you need to know in advance: a motor lock, security bolts passed right through the transom and storage in a locked space. If the boat lies at a public jetty or unsecured on a trailer, theft cover is limited or absent under many policy conditions. Photograph the boat and the motor with the serial number, so that you have something to produce when reporting it to the police.
Liability does not stop at a small boat
Even a light boat with a substantial motor reaches speeds at which a collision with a swimmer or another boat has serious consequences. You are then liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code, and that amount is entirely unrelated to what your boat is worth. So take the liability section at the very least, even if you want to carry the own-damage risk yourself.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Do I have to declare the outboard motor separately?
Yes. The motor is listed on the policy with its make, type, year of build, power and serial number and is given its own sum insured. Without that entry, theft of the motor is not covered, even though the boat is. If you change the motor, report it straight away and keep the purchase invoice separately from the boat, so that you can produce it when you claim.
Is a leaking air chamber covered?
Only if there is an identifiable sudden cause, for example a tube torn open on a sharp edge or damage from vandalism. Leaks along the glued seams, porous material and small tears along the folds are wear and tear and fall outside the cover. If in doubt, insurers have this assessed by a surveyor, because the difference is visible at the seam.
Is my boat covered during transport in the car?
That depends on your policy conditions. Some policies have a transport clause that includes damage during transport by road, others exclude it or set requirements for how it is secured. Damage you cause to others with a coupled trailer falls under the insurance of the towing vehicle under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM).
What if the boat is taken from the jetty?
What decides it is whether you met the security requirements set. A boat left unsecured at a public jetty falls outside the theft cover under many policy conditions. If the boat was chained or lay in a locked berth, the chance of payment is greater. Always report it to the police, with the serial numbers of the boat and the motor and with photographs of the situation.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare pleasure craft insuranceThe main page
- A console boat on the pleasure craft insuranceOpen boat, motor, equipment
- Insuring a RIBOutboard motor, theft, trailer
- Insuring a rowing boat and a canoeLow value, liability, storage
- Insuring a fishing boatEquipment, electronics, mooring
- A RIB on the pleasure craft insuranceOwn-damage cover, tubes, sailing area
- Insuring a sloopInland waters, mooring, outboard motor
Read more
Ready to compare?
Request a quote without obligation. We will look at which insurer best matches your activities and your risk.
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 compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.