Questions to ask about boat insurance cover.
Liability, hull, fire, theft, contents, laid-up, and flooding are questions. Never treat a list on this website as a policy.
Third-party liability
Ask whether inland third-party wording meets the live CRT or EA licence condition, including any stated minimum.
Hull
Ask how the partner treats the shell, windows, and fit-out if the boat is damaged in use or laid up.
Fire
Ask what evidence they need after a fire, and how gas, solid-fuel, and electrical claims are handled.
Theft
Ask about outboard, tender, and contents theft while cruising or on a home mooring.
Contents
Ask where household goods on a liveaboard stop being marine contents.
Laid-up
Ask what changes if the boat is out of commission, on the hard, or unoccupied.
Flooding
Ask how overtopping, lock incidents, and rising water are treated. This site does not say you are covered.
Licence-week comparison worksheet
Use this to prepare a useful conversation. It is not a policy schedule, a quote, or proof that a provider will accept the risk.
| Question | Why a provider asks | Evidence to prepare | Check with provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the boat and how is it built? | A provider needs the craft type and construction details to check which inland product can respond. | Boat papers, registration details, recent photographs, and any valuation or survey you already have. | Confirm with provider |
| Will anyone live aboard? | Liveaboard use can change eligibility, contents questions, security requirements, and wording. | A short description of who lives aboard, how often, and where the boat is usually kept. | Confirm with provider |
| Will you cruise continuously? | A continuous-cruising declaration and cruising pattern may matter to a provider's acceptance rules. | Your intended route, mooring arrangement, and any CRT continuous-cruising information. | Confirm with provider |
| Which waters will you use? | CRT, EA, connected waterways, and wider territory can have different licence and policy requirements. | CRT or EA licence information, planned cruising area, and usual mooring or storage location. | Confirm with provider |
| When is the BSS certificate due? | A provider may ask for the safety certificate date during an enquiry or renewal conversation. | Your current BSS certificate or the date shown in your boat records. | Prepare the date |
| What needs protecting beyond the hull? | Contents, tenders, equipment, recovery, transit, and personal effects need their own wording questions. | A simple list of items, approximate values, and any tender or equipment kept with the boat. | Ask for wording |
Take your questions to a provider.
Explore a dated selection of UK boat insurance pages. Check current limits, excesses, exclusions and eligibility before requesting a quote. Quotes and purchases happen on the provider's website.
Explore providers