Liability
- Collision and jetty damage
- No legal obligation
- Often required by the marina
Insuring a yacht
On a yacht the policy turns on three things: a fixed sum insured, a sailing area that matches the trips you actually make, and clarity about what is still covered during the lay-up period.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
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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
The liability cover pays for damage you cause to others with the yacht: a collision, damage to jetties, lock gates or quay walls, and injury to people on board another vessel. On larger vessels such a claim mounts up quickly, which is why the limit on this section matters more than on a small boat. Harbours and marinas also almost always make this cover a condition for a mooring.
The own-damage cover pays for damage to the yacht itself: the hull, the engines, the generator, the bow thruster, the navigation and communication equipment, the interior and the fixed fittings. Most discussion arises around those fittings. A tender, an outboard motor and loose electronics are not automatically covered; they have to appear on the policy schedule with a description and a value, often with their own limit.
You fix the sum insured with a valuation report from a recognised expert. A valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code makes the amount binding for an agreed period, so that there is no discussion about market value in the event of a total loss. See also the general pleasure craft insurance.
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What does insurance for a yacht cover?
Three components that you choose separately, 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.
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
What does your premium depend on?
- Agreed value: the most important factor
- Type, length and year of build: motor yacht or sailing yacht
- Sailing area: inland waters, coastal waters or abroad
- Mooring and security: marina, berth or your own jetty
- Type of cover and excess: liability only or own-damage cover as well
- Experience and claims history: boating licences and previous 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, risk and 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 with yachts
Four points that determine whether the policy actually pays out in the event of a claim.
Have the value assessed and keep it up to date
On a yacht with a history of refits, new engines or renewed equipment, market values vary widely. A valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code fixes the value for an agreed period; within that period any discussion about market value on a total loss is ruled out. If you do not renew the valuation in time, you fall back on the value at the moment of the loss. Also have it recorded exactly what the sum insured covers: engines, equipment, interior and the tender.
The sailing area determines the cover
The policy schedule states where you may sail: for example the Dutch inland waters, an area covering the IJsselmeer and the Waddenzee, or wider coastal waters and areas abroad. If you sail outside it, there is no cover, not even for liability. On yachts that is a real risk, because sailing plans grow with the vessel. Report a planned trip in advance and ask for a temporary extension where necessary; insurers sometimes set requirements for equipment, crew or the season in which you sail.
Lay-up period, frost damage and transport
Almost every policy has a lay-up period with limited cover and a lower premium. In those months cover generally remains only for fire, storm and theft, and requirements apply to the place of storage. Frost damage because the engines, the cooling systems or the pipework have not been drained is not paid for; the insurer treats that as inadequate maintenance. If the vessel is moved by road or on a low-loader, check that this transport is included; many policies exclude it or ask for a separate arrangement.
Wear, maintenance and your own obligations
Defects that develop gradually — osmosis, corrosion, wood rot and wear: are covered nowhere, and neither is damage caused by deferred maintenance or by a fault in materials or construction. Also excluded are taking part in speed races, sailing without the required boating licence and commercial hire or charter without declaring it. Damage caused deliberately or recklessly falls outside the cover under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. State the mooring, the use and the crew correctly (Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code); an incorrect declaration can cost you the payout (Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code). Report a claim as soon as reasonably possible (Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code).
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is insurance for a yacht compulsory?
Not by law, unlike for a motor vehicle. In practice there is no way round it: marinas and mooring operators require at least liability cover with a demonstrable limit, and in foreign harbours a valid policy is often checked. Without cover you bear collision damage and the costs of salvage or wreck removal entirely yourself.
Is the tender covered?
Only if it appears on the policy schedule with a description and a value, and then often with its own limit and its own security requirements for the outboard motor. Some insurers cover the tender only while it is on board or in the davits, and not when it is used independently. Ask about that specifically.
What happens if I sail outside the sailing area?
Then there is no cover, not even for liability. The sailing area is a policy provision, not a guideline. If you plan a trip outside the described area, ask for an extension in advance. Insurers may set requirements for equipment, crew or the season. Reporting it afterwards does not help: when a claim arises, what was in the policy at that moment is what counts.
May I hire out my yacht or put it into charter?
Not on an ordinary private policy. Commercial hire and charter are a different risk and are almost always excluded, including occasional hire through a platform. That calls for commercial cover. If you fail to disclose that use, the insurer can reduce or refuse payment under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code and terminate the policy.
What does the insurance cover during winter storage?
The policy has a lay-up period with its own conditions and usually a lower premium. Cover is then limited to events such as fire, storm and theft, and requirements apply to the place of storage. Frost damage because the engines, the cooling systems or the pipework have not been drained is excluded. Record where the vessel lies and whether that is a recognised storage facility.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare pleasure craft insuranceThe main page
- A sailing boat on the pleasure craft insuranceOwn-damage cover, rigging, sailing area
- Pleasure craft insuranceOwn damage, liability, sailing area
- An aluminium boat on pleasure craft insuranceOwn-damage cover, corrosion, sailing area
- Insuring a console boatOwn-damage cover, outboard motor, sailing area
- A tender on the pleasure craft insuranceOwn-damage cover, tender, sailing area
- Insuring a predator fishing boatOwn-damage cover, electronics, sailing area
- Insuring a yachtValuation, sailing area, crew
- Speedboat on the pleasure craft insuranceOwn-damage cover, speed, sailing area
Read more
Is your yacht properly insured?
Request a quote without obligation. We check the valuation, the sailing area, the liability limit and the lay-up period.
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.