You might not have thought about it, but boat insurance is probably the oldest kind of insurance there is. The Marine Insurance Act ensures all marine craft like boats are legally obliged to have insurance cover. As with car insurance, policies come with an excess to discourage small claims and for boat insurance, this is usually quite a large sum of money, as the intention of the insurance is to cover you against substantial losses instead of just scratches and dents. There is little difference between the two types of policy except the amount of cover provided with boat insurance is considerably larger. Almost all states make the standard boat insurance a requirement so it is important to abide by the law and obtain boat insurance as soon as you become a boat owner. Strangely, in the eyes of the Marine Industry, a houseboat is in the same category as pleasure boats like sailboats, jet boats and cabin cruises for instance. A speedboat for instance, is capable of high speeds requires a much different type of insurance than a small fishing vessel would because of the potential liability for the insurance company that comes with a speedboat compared to a fishing boat.
Almost all boat insurance policies will cover the cost of replacing the vessel, engine and the boat trailer but Actual Cash Value boat insurance plans only pay for replacement less any vessel depreciation from the point of loss. When the craft is a complete insurance right-off then the second hand value of the boat is used to estimate its market value. Optional insurance usually includes coverage for reasonable repairs, emergency services to your boat, motor, or boat trailer, and wreck removal. Where there has only been limited damage to the vessel, partial damage repairs include the restoration less any items that can be deducted.
Agreed amount value boat insurance policies mean that the owner of the boat and the insurance company have decided on the cost of the boat, and in the aftermath of a total loss the owner will be compensated with that amount. Agreed amount value policies also replace old objects with new ones, exclusive of any assumption for depreciation. The majority of agreed amount value boat insurance policies necessitate actual cash value on specific destroyed assets like sails, protective covers, batteries, dinghies, trailers and aged outboard motors, lower drive units etc.
The two chief aspects of boat insurance are legal responsibility, or security and insurance; and property loss. The liability section covers the owner against claims by a third party if any damage is caused to that person or his property by the insured vessel. It is just as important to find a boat insurance agent that looks after his clients by finding the best policies and obtaining the best settlements should they need them. Equally important when searching for a boat insurance policy is to have one with good legal backup should it be necessary as a liability claim that is covered under the boat insurance policy be brought against you. More information, visit http://hubpages.com/hub/boat-insurance-quote
