Liability
- Collision and jetty damage
- No legal obligation
- Often required by the marina
A console boat on the pleasure craft insurance
A console boat has no cabin and therefore no lockable space: everything of value on board is either in plain sight or hanging on the transom.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
This page in another language: Nederlands
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
A console boat is an open boat with a helm position amidships or to starboard and an outboard motor on the transom. That layout determines the pattern of damage. There is no cabin in which to stow equipment, no lockable door and usually no cover that really protects against things being taken. Theft of loose items and of the motor is therefore the risk insurers assess most closely.
The second feature is that the boat is open at the top. A blocked drain, a bilge pump with a flat battery and a few days of steady rain are together enough to sink a boat at its jetty. Insurers then look at whether the event was sudden or whether it built up slowly while nobody was watching. In the latter case they almost always rely on negligence.
Many console boats are kept not in a marina but on a trailer at the owner's house. That shifts the risk from the water to the road and the driveway. If you want to see the difference with a boat with an inflatable hull, read insuring an inflatable boat or Insuring a RIB.
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A console 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?
- Sum insured including the motor. The hull, the motor and permanently fitted equipment are added together to form the hull value.
- Engine power. A heavy outboard motor on a light open hull produces high speeds and therefore a heavier collision risk.
- Type of storage. A boat on a trailer behind a closed gate is judged differently from a boat that lies at a public jetty for the season.
- Security of the engine and trailer. A motor lock, security bolts and a hitch lock are often a condition of the theft cover.
- Sailing area. Inland waters, the Waddenzee or coastal waters help determine which equipment and which cover apply.
- Excess and claims history. Theft of the motor is regularly subject to a different, 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.
There is no lockable space on board
A chart plotter, a VHF radio, tools and lifejackets fall under the section for loose items or equipment, for which a separate sub-limit applies that is often far lower than the actual value. Many policy conditions cover theft of loose items only if the boat was locked or stood in a locked space, which is by definition difficult with an open console. Take valuable equipment home with you.
The outboard motor has to be declared separately
The motor appears as a separate item on the policy, with its make, type, power and serial number. For theft, insurers also set requirements for how it is mounted: a motor lock or security bolts passed right through the transom. If that security is missing, theft of the motor is excluded while the rest of the own-damage cover simply continues. Note the serial number and keep the purchase invoice separately from the boat.
A different regime applies on the trailer
If you tow the boat and trailer behind the car, damage you cause to others with it falls under the compulsory motor insurance of the car, under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). Damage to the boat itself during that transport falls outside it and is covered only if your policy contains a transport clause. The trailer itself is also an object in its own right.
Rainwater and a flat bilge pump battery
An open boat that fills up and settles at its jetty is a classic dispute. The damage itself is usually covered if there is a sudden cause, for example a burst hose. If the boat fills because the battery was flat and the drain was blocked, the surveyor will point to insufficient care. Check the boat during wet spells and keep the battery charged.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Are loose belongings on board covered?
Only within the sub-limit for equipment and loose items, and usually on condition that the boat was locked or stood in locked storage. On an open console boat that condition can rarely be met. Fixed equipment that has been built in generally does fall under the ordinary own-damage cover, provided you declared it when you applied.
Is the trailer covered?
Not automatically. The trailer is an object in its own right that you have to declare separately. Some insurers include it under the boat policy, others refer you to separate cover. Damage you cause to others with a coupled trailer falls under the compulsory insurance of the towing vehicle, governed by Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM).
Is it covered if my boat fills with rain and sinks?
That depends on the cause. If there is an identifiable sudden event, such as a skin fitting breaking off or a hose coming loose, that is covered. If the boat fills slowly because the bilge pump was not working and the drain was blocked, the insurer will treat it as a lack of maintenance and care. Record photographs and the state of the pump.
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 counts towards the sum insured. If you replace the motor, report it straight away: an undeclared, heavier motor affects both the premium basis and the underwriting, and if an unlisted motor is stolen there is no cover.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare pleasure craft insuranceThe main page
- Insuring an inflatable boatValue, motor, storage
- Insuring a fishing boatEquipment, electronics, mooring
- Insuring a RIBOutboard motor, theft, trailer
- Insuring a sloopInland waters, mooring, outboard motor
- Insuring a console boatOwn-damage cover, outboard motor, sailing area
- Insuring a predator fishing boatOwn-damage cover, electronics, sailing area
- Insuring a SkybootOwn damage, liability, sailing area
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.