Liability
- Collision and jetty damage
- No legal obligation
- Often required by the marina
Speedboat insurance: engine power and boating licence
On a speedboat, underwriting turns not on the value but on the power: that determines which boating licence you need, where you may still sail and which exclusions appear on your policy.
- 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
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.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
For an insurer, a fast motorboat is first of all a question of power. If the boat can do more than twenty kilometres per hour, the small craft boating licence is compulsory. The same applies from a length of fifteen metres. The insurer checks this at underwriting and again when handling a claim, and then looks at whoever was at the helm at that moment. Sailing without the required licence is an exclusion that affects the whole claim, even where speed played no part.
The engine power declared is the basis of the underwriting. If you fit a more powerful engine later or have the existing engine tuned, the risk changes. If you do not report that, the insurer can rely on Articles 7:928 and 7:930 DCC and reduce the payment proportionately or, if it would not have taken the risk at all, refuse it. High-speed use is also allowed only in the areas designated for it; outside those a speed limit applies and a claim can be treated as significant fault (merkelijke schuld) within the meaning of Article 7:952 DCC.
A speedboat falls under pleasure craft insurance. We record the power, the boating licence, the high-speed area and any towing use expressly on the policy.
Independent, personal, sorted quickly
We compare your pleasure craft insurance across dozens of insurers, explain where the real differences lie, and arrange the switch from start to finish — without you having to chase it yourself.
Pleasure craft insurancePhoto coming soon
ComparePhoto coming soon
Get coveredPhoto coming soon
Speedboat: 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?
- Engine power and top speed. The most important basis; above certain limits not every insurer will still accept the risk.
- Boating licence and experience of the skipper. Type of licence, years of experience and the age of the youngest driver.
- Circle of drivers. A single regular skipper is judged differently from a boat sailed by changing users.
- Sailing area and high-speed areas. Inland waters, wider inland waters or coastal waters, and whether high-speed areas are included.
- Towing use. Water-skiing, wakeboarding and inflatables call for an extension and raise the injury risk.
- Excess and claims history. Earlier collisions or speed-related claims count heavily on a fast boat.
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 boating licence is checked again when a claim arises
Above twenty kilometres per hour or from fifteen metres in length, the small craft boating licence is compulsory, and for a fast motorboat a minimum age applies as well. When a claim arises the insurer looks at who was sailing, not at who holds the policy. If you lend the boat to someone without the papers, cover for that trip lapses entirely. So set out in the application who may sail and on what conditions.
A tuned or more powerful engine is a change in the risk
The power in kilowatts appears on your policy and is the basis of the underwriting. A heavier outdrive, a different propeller or an altered engine management setting changes that basis. If you do not report it in advance, the insurer can, under Article 7:930 DCC reduce the payment in the ratio between the premium paid and the premium due, or refuse it entirely if it would not have insured the boat at that power.
High-speed use outside the designated areas
On most waterways a speed limit applies; high-speed use is restricted to designated high-speed areas and often to certain hours or months. If you go fast outside those, that is not only an offence but also gives rise to a discussion about recklessness (Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code). You are also plainly liable for damage your wash causes to moored vessels or to banks, under Article 6:162 DCC.
Towing water-skiers, wakeboarders and inflatables
Towing is a separate activity that has to be stated on the policy. Without that entry, damage during towing is not covered, and that applies to liability towards the person on the line as well. Injury to people on board and to the person being towed often falls outside the liability cover. For that you need cover for those on board or personal accident cover. Taking part in speed races and training for them is excluded as standard.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
When do I need a boating licence for my speedboat?
The small craft boating licence is compulsory if the boat can do more than twenty kilometres per hour, and also from a length of fifteen metres. For a fast motorboat a minimum age applies as well. The insurer checks this at underwriting and when a claim arises. If the person sailing does not hold the required licence, cover for that trip lapses entirely.
May someone else drive my speedboat?
Only within the group of drivers named on the policy, and only if that person holds the required boating licence and meets the age requirement. Hire or use for payment is almost always excluded on a private policy. If you want friends or family to take the boat out regularly, have that included in advance rather than relying on it.
Am I insured if I tow a water-skier or an inflatable?
Only if towing use is expressly included. Without that entry, neither damage to the boat during towing nor your liability towards the person being towed is covered. Note too that injury to people on board and to the person on the line often falls outside the liability cover. For that you need separate cover for those on board or personal accident cover.
What happens if I fit a more powerful engine?
Report it before you go out. The power on the policy is the basis of the underwriting, so a more powerful engine is a change in the risk. If you conceal it, the insurer can reduce the payment proportionately under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code, or refuse it entirely if it would not have insured the boat at that power. Tuning the existing engine counts too.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare pleasure craft insuranceThe main page
- Speedboat on the pleasure craft insuranceOwn-damage cover, speed, sailing area
- Insuring a jet skiSpeed, boating licence, liability
- Insuring a speedboatPower, boating licence, trailer
- Insuring a predator fishing boatOwn-damage cover, electronics, sailing area
- A RIB on the pleasure craft insuranceOwn-damage cover, tubes, sailing area
- Insuring a SkybootOwn damage, liability, sailing area
- Insuring a yacht and motorboatOwn-damage cover, sailing area, winter storage
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. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.