How Much Experience Do You Need for Boat Insurance in Florida?

Are you looking into getting boat insurance and wondering how much experience you need to have in order to qualify for a policy? While it’s true that experienced boaters enjoy lower rates, you can still get boat insurance even if you don’t have very much time on the water. Let’s take a look at what boat insurance is and what insurers look at when determining the price of your policy.

What is boat insurance?

Boat insurance helps protect you from financial loss if your boat were to become damaged by a covered event. It’s very similar to how car insurance works, except this insurance is specifically designed for your boat.

• Bodily Injury Liability – This coverage applies to any third parties who are injured due to a collision with your boat.
• Property Damage Liability – If you hit someone else’s property with your boat, this part of the policy helps cover the cost of the damage.
• Collision Coverage – If your boat is damaged in a collision on the water, this coverage helps pay for the repairs or replacement of your boat.
• Comprehensive Coverage – Comprehensive coverage is similar to the comprehensive coverage you have on your car. It covers damage to your boat that’s caused by animal collisions, certain types of weather damage and things like fire, theft and vandalism.
• Uninsured and Underinsured Boater – This coverage helps pay for damage to your boat and any injuries you or your passengers might have experienced during a collision with an uninsured or underinsured boat.

Do you need experience to get boat insurance?

You don’t necessarily need boating experience to get boat insurance. However, in order to operate a boat with more than 9 horsepower, you’ll need to take a boat safety course. Florida doesn’t require a boating license. Instead, the boat safety course completion card serves that purpose. If you own a boat with more than 10 HP and haven’t completed a boating safety course, you may have to hire a captain to pilot your boat until you can complete the safety course. Not to mention, your insurance premiums may be higher until you gain some experience on the water.

Why does boating experience matter for a boat insurance policy?

When people are just learning how to boat, they’re more prone to getting into accidents. That could mean accidents with other boats or people, or accidents while getting the boat into and out of its boating slip. It’s believed that boaters with more experience are less prone to making mistakes that lead to accidents.

How do I get boating experience safely?

If you’ve recently purchased a boat or are thinking about buying a boat, you have several options when it comes to gaining experience. Completing your boat safety course counts as boating experience. You can also get a boat logbook. Every time you go out on the water, document where you sailed and for how long you sailed. Documenting when you sailed, how far you sailed and what you did while you sailed in a logbook counts as experience. Additionally, you can hire a captain to teach you how to navigate and operate your boat.

What other factors do insurance companies look at when determining the price of a boat insurance policy?

Insurance companies look at a lot of different things in order to determine the cost of your boat insurance premiums. Some of those factors include:

• The Size and Type of Your Boat – How big or small your boat is and the type of boat can affect your insurance rates. If you’re concerned that a boat may be expensive to insure, you can always call your Florida insurance agent and ask about coverage for specific types of boats.
• Your Claims History – Individuals who have a lot of past claims for previous boat insurance policies or other types of insurance policies may see higher boat insurance premiums.
• The Horsepower of Your Boat – Boats with higher horsepower are typically more expensive to insure.
• The Safety Features on Your Boat – Certain safety features may help you lower your boat insurance premiums. For example, does your boat have an automatic fire suppression system or other types of safety gear, like radar or GPS?
• The Coverage Options You Choose – The types of boat insurance coverages and the limitations can affect the cost of your premiums.
• Your Boat Insurance Deductible – It’s important to choose a deductible that is affordable for you and your family. However, higher deductibles often result in lower insurance premiums.

Getting Boat insurance with Fearnow in Florida

If you own one of the one million registered boats in Florida, or if you’re thinking about buying a boat, we can help you find affordable boat insurance in Florida. We ensure all types of boats and watercraft, including fishing boats, pontoon boats, yachts, jet boats, deck boats, speedboats, cabin cruisers and personal watercraft, like jet skis. We even have insurance policies for commercial vessels.

To get a quote for boat insurance, give us a call at 813-689-8878.