Motor Cruiser Boat Insurance: What are the Options?
When looking for motor cruiser boat insurance, the main options you have are:
- Insurance covering your craft and public liability
- Third party liability cover only, which excludes damage to your motor cruiser
- Insurance that covers your craft only
Let’s look at each of the options.
- Motor cruiser craft and liability cover
This is the most popular motor cruiser insurance option among our policy holders and is suitable for most boaters.
A motor cruiser is often not the sort of purchase you make lightly. Even a relatively modest craft can represent a serious investment, especially once you factor in the engines, navigation equipment and the kit carried aboard.
Therefore for many owners, the obvious concern is what would happen if the motor cruiser were damaged, stolen or lost. With this option under our current pleasure craft insurance policy wording, insured loss or damage can include accidents, deliberate acts by others and theft or attempted theft, subject to the policy terms, exclusions and schedule.
The insurance cover can also include salvage, towage and assistance charges. Recovery after a sinking, grounding or serious incident can be expensive, so this is worth checking rather than assuming it comes automatically with every policy.
Public liability insurance cover deserves just as much attention
Operating a motor cruiser can cause damage to another boat or property, or an accident could result in injury to somebody else. This is where public liability or third-party liability insurance comes in. At Park Home Assist we currently offer up to a £5 million liability limit as standard, with no excess on liability claims. There is also the option to add liability cover for water skiing and towing certain toys, subject to the policy terms.
If you use Canal & River Trust waterways, at least £2 million third-party insurance is required before you can buy a boat licence. Other marinas or navigation authorities may have their own requirements.
Where are you planning to cruise?
Our current pleasure craft insurance provides for a range of possible cruising limits, from UK non-tidal waters, UK coastal waters to specified European and Mediterranean waters. The area that actually applies to you is shown on your schedule.
That can be easy to overlook if your plans change. A longer coastal trip or a journey abroad may be exactly the moment to check the policy rather than assume your existing limits follow you automatically.
Your engine can change the picture
With a motor cruiser, machinery is naturally a large part of both the value and the risk. We define any motor-powered craft with a manufacturer’s stated maximum speed of more than 17 knots as a “Speedboat”. Therefore different conditions or endorsements may apply depending on the craft.
It is also worth keeping a detailed maintenance log and making sure insurers are informed about changes to the boat’s specification, machinery, mooring or use.
Think about value, equipment and belongings
If the craft becomes a total loss, you would normally receive the market value of your craft up to the sum insured, unless an agreed-value endorsement is shown on the schedule. That makes the declared value of the boat important.
Motor cruisers can also accumulate a surprising amount of equipment. Personal belongings, valuables and specified equipment may have separate limits or need to be shown on the schedule or covered by endorsement. You may want to opt for insuring your personal possessions while they are on board your craft. Check what the policy treats as part of the craft and what needs separate cover.
Do you ever transport the boat?
Smaller motor cruisers may occasionally travel by road for storage, servicing or a change of cruising area. At Park Home Assist, we currently include automatic transit cover for craft up to 30ft (9m). Craft of 9 metres or more can require a transit endorsement.
- Third-party liability cover only
This boat insurance cover option excludes any cover for damage to the craft itself. It is therefore only suitable for very small or low-value craft that require liability cover to allow them to be launched.
- Craft cover only
This option only covers loss or damage to the motor cruiser itself and is suitable for boats that are stored permanently ashore – or during a period when they are being refurbished ashore. This is also referred to as “laid-up cover” – when a boat is ashore and not ready for immediate use.
An important question to ask is whether the motor cruiser insurance cover represents value for money, rather than simply whether it has the lowest premium. We at Park Home Assist have over 20 years’ experience in specialist leisure insurance and our marine advisers can talk through the details of your cruiser and provide a personalised quotation.
Please note that all insurance cover is subject to acceptance of terms and conditions.
This is a marketing article from Park Home Assist, multi award-winning providers of park home insurance, mobile home insurance, insurance for static caravans, insurance for holiday homes and holiday lodges, as well as boat insurance and touring caravan insurance. If you have any questions about your insurance, then please call our office on 01604 946 796 and one of our insurance advisers will be happy to help.
Published – 2/10/26
