insurance guide
Yacht insurance buyer's guide
Yachts come in all shapes and sizes and everyone uses theirs differently. So how do you know if your insurance is right for your type of craft, your mooring arrangements and...
View insurance guide
Only driftwood goes with the flow. Sail further and venture with confidence with Towergate Yacht Insurance.
If you’d prefer to speak to us, call one of our friendly UK based advisors
We’re here for you Mon - Fri 9am to 5pm
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No two yachts are the same and no two sailors sail the same way. Tell us all the details about you and your craft and we’ll provide the best matched cover.
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 and as always, if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs when an accident occurs your cover will be invalid.
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.
Just like home insurance is split into buildings and contents cover, boat insurance covers the yacht itself but also 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 boat. Compare our levels of cover in a glance using this handy table.
| Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third party | • | • | • | • |
| 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
We handle all our claims in house. 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 get the ball rolling, simply email us or call us on:
Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm
Tips, advice and points of interest on all things nautical.
insurance guide
Yachts come in all shapes and sizes and everyone uses theirs differently. So how do you know if your insurance is right for your type of craft, your mooring arrangements and...
View insurance guide
article
Many boat owners choose to charter their craft to help with mooring costs or simply to keep the boat in working order whilst they are away. But like letting out your home or even your car, you’d expect your property to be looked after and for your insurance to cover you for any incidents which happen beyond your control.
infographic
If your boat has been out of action over the winter, the elements may not have been so kind to it. Towergate's resident yachting expert, Andrew Boosey and his team have come up with a maintenance check list to help you give your boat a thorough once-over before the season starts. Either print off the list or click on the image to see the interactive PDF which you can tick off as you go on your laptop.
video
As part of our yacht insurance video series we discuss the benefits of marinas, including the security aspects and how it affects your yacht insurance. Check out the video to find out more...
Our policy 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 onboard 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 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.
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. Sometimes there is a small charge to change details but this normally won’t be any more than £15 plus any premium increase related to the additional cover you require.
Any time spent out on the water is great but nothing beats the thrill of racing. We can cover you if you want to race your yacht but you’ll need to let us know so that we can cover you appropriately. As racing involves a higher risk, this may increase the price of your premium.
In some ways, Yacht insurance works like car insurance. If you’re an experienced driver and you keep your car in a garage at home, your premium will be lower. Similarly, if you’re an experienced sailor with an RYA qualification who keeps their yacht in a marina, we’ll offer you discounts on your premium. Be sure to let us know if you moor in a marina and you could get up to 20% off your premium. Also let us know if you have day skipper, coastal skipper or yacht master qualifications 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.
Boat Insurance (New Policy Holder)
Very helpfull
Boat Insurance (Renewal)
Always prompt with advice and offers. Kept well informed when renewal is due. Competitive prices. Hopefully will serve me for many more years. A dream to have as my insurers.
Boat Insurance (New Policy Holder)
Professional attitude to there business used them many times
Boat Insurance (New Policy Holder)
Great service, very friendly and efficient
Boat Insurance (Renewal)
fine
Boat Insurance (Renewal)
Good service, no complaints.
Boat Insurance (Renewal)
Right products, right place, right time, however what really made it for me was the young lady who did everything she said she would in one phone call. Excellent
Boat Insurance (New Policy Holder)
Very prompt service at a good price
Boat Insurance (New Policy Holder)
ALWAYS ON THE BALL WITH THE BEST ADVICE
Boat Insurance (New Policy Holder)
It's early to say much. Good so far.