Watercraft

Personal Watercraft Coverage

August 13, 2021

If you own your personal watercraft (PWC), you’ll want to know about all the ways your PWC policy allows you to stay protected, including bodily injury, property damage and theft. It’s important to know whether you have adequate insurance coverage for your PWC, especially since your standard homeowner or auto insurance policies typically won’t cover them. Or if they do, the coverage may be limited.

Policy Details

A typical policy will include a $250 deductible for property damage, $500 for theft and $1,000 for medical payments. Liability starts at $15,000 and can increase to $300,000 to provide you and your family the financial protection you need in case your PWC is involved in an accident.

Most PWC policies provide coverage whether you are operating the PWC yourself or you loan it to someone else. Although the facts and circumstances of each case must be evaluated based upon the applicable laws and policy language, in most cases, regardless of who is operating it, you would be covered for the following:

  • • Damage to another craft or dock
  • • Bodily injury or death to another person due to your negligence
  • • The negligence of another driver while using your PWC
  • • Towed water skiers or wake boarders who become injured while using your craft
  • • Physical damage to the hull, machinery and equipment
  • • Injury caused by an uninsured watercraft operator

Because some coverages are optional and must be selected, read your policy carefully to be certain you are getting the coverage you need.

Additional Liability Coverage

You may also want to consider purchasing a personal umbrella insurance policy connected to your homeowners or automobile insurance policy to give you additional liability protection. This coverage will provide you $1 million in additional coverage at an affordable price.

Buy in Bulk

If you have several personal watercraft (PWC) vehicles, you may qualify for a multi-boat discount as each one will need to be insured, but may not require its only policy as some boat insurance policies can be built to cover personal watercraft as well. You can also purchase additional coverage for accessories and hauling trailers to keep all your bases covered.

Count on Us!

Thrill-seeking on the open water can be unpredictable, but your coverage shouldn’t be. Make sure your PWC is properly protected by reviewing coverage with a Robertson Ryan Agent and to review all of your recreational, home and auto insurance needs. It is important to review and discuss coverage with a licensed agent. We’re here to help!

Source: Zywave