Sloops and day boats · electric propulsion · state of maintenance
Boat insurance through NH1816
For sloops, day boats and electrically powered craft on Dutch inland waters, underwriting turns above all on the condition of the vessel and the systems on board.
- 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: Bootverzekering via NH1816.
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 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.
In brief
NH1816 is one of the insurers Finass works with for pleasure craft. We also act as an intermediary and compare the offering of more than thirty other insurers objectively. The outcome depends on your boat, your sailing area and the cover you want. You will find this insurer's wider range at the overview page, the product information on pleasure craft insurance. For a specific type of boat there are separate pages, such as insuring a sloop.
On sloops and day boats that stay on Dutch inland waters, the pattern of damage is predictable: scraping along jetties and quay walls, a collision in a lock, theft of the motor or of the whole boat from an unsupervised mooring, and water damage because the boat fills up in autumn. What drives the premium and the underwriting is less the value than the condition and the location. A boat in a locked marina with a sound cover and a working bilge pump is a different risk from the same boat at a public quay.
A second point that comes up quickly is electric propulsion. More and more sloops have an electric motor with a lithium battery pack. Insurers set requirements for this: charging with the charger supplied or specified by the manufacturer, no home-built or modified battery packs, and charging in a place that meets the requirements. If a fire starts because those rules were not followed, that is an excluded cause and not an unfortunate accident. The same applies to home-installed electrical systems on board.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare pleasure craft insurance.
What to look out for
Four points that make the difference to underwriting and claims on a sloop or day boat.
Mooring and caring for the vessel
Boats breaking free after an autumn storm are a recurring pattern of loss. The hull damage itself is generally covered, but worn mooring lines, missing fenders and a boat moored too tightly or too loosely count as insufficient care. Replace lines before they chafe through and check the mooring arrangements before a forecast storm. That is the cheapest prevention there is.
Theft of the boat, the motor and the batteries
Alongside the outboard motor, battery packs and electronics are also sought after. Prevention conditions usually read: an approved motor lock, security bolts, a locked mooring or a cover with a lock. If those requirements are not met, the claim is refused. Have the agreed measures stated on the policy schedule, so that afterwards there is no argument about what applied.
Exclusions on a sloop or day boat
Excluded are, among others fire or damage caused by a charger other than the one specified, or by a modified battery pack, damage caused by wear and tear, osmosis, corrosion and deferred maintenance, frost damage to the engine and the water system on a boat that has not been made ready for winter, and letting or paid transport, including taking guests out for payment. Taking part in speed races and deliberate acts also stay outside the cover. The latter follows from Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Liability towards other users of the waterway
If you hit a canoe or a swimmer with a sloop, Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code applies and the consequences of injury are far-reaching. Do not count on your personal liability insurance (AVP): that generally excludes powered craft. The liability section of the boat policy is therefore not an optional extra, not even on a vessel that only does eight kilometres per hour.
What does your premium depend on?
- Type and dimensions of the boat: sloop, day boat or cabin boat
- Drivetrain: outboard motor, inboard diesel or electric with a battery pack
- Value and year of construction: including upholstery, canopy and fixed equipment
- Mooring: locked marina, your own jetty or a public quay
- Security: motor lock, a cover with a lock and possibly a tracking system
- Sailing area: inland waters, or open water and tidal areas as well
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Own-damage cover |
|---|---|---|
| Your sloop scrapes along a rough quay wall while coming alongside | No | Yes |
| The damage to the yacht you touch in the lock | Yes | No |
| The boat fills with rainwater in autumn because the bilge pump failed | No | Provided that |
| The outboard motor is unbolted from the transom and taken | No | Provided that |
| A swimmer is injured by your propeller | Yes | No |
| The bicycles and picnic gear left on board have gone | No | No |
The third-party liability section pays for what you do to others and the own-damage section for the boat itself; loose belongings on board call for their own arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Do I have to insure a sloop with a limited speed?
It is not compulsory, because pleasure craft are not subject to a statutory insurance requirement as motor vehicles are. When it comes to it it is unwise to sail without liability cover: a collision involving injury or damage to an expensive vessel runs high, and your personal liability insurance generally offers no cover for it. Many marinas also make insurance a condition for a mooring.
I have converted my boat to electric. What should I do?
Report the conversion and say who carried out the work. A certified installer and a factory-built battery pack make underwriting easier. Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to disclose circumstances that matter for assessing the risk. A change of propulsion is without doubt one of them. Keep the installation invoice and the charger's manual.
Is damage to the canopy and upholstery covered?
For damage caused by fire, theft or a collision, usually yes, with a deduction for age. Discolouration, damp patches, torn stitching and seams coming apart are wear and tear and are not paid for. Storm damage to a canopy that was up or not secured also often falls outside the cover. Stow the canopy when heavy weather is forecast.
Within what period do I have to report damage to my boat?
As soon as is reasonably possible; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code sets out that obligation. With water damage or a sunken boat that counts double, because the damage keeps developing as long as nothing is done. First take steps to prevent it getting worse, such as pumping out or having the boat lifted, and then report it. Those costs of mitigating the loss are paid; failing to incur them counts against you.