insurance guide
Yacht insurance buyer's guide
Yachts come in all shapes and sizes and everyone's boating lifestyle is different. So how do you know if your insurance is right for your craft, your mooring arrangements...
View insurance guide
Coronavirus help and support for our insurance customers
Sail further and venture with confidence with yacht insurance from Towergate, including:
If you prefer to speak to someone, call the team to discuss your yacht insurance
Monday - Friday 9am – 5pm (3.45pm on the first Friday of each month)
Can’t get through right now? Request a callback
Offer only available to new customers taking a boat insurance policy over the phone (excludes dinghy, canoe/kayak/paddleboard, rowing scull and windsurf policies). This offer is subject to an annual premium of £200 or above, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts. Subject to underwriting acceptance. Voucher will be issued after one month of cover. Offer expires 31/12/2020 but can be withdrawn at any time. Calls may be recorded.
Of course your yacht is important to you but so is your personal safety. When you select a yacht insurance policy with personal accident cover included, you’ll be covered for medical expenses and emergency treatment. You must be under the age of 76 years old for this cover to apply. The most we will pay any one person for any one incident is £15,000 but not more than £60,000 in total during any period of insurance.
It’s no secret that experienced sailors carry less risk. That’s why, if you’ve got coastal skipper, day skipper or yacht master qualifications we’ll offer you a 10% discount on your premium. This must be a practical qualification rather than a theory test as it’s the experience on the water that really matters to us. Please be aware that a minimum premium of £142.62 applies to yacht policies.
Boat insurance covers the yacht itself but can also cover the items onboard such as GPS, fishfinders, outboard motors and even clothing such as expensive sailing jackets. For this cover your excess will be different to that of the rest of your policy. It’s usually lower but will vary depending on the amount you need to claim for. On that basis it’s best you check your policy documents to be sure which excess will apply.
If you’re based in the UK it’s more than likely that you won’t be sailing all year round. So when your boat is in storage and off the water, our policy will continue to cover your craft and the items on it. Be sure to let us know where you store your boat to make sure we provide you with the correct cover. Similarly, should you need to transport your boat to different waters, our policy can cover you should your boat get damaged in transit. If your yacht exceeds 30ft in length it’s a little more difficult to insure in transit, we will need to check on the circumstances and speak to our underwriters so please call us.
We like to make it easy for you to choose the right policy for your yacht.
| Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third party | • | • | • | • |
| Discounts for club membership and relevant qualifications | • | • | • | • |
| No Claim Discount (up to 25%) | • | • | • | • |
| Fire, lightning, explosion | • | • | • | |
| Theft, malicious damage or vandalism | • | • | • | |
| Weather events | • | • | • | |
| Freezing of machinery | • | • | • | |
| Accidental loss or damage | • | • | ||
| Personal accident | • |
These are just some of the key features and exclusions, full details will be found in your policy wording. Show policy documents
When you need to make a claim, we’ll guide you through the process and get your claim settled as quickly as possible.
All we need are the details of your claim, your policy number and some photographic evidence where appropriate.
To claim simply email us or call us on:
We know more about yachts than just insurance, discover tips and guides here:
insurance guide
Yachts come in all shapes and sizes and everyone's boating lifestyle is different. So how do you know if your insurance is right for your craft, your mooring arrangements...
View insurance guide
insurance guide
Spend an afternoon at a busy marina, and it’s clear that yachting is having something of a heyday. Whether you’ve previously sailed with a crew and are looking to next compete in your own vessel, or you are simply attracted to the lifestyle of leisurely weekends along the coast, owning a yacht is a dream for many. But what does owning a yacht involve, and how much will it all set you back? Our guide will help you understand the realities of yacht purchase and ownership.
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It can often seem a chore to prepare your yacht for the start of the new sailing season. However, if attention isn’t given to maintenance before you take to the water, it could result in costly repair bills and inconvenience. Read our tips on how to keep your yacht in top condition.
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There are an exciting variety of creatures great and small dotted around our coastlines and visible from some choice UK sailing spots. We've compiled the top 10 wildlife watching spots on our coasts with everything from dolphins, sharks and whales in the UK, to puffins, butterflies and owls. Don't worry if you don't sail, all these attractions can be enjoyed if you want to make it a walk on the wild side instead.
We understand that due to the Covid-19 outbreak you may be unable to visit your boat. Read our FAQs for this situation.
Yacht insurance is designed to cover yachts and their owners against the financial impact of an accident which either results in damage to the yacht or a third party.
Yacht insurance policies can cover a variety of risks including:
- Public liability
- Risks from storm fire and theft
- Accidental damage
- Cover for damage while it's in transit
- Sailing equipment and more
Check the policy wording above for more information on the cover available and policy exclusions.
The cost of yacht insurance varies according to the size of the yacht, whether you race, where it's stored and what kind of training you have. Providing an estimate is therefore pretty tricky but you can get a yacht insurance quote online through our quote and buy system above if you'd like an idea.
Our yacht insurance covers a number of items including things you’d carry on your person such as digital compasses, or pocket knives. These smaller items do have a single article limit of £250. However, you can also cover more expensive items such as on-board GPS equipment and outboard motors. All you need to do is let us know what you’d like covered so we can include it in your sums insured. If you don’t keep up-to-date with these your policy will not cover above the £250 mark so keep us in the know and we’ll keep you covered.
Unfortunately, we can’t cover you in the Caribbean or the Baltic seas though we can sometimes refer this to our underwriters. As a rule we do not cover any cruising more than 35 degrees east but otherwise, we can pretty much cover you anywhere. Again though, you’ll need to let us know if you want to change your cruising range from what you originally agreed when you set up your policy. See “If I need to make changes to my policy, can I do this half way through?” below.
If your yacht is over 25 years old, we will require proof that you’ve had it surveyed. Furthermore, we will require your craft to have a survey every 6 years thereafter. For yachts under 25 years, no survey is required for you to take out insurance.
Things never stand still in the world of boating so if you’ve installed the latest gadget and you need your sums insured changed or you’ve changed your mooring arrangements, give us a call and we’ll update your policy. There is usually an administration fee charged to change the details on your policy plus any premium increase related to the additional cover you require.
In some ways, yacht insurance works like car insurance. If you’re an experienced driver your premium might work out cheaper.
A 20% discount would apply for customers who berth at marina’s that we are in partnership with:
• Premier Marina
• Quay
• BWML
Lastly, let us know if you have a day skipper, coastal skipper or yacht master qualification from the RYA to receive a further 10% off.
If you would prefer to spread the cost of your policy you have the option of setting up a Direct Debit to pay your premium in equal monthly instalments through our preferred provider, Premium Credit Limited (PCL).
To find out more about PCL and direct debit payments, select Direct Debit
.
To understand more about how PCL work together with Towergate, please read our Regulatory Information.