boat insurance story

dvx216

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Feb 1, 2012
2,692
Catawaba Island/Orrville,Oh.
Boat Info
340 Sundancer 2001
Engines
8.1s 370 v drv.
I've mention this before but though it would be interesting to tell the whole story. The winter I found our 310 Da. couldn't have gone any easier. The boat was in heated storage so we were able to take a good amount of time on the boat. The on the hard survey went without any problems. With the passing mechanical's and sea trial survey in the spring the boat was our's. So fast forward before bring the boat home I called my Nationwide agent who I had for all my smaller boats. I gave him all the info on the 310 and he told me I was covered to go get it roughly 1 hour run from Maumee River to Catawba Is. Ohio. roughly a week later I received the doc sheet for the boat Ins. Right off the bat I found inaccuracies with the doc.sheet. I called the Ins. agent and he said he would take care of it he assured me i was covered. Two weeks later still no head way I called him he said he was slammed and would get it to me withing the next couple days. I felt like he was giving me a shine so I called Nationwide main help line. The lady I talked to was very helpful and she knew I was concerned about my boats policy. I told her the Doc. sheet problems and she told me I was covered but not to use the boat until everything was corrected. She was able to pull up the policy and we went through the whole Doc. sheet. In the end the model year was wrong , Hp was 100 horse short, plus model was a 290 not a 310. The agent made these changes for a quick sale which left my boat not properly insured. The Nationwide policy in Ohio any boat over 30' and 10 yrs of age with Nationwide requires a survey which the agent never asked for. Once I found this out I got in touch with my agent and well he hung up on me because lets just say I wasn't very pleasant with him.After this I called NBOA and I got proper marine insurance through AIG .
 
Last edited:
Not a boat insurance story - but a Nationwide car insurance story. My daughter was hit by a car insured by Nationwide - it was not my daughter's fault. Nationwide tried to invert the Google map image of the intersection and blame my daughter! Needless to say, "Nationwide was NOT on our side"... We had to get the police investigator involved before we were paid off...
 
Try to stick with a company that specializes in marine insurance.
Leave the auto and homeowners insurance companies and agents to your home and cars.
I’ve got one company/agent through NBOA for my boat.
Another company/agent that specializes in classic cars for my other toys.
Then I have another company/agent for my homeowners, auto and umbrella policy.
They wrap me hard on the umbrella because of the boat and cars being with other insurers, but it all evens out in the end.
 
Just sent my info in to NBOA for a quote.
 
Many years ago I was hit (on the highway at a red light) by a guy in a borrowed car. The owner had insurance, but the driver had a suspended licence and he was drunk. The insurance was Allstate.

It was a wooden boat, the trailer was cut in half and the bow of the boat ended up in the back seat of my convertible.

It was at the transition period between wood and fiberglass. I had a hard time getting a repair place to quote an estimate. The mechanic never worked on a wooden boat, so he made WAGs on the cost. It needed a new transom, ribs replaced, etc.

The Allstate agent looked at my car first and actually found a few things that the collision shop missed, so he upgraded the estimate. Then he looked at the boat. His first question was "What's a Transom?" (I knew I was in trouble.)

A few days later a girl called from the insurance company and said that their boat expert said that the repair estimate was about 5 times more than the boat was worth. I said OMG, I forgot to tell you that since the accident my neck has been hurting from the rear end whiplash and I might have to amend the claim after I see my doctor. She said talk to you tomorrow.

When she called back she said if I was willing to accept the full claim and sign that I would not try for more damages she would send a check that day. (all of a sudden my neck felt better.....LOL))

I fixed the boat myself (Grandpa helped and he was a carpenter), made her look just like new, and traded her in for a brand spanking new fiberglass boat. Turned out I had money to spare.

Some times things just work out.
 
Can't help but feel like I need to ask, how has GEICO/BoatUS been in terms of insurance?

I switched to them for what I thought was better coverage (I wanted freeze coverage, which State Farm wouldn't provide, and yes, I'm still covered because I don't self-winterize).

I'm mostly concerned with catastrophic losses, we only boat on a large inland lake so my risk factor seems to be minor collision at a channel or a major loss (fire, etc), I'm a lot less worried about damage due to shoaling or other kinds of losses.
 
I have never had a claim with them. My coverage is for inland and coastal waters, US, Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos. We left the boat in Chattanooga this winter, and I called them about a possible premium reduction for inland lakes and rivers only, and they said they only write the one type of policy that covers all the above.... For my '58 that is $3171 this year (down $200 from last year).
 
NBOA came in less than half what I am paying. Already placed a call back to them . Waiting on call back. Deductible is a lot less.
Looks like my sea doo and dink will get insured there also.
 
I have Geico/Boat US. I had a major claim with them last year. While out in the Chesapeake on a rough day, the starboard vent cover came loose and was sticking out the side acting like a large scoop. I took on a lot of water in the engine room. The claim came out to be approximately 90k. They paid it all without any fighting. I was surprised that they didn't depreciate some items like the generator which was original and 15yrs old. When it came time for my renewal, I was afraid they might drop me or raise the premium through the roof. They did raise it about $550 a year to $2450 which I was happy with and think is very fair. Apparently if 3yrs pass without another claim, it will revert to normal. This was my first insurance claim for anything in my life and it was a learning experience. Thankfully, when I needed them, my insurance company stepped up to the plate.
 
I have Geico/Boat US. I had a major claim with them last year. While out in the Chesapeake on a rough day, the starboard vent cover came loose and was sticking out the side acting like a large scoop. I took on a lot of water in the engine room. The claim came out to be approximately 90k. They paid it all without any fighting. I was surprised that they didn't depreciate some items like the generator which was original and 15yrs old. When it came time for my renewal, I was afraid they might drop me or raise the premium through the roof. They did raise it about $550 a year to $2450 which I was happy with and think is very fair. Apparently if 3yrs pass without another claim, it will revert to normal. This was my first insurance claim for anything in my life and it was a learning experience. Thankfully, when I needed them, my insurance company stepped up to the plate.

Good to hear. I've had State Farm for years and had good luck with the 4 claims I've made in about 20 years, including an uninsured driver (who they actually sued in small claims court) and my wife's car, which got flooded and they totaled out at a very reasonable payout.

I was a bit reluctant to switch my boat insurance, but stated value coverage and freeze protection options were worth it.
 
For us smaller vessels, if you have Progressive insurance, check out the “Propulsion Plus” coverage.

It covers the outdrive replacement for normal wear and tear.
 
For us smaller vessels, if you have Progressive insurance, check out the “Propulsion Plus” coverage.

It covers the outdrive replacement for normal wear and tear.
I have Progressive. After looking at my policy, I don’t see that as an option. I sent a message to my agent.

Is the Propulsion option very expensive?
 
I have Progressive. After looking at my policy, I don’t see that as an option. I sent a message to my agent.

Is the Propulsion option very expensive?
I just went thru NBOA. They put my seadoo & dink with progressive. The propulsion thing is cheap if it fits the drive u have.
I am very happy since my boat , seadoo, & pricy WB dinghy is less than half of boat insurance at previous carrier.
My dinghy has the propulsion coverage. Vessel is covered by another under writer.
 
I have Progressive. After looking at my policy, I don’t see that as an option. I sent a message to my agent.

Is the Propulsion option very expensive?

I am a Progressive agent in NYS. Each state is different but propulsion plus for NYS is only available 10 years old or less....
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,950
Messages
1,422,861
Members
60,932
Latest member
juliediane
Back
Top