Modular structure · equipment on board · people on board
Watersports insurance through Unigarant
Watersports insurance is not a single cover but a set of modules. Anyone who leaves two of them out usually discovers this only when a claim falls precisely between them.
- 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: Watersportverzekering via Unigarant.
Calculate your premium or request a quote
Without obligation; a reply within one working day.
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 your own premium with the calculator.
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
Unigarant is one of the parties Finass works with for watersports. We act as an intermediary and also compare the offering of more than thirty other insurers objectively; the choice follows from the cover you need. You will find this insurer's wider range at the overview page, the general explanation on pleasure craft insurance.
A watersports policy generally consists of four or five sections that you can choose separately. The liability section covers damage you cause to others with the craft and is the one module you really cannot skip, because your personal liability insurance almost always excludes powered craft. The own-damage section covers damage to the vessel itself. There are also modules for equipment and contents on board, for accidents to those on board and for assistance.
It is useful to know what each module does not do. The personal accident module pays out on permanent injury to or death of those on board, regardless of fault, but does not pay for loss of income or medical costs; those run through your health insurance. The assistance module arranges towing and breakdown help, but does not cover repairs. The equipment module has a maximum of its own and generally pays for theft only where there are signs of forced entry. What happens to you ashore or on the way belongs with a continuous travel insurance.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare pleasure craft insurance.
What to look out for
Four points that determine whether the modules together form a watertight whole.
The gaps between the modules
The typical uninsured loss falls precisely between two sections: a stolen outboard motor treated neither as part of the hull nor as equipment, or a chart plotter that counts as a loose item when you thought it was permanently fitted. Have it recorded what counts as fixed equipment and what as a loose item, with the corresponding limits on the policy schedule.
Trailer, tender and watersports equipment
Many watersports policies can include the trailer, a tender, surfboards, diving equipment or a launching trolley. If they do not, the trailer belongs with a trailer insurance and the rest stays uninsured. Liability for damage caused with a coupled trailer runs through the towing vehicle in any event, under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM).
Exclusions that apply in every module
Excluded are, among others hire, charter and carriage for payment, taking part in speed contests, damage caused by wear and tear, osmosis, corrosion, vermin and deferred maintenance, and frost damage on a vessel that has not been made ready for winter. On the personal accident module, cover generally lapses where the skipper was sailing under the influence. For damage caused deliberately, the statutory exclusion in Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Two policies for the same belongings
Loose items on board can also fall under your contents or travel insurance. That does not produce a double payment: Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code does not allow it and insurers then refer you to one another. Choose deliberately where you place it, because a module you can never claim on still costs a premium, and a gap between two policies costs money when a claim arises.
What does your premium depend on?
- Modules chosen — liability, own damage, equipment, personal accident and assistance
- Value of the craft — including the engine and permanently fitted equipment
- Type and speed — sailing boat, sloop, motorboat or fast open boat
- Number of people on board for the personal accident cover — a fixed number of seats or a named group
- Sailing area — inland waters, open water or foreign waters
- Mooring and storage — marina, trailer, your own jetty or storage ashore
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Own-damage cover |
|---|---|---|
| You run into the hull of another yacht while coming alongside | Yes | No |
| A boom swinging free damages a car on the quay | Yes | No |
| Your vessel runs onto a sandbank and the propeller shaft is bent | No | Yes |
| A storm knocks the vessel off its cradle in winter storage | No | Yes |
| After an engine breakdown on the IJsselmeer you have to be towed in | No | No |
| Someone on board falls overboard and is left with permanent injury | No | No |
Towing assistance and injury to those on board sit in separate modules that you add on individually.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Do I really need the personal accident module for those on board?
That question is bound up with who sails with you. The liability section pays only if you are at fault within the meaning of Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. If a guest is injured without any fault on your part, there is no liability and therefore no payment. The personal accident module does pay out on permanent injury or death, regardless of fault, and so fills a real gap.
What falls under equipment and contents on board?
Items not permanently attached to the vessel: clothing, bedding, crockery, tools, lifejackets, loose navigation equipment and sports equipment. A maximum of its own applies and theft is as a rule paid only where there are signs of forced entry to a locked space. Valuable equipment and jewellery often fall outside this section and belong on separate valuables cover.
Does the assistance module cover abroad as well?
That varies from policy to policy and is bound up with the sailing area on the policy schedule. If you sail in Germany, France or on the Baltic, check that towing assistance, repatriation of the craft and transport for those on board fall within that area. You arrange an extension of the sailing area in advance; reporting afterwards that you were sailing outside the area leads to refusal of the own-damage claim.
Do I have to report a change to my boat?
Yes. A heavier engine, a conversion, a new mooring or a longer trip all change the risk. Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code governs the duty of disclosure when the insurance is taken out, and the policy conditions set out what you have to report during the term. If, after a claim, it turns out that the insurer would have set different conditions had the information been correct, the payment can be reduced under Article 7:930 DCC.