On a sailing boat a large part of the value lies in the mast, the rigging and the sails. Those are exactly the parts that wear and that the policy treats separately.
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In brief
You insure a sailing boat with liability and own-damage cover, but the basis of the hull cover is built up differently here from a motorboat. Above the deck stands a structure representing a considerable part of the value: the mast, the boom, the roller furling gear, the standing and running rigging and the sail wardrobe. Include that rigging expressly in the sum insured, because a policy based on the hull alone covers only part of the cost after a dismasting.
The dividing line that determines everything is wear and tear against a sudden cause. A sail that tears in a squall is an event. The same sail splitting in two after years of UV exposure is worn out and therefore excluded. On standing rigging that applies all the more sharply: insurers apply an age limit to stainless steel terminals and wire and ask for an inspection report on older boats.
The second risk moment of its own is stepping and unrigging the mast at the start and end of the season. If you have a yard do it and something goes wrong, the yard's liability for its staff comes into play under Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code, while its terms limit that liability. See also the pleasure craft insurance.
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.
Standing rigging has a shelf life
Stainless steel wire and rolled terminals weaken from the inside through stress corrosion, without your seeing anything. Insurers attach an age or an inspection interval to that. If a shroud beyond that interval breaks, there is an inherent defect and not only that part is uninsured but possibly also the dismasting that follows. Have the rig inspected periodically and keep the report with your policy.
Sails: only a sudden cause counts
Sailcloth loses strength through sunlight and flogging. If a sail opens along a seam or tears in normal use, the insurer calls that ageing. If it tears because you caught a gust with a badly reefed sail, the question remains whether it was an event or improper use. Note the year of purchase and the hours sailed for each sail. On older sails, payment is also often made with a deduction for age.
Stepping the mast and lifting: record who is responsible
When lowering and stepping the mast and lifting the boat, your whole investment hangs on a single strap. If it goes wrong at a yard, the yard is liable for its staff's mistakes under Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code, but its general terms almost always limit that liability sharply. So check whether your own hull cover includes damage during mast work, lifting and transport, and declare it in advance.
Racing is a cover of its own
In a race the boat is pushed harder, sailed closer to others and carries more sail than is sensible. Insurers therefore exclude racing or attach conditions to it, with damage to rigging and sails during the race often falling outside the cover even where the rest is covered. If you sail club races or a longer offshore race, declare it in advance and have it recorded on the policy in writing.
Sailing area and races
Sailing races are often excluded or call for separate cover. Declare it in advance.
The sailing area is a hard boundary
Inland waters, wide inland waters and coastal waters are separate categories with their own premiums. If you sail onto the IJsselmeer or the Wadden Sea with inland waters cover, you are not insured there, whatever the weather. For a one-off trip you apply for a temporary extension; that is usually a phone call.
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As part of the boat, generally yes, provided the sail wardrobe has been included in the sum insured. Damage from wear, UV exposure or flogging does not fall under it; only a sudden cause is covered. On older sails insurers also often pay with a deduction for age. Note the year of purchase for each sail, so that you can check that calculation.
The mast broke because a shroud gave way. What now?
The surveyor first examines the part that broke. If the terminal turns out to have failed through stress corrosion or age, there is an inherent defect and the insurer can refuse not only that shroud but also the consequential damage to the mast and deck. If the rig had been inspected or replaced within the stated interval and there is an identifiable external cause, there is cover.
The yard drops my mast. Who pays for that?
The yard is liable for its staff's mistakes under Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code, but its general terms almost always limit that liability to a modest amount. So report the damage to your own insurer as well and check whether mast work and lifting are included on your policy. Your insurer can then try to recover from the yard itself.
May I take part in club races?
Not as a matter of course. Many policies exclude racing or cover only the hull and not the rigging during the race. Declare your participation in advance and have it recorded what type of race it is. A club meeting on inland waters is judged differently from a multi-day offshore race. Without that declaration you risk a refusal on exactly the most expensive claim.
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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