- The standard cruising range is “Inland and Coastal waters of the United Kingdom up to a distance of 12 miles offshore.
- You can travel between two points in the United Kingdom by the most direct route, even though this might take you outside the 12 mile limit. You are not allowed to travel between Great Britain and the Isle of Man, or Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands”. Alternative cruising ranges may be available dependant on individual circumstances.
Insurance for small boat owners
We know you chose your small boat carefully to suit your lifestyle. That’s why our specialist small boat insurance team will work closely with you to get to know you and what cover you’re looking for.
This will help us find you cover that takes all of your individual needs into account.
Our features and benefits
- Cruising ranges can be tailored to your individual requirements
- No excess on claims whilst moored in a UK marina
- Road transit up to 9 metres with the option to extend
- Up to 25% no claims bonus protected
- In-house claims team to support you from start to finish
- Discount for RYA members.
Including protection from the unforeseen
- Accidental damage including fire and theft
- Personal accident cover
- £5 million third party cover
- Legal liability cover can be added to your policy.
Get a quote for small boat insurance cover
Call us or request a quote today – our experts are always on hand to support you.
What's covered in our small boat insurance policies?
We’re always transparent about what’s included in our small boat insurance cover. But if you’re not sure what kind of cover you need, our friendly team is always happy to help.
We take your personal requirements into account to provide you with the level of cover that’s right for you.
What is insured?
Please note this list is not exhaustive – refer to your full policy documents for details.
Cover for you and your small boat:
- Loss or damage to your insured property by one or more of the following: accident, fire, theft, malicious damage and vandalism
- Loss or damage occurring during hauling out, launching and lifting by crane, including fitting out and overhauling
- Loss or damage whilst in transit by road included as standard for vessels up to 9 metres in length
- Legal liability to third parties and non-fare paying passengers ‒ £5 million as standard
- Your legal costs in settling or defending a claim, solicitor’s fees and other expenses relating to official enquiries or a coroner’s inquest
What's not insured?
- The cost of repairing or replacing any part that is lost or damaged because it is faulty
- Loss or damage caused by insects, marine borers, barnacles, marine growth, fungi or molluscs
- Any liabilities incurred whilst your boat is being used by, or is in the custody or control of any person employed in the marine trade in conjunction with their business.
Get a quote for paddleboard insurance cover
Request a quote now or give us a call to discuss your requirements.
Why insure your small boat with us?
Our team is different because we understand the different lifestyles of owning a small boat.
Having our small boat insurance experts do all the hard work lets you get back to the water with confidence and peace of mind. We’re proud to offer:
- 40 years of marine broking experience, backed by the world’s leading insurance broker and risk adviser
- Real people giving you a personalised service
- A diverse team passionate about boats
- Market value and agreed value policies
- A trusted partner of the RYA
- Quality products backed by A-rated insurers
- The flexibility to buy the way you want – online or over the phone
- Access to our friendly team who is always on hand to help, especially if buying online isn’t quite right for you.
Our promise to you
We take small boat insurance seriously, so you’ll always know you’re in the right hands. We promise to:
- Represent your interests at the time of a claim to get you the very best outcome
- Provide proactive risk management advice to protect your boat
- Make it easy for you to make changes to your cover throughout the year.
We'll go the extra mile when you need us to
Our dedicated team loves to answer your questions and go the extra mile wherever they can. And we’re not just boat experts, we’re also experts in:
- Finding solutions to fit clients’ complex needs
- Explaining conditions and exclusions so you don’t fall foul of them
- Explaining the risks to new boat owners
- Walking you through the whole process of insuring your small boat.
Still not sure what small boat insurance you need?
No problem, we'd love to talk to you about your needs. Call our experts today.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Absolutely. Give us a call 0204 579 2080.
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Yes, your RIB would be covered against damage or theft whilst stored on a trailer, as long as a wheel clamp is fitted to the trailer when left unattended.
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We offer two options for boat insurance to cover RIBs:
- Third party liability cover only ‒ third party cover to others for personal injuries or damage caused up to £5 million.
- Comprehensive cover – physical loss of and damage to your vessel up to the total sum insured along with third party cover to others for injury or damage caused up to £5 million.
Total insured can comprise of hull and equipment, outboard and/or inboard engine, dinghy/tender, and insured personal effects if required.
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Yes, cover can be extended for an additional premium to include third party liability for the towing of a water skier or wakeboarder. It can also be extended to include the towing of a single inflatable toy designed to carry no more than 2 people. The limit of third party liability for this extension is £3 million.
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Yes, cover includes third party cover in respect of your legal liability to others for injury or damage caused up to £5 million.
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To reduce the risk of theft to your RIB, you can install an appropriate anti-theft device which can help deter storage theft and transit theft.
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No, please use your usual service providers. If needed, insurers will appoint a marine surveyor to inspect and report on the incident.
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Unfortunately you can not make changes online. If you need to make any changes to your policy please contact us on 0204 579 8057 or by email at insurance@bishopskinner.com.
Any cancellation will also need to be handled offline. Please note that all policies are contracts and there may be stipulations that could affect any refund amount due. Such examples include:
- Any claims made within the period of insurance (excluding claims made in previous years unless made under Professional Indemnity or claims that have been settled as non fault or where the claim has been settled with no payment being made).
- The Insurers terms and conditions stated within the Policy Wording states that any cancellation in cover are non refundable.
- Some Insurers may place a condition that if a refund is below a set amount, there will be no refund due to processing fees.
Should you wish to discuss this in more detail or to check if any of the above applies to your policy, please contact us and one of our Team will advise you accordingly.
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Yes. All new policies sold online and renewals can be paid for by Debit and Credit Card. Some policies have an option to pay by finance which is offered via Close Brothers Premium Finance
Whilst not offered online, some Insurers may also offer a direct debit. Please contact us if you wish to learn of different methods of payment and whether Direct Debit is offered or if you wish to pay via finance.
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We make individual client administration charges per policy (up to a maximum of 3 policies, per policy period) to cover the costs associated with administering your insurances e.g. arranging a new policy, carrying out short-period or mid-term cancellations, mid-term changes, providing replacement or duplicate documents and for other administrative tasks. We will advise you of the amount of fee before you become liable to pay it. Individual charges will not be made in relation to employee benefit related products
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Our portal provides 24/7 access to your account and policy documents.
The portal enables us to be more environmentally friendly as we reduce the amount of printed policies and adopt a digital approach.
To access your documents, simply log into your Account, click on "Your Policies" and then select the "View" button on the policy. From here you can download the document if needed.
Please note that under your account, there is a button titled "Documents". This button is for uploading documents and not for accessing your policy documents.
Log-in to portal
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Yes. You can manage your policy renewal online. We will inform you by email within 28 days before your renewal date and upload all your renewal documentation onto the portal for you to review
If you have not heard from us prior to the renewal, please check your documentation carefully in case there has been a change to your circumstances to prevent accidental underinsurance or a gap in cover.
You can also make payment online for your renewal by card and where applicable by Premium Finance or Direct Debit. If you had paid your previous years policy by Direct Debit, please contact us as it is not uncommon for renewals on Direct Debits to renew automatically.
Please don't assume your policy has been renewed until you have received confirmation from us.
If you are concerned about your policy, please call us prior to the date of renewal and one of our Team will be happy assist you.
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The knowledge that experienced claims professionals will support you is just as important as the policy cover.
Our dedicated in-house claims team will be by your side, fighting your corner from start to finish. We promise to be there when it matters most.
Our claims service
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