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
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
A rowing boat, canoe or kayak has no engine and usually a modest value. That makes the insurance question here a different one from motorised pleasure craft. For many muscle-powered craft, liability falls under the personal liability insurance, provided the craft has no engine and falls within the description in those policy conditions. Check that word for word, because the limit differs from insurer to insurer.
As soon as an auxiliary motor is added, including an electric trolling motor, the picture changes. Many AVP conditions exclude powered craft and refer you to a pleasure craft policy. The same applies to hire, to organised club use and to taking part in races. Separate pleasure craft insurance is then not a luxury but the only place where the liability still belongs.
For the craft itself, own-damage cover is often not worthwhile. What does matter is theft and damage ashore: a canoe in the garden, on a roof rack or at a slipway is easy to take. For a craft where the motor makes up most of the value, see insuring an inflatable boat.
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.
Look in your liability policy first
Most AVP conditions cover liability for craft without an engine, sometimes with a limit on length or sail area. If you sail within that description, you do not need a separate boat policy for liability. Read that passage word for word before you take anything out, and keep it, because the discussion after a collision turns out to be about exactly that one sentence.
A trolling motor changes the classification
If you hang an electric motor on the transom, your rowing boat is a powered craft in insurance terms. That can mean that the cover from your liability insurance lapses, however small the power. So report the motor before you use it and have it recorded which policy you fall under from then on. It cannot be put right afterwards, and a collision on a busy waterway does not wait for that.
Own-damage cover rarely pays, theft cover sometimes does
The value of a canoe or rowing boat is generally low compared with the excess insurers apply, which means own-damage cover produces little. What is worth considering is whether theft of the boat and the equipment used is covered somewhere, for example under your home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) if the boat is kept in a locked shed. Ask about that before you insure anything twice.
Transport on the roof and on a trailer
A canoe that comes off the roof rack while you are driving causes damage for which the driver is held responsible. That liability runs through the vehicle's insurance under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). Damage to the canoe itself falls outside it. Check the fastenings on every journey and do not keep heavy items loose in the boat during transport.
What does your premium depend on?
Value of the craft. A wooden or laminated racing boat represents a different value from a plastic recreational canoe.
Presence of an auxiliary motor. As soon as there is a motor, even an electric one, the classification changes and with it which policy applies.
Storage location. A locked shed or store is judged differently from storage in the garden, on a jetty or at a boathouse.
Use. Private use, club use and hire to third parties are assessed differently and partly rule one another out.
Sailing area. Quiet inland water is a different matter from tidal water, where current and commercial traffic increase the risk.
Excess and claims history. At low sums insured, the excess largely determines whether own-damage cover still makes sense.
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.
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.
Often yes, if it is a craft without an engine and it falls within the description in your policy conditions. Some insurers set a limit on length or sail area. Read the passage on craft word for word and, if in doubt, ask for written confirmation; the discussion always arises only after a collision, when it is too late to change anything.
What changes if I fit an electric motor?
Your boat is then a powered craft and many personal liability policies exclude cover, even at low power. You then need pleasure craft insurance for the liability at least. Report the motor before you go out with it, with its make, type and power, so that the cover matches the actual situation.
Is theft from my garden covered?
That depends on where the boat was. If it is in a locked shed or garage, it often falls under the home contents insurance, possibly with a sub-limit for items in outbuildings. If it lies unsecured in the garden or at a jetty, there is usually no cover. Separate own-damage cover can fill that gap, but check your contents policy conditions first.
Does this apply to a paddleboard or a kayak as well?
Usually yes, because they too count as muscle-powered craft. The practical question is the same: is there a description in your liability policy conditions that the board or the kayak fits within, and is no motor fitted. For hire, for lessons and for use at sea, additional restrictions regularly apply that you have to check in advance.
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.
