You have lots of options. Your standard homeowners policy may actually cover liability for boats less than 21 feet, but I'd check on this, as some have dropped the size to 16 feet or less.

For a stand-alone boat policy (which I would recommend),you have State Farm, Progressive, Atlas, Ace, United, Boat US, and a myriad of others. If you run a search on this site, you'll probably pick up a few threads on this topic.

Things to keep in mind:

- You want a REPLACEMENT COST policy if you can get it. This way, if there's a loss, they won't give you the depreciated value for the F18

- Higher deductibles mean lower premiums, so go for the highest deductible you can afford. You'll probably be making your own repairs on any small stuff, anyway.

- Get the highest liability limit you can afford, as you can't really tell how much someone could sue you for if you clobber and hurt them. I'd get at least as high as your net worth (including home value)

- Clarify your navigational area (state waters, North/south regions, islands, etc.)

- Make sure they cover racing (if you're going to do that). Some add a premium surcharge for it.

- Each insurer has requirements for coverage (like moving it for an approaching hurricane, etc.), so be aware of any requirements they have. Also, they may have different ways they cover the sailing gear (sails, lines, etc.) if it's in the trailer box at the time of loss...

- A lot of insurers will adjust your premium based on your credit score, so keep the credit record clean.

I'm sure the F18 fleet can give you a better idea of the premiums, but most of us have boat policies for under $200 per year.

Last edited by waterbug_wpb; 02/13/06 01:41 PM.

Jay