What Happens if Your Boat Damages the Dock?

Whether you have ten years of experience or you are brand new at piloting your boat, things happen. Undercurrents are a problem. Items you simply cannot see are sometimes in the way. You may have problems related to wind. When something happens and your boat collides with the dock, the first thing to do is refrain from panicking. As long as there’s no structural damage to your boat, you don’t have to worry. Most boat insurance plans do offer protection to you against financial losses associated with dock damage. But, there’s more to know.

Boat Insurance Can Protect You

It is not uncommon for boats to collide into docks or other structures. In most cases, the structure itself is designed to take the impact from most boats. However, various conditions can occur that place a lot of strain on the dock and, in some cases, damage can result. A boat coming in too fast, for example, may create an impact. Not loosening necessary roping before accelerating can also create a problem. The key here is to maintain proper boat insurance to pay for such damage if it occurs.

Most of the time, boat insurance covers dock damage. Here are a few key things to know:

• Your policy will have an upper limit. It will only cover you up until that limit. If the damage is beyond this, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for it.

• You policy only covers this type of incident if it is not due to any type of failed maintenance or normal wear and tear. If the dock is not structurally sound in the first place, your insurance may not cover it.

• Your policy must not exclude any type of damage like this.

In most cases, boat insurance has a liability component that addresses this area of risk. Keep in mind that you’ll want to keep your policy up to date and at a high enough value to cover these sometimes expensive types of losses. That way, if something like this does happen, you don’t have to worry about being at a loss for the associated costs, and you can count on having the finances to fix the dock or to reduce liability risks.

Are you covered? Call Casey Insurance Group at (888) 537-1412 for more information on Florida boat insurance.