Blue water
Four months a year your policy may not cover you
Most ocean policies impose a hurricane season: from 1 July to 1 November the Caribbean becomes a zone where you must move the boat, meet security conditions, or lose cover. It hangs on the calendar, not on the weather; flat calm counts the same as a storm.
It hangs on the calendar, not the forecast
The months a typical worldwide clause blocks in the Caribbean, against the months we cover.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Blocked elsewhere Covered with us
Source: worldwide clause 04/2024 held on file, quoted without naming the provider. Our own comparison of 1 July 2026 found a season clause with all four providers checked.
Where people misread the wording
Storm and hurricane are two different thresholds
62 km/h
counts as a storm
Force 8. The usual definition in policy wordings, and the mark above which damage is storm damage.
118 km/h
counts as a hurricane
Force 12, or 64 knots. Nearly twice the wind; and far more than twice the force, which rises with the square.
So hoping for a quiet year does not help: once the date arrives, the conditions apply. We have no such season. What remains is the ordinary duty of care; leave the boat badly moored with a storm forecast and you face the gross-negligence argument, which we waive up to 25 % of the sum insured from Basis-Plus and 50 % in Premium.
What ocean cruising needs from a policy
Worldwide without zones
No zone table to argue over, no boundary at 60° South, and no separate premium for crossing one.
Single-handed included
No minimum-crew clause. Many wordings quietly require two people on watch and void the cover when there is one.
Salvage up to €2.5m on top
In addition to the settlement. Mid-ocean the towing bill can exceed the value of the boat.
Agreed value, adjustable
Unlimited in Premium and adjustable when the boat changes. On a long refit that matters more than the headline sum.
Recovery of persons
Covered up to €50,000 under the watersports accident cover, including repatriation from remote waters.
Six weeks outside the area
In Premium, without notice or extra premium; for the one passage that leaves your usual grounds.
Our own survey
As at 7 August 2026Seven providers, one boat, the same enquiry
The basis is a survey of our own carried out on 7 August 2026: the identical enquiry put to 7 providers for the same boat, a Bavaria 42 Ocean sailing yacht built in 2001, 95 m² of sail, €95,000 boat value, €5,200 tender. What was evaluated are the quotations received and the policy wordings held on file, broken down into 35 features. Every cell names its source, including the points where we are not ahead.
The mark in front of each entry says how it works out for the customer: good means a good provision, partly means present, but with a limit or a condition attached, weak means missing or narrowly limited. Statements that appear only in a single quotation and not in the policy wording stay visible and say so, but they count in no balance.
Balance drawn from the policy wordings
| Against | For NAMMERT | Level | Better there | Not scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pantaenius | 10 | 7 | 6 | 12 |
| HKVA | 9 | 15 | 3 | 8 |
| Preuss | 16 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
| Firmenich | 8 | 8 | 4 | 15 |
| Schomacker | 10 | 13 | 4 | 8 |
| Trinity Marine | 11 | 6 | 5 | 13 |
All seven columns stand side by side, and the table can be pushed sideways.
| Feature | NAMMERT | Pantaenius | HKVA | Preuss | Firmenich | Schomacker | Trinity Marine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access | |||||||
| Unrestricted worldwide cruising areaThe heart of any long passage: where the cruising area ends at a boundary, the cover ends with it. | goodYes, “worldwide” is one of the cruising areas you can select, plus 6 weeks of extension per insurance year beyond the agreed area. There is one condition: from 300 nautical miles of change of position the digital NAMMERT logbook has to be kept, and if the loss happens away from the reported position we may reduce the settlement by up to 50 %AVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clauses A-2.1.1, A-2.2 e and A-2.2.1 | partlyWorldwide cruising areas can be agreed; cover applies to the cruising area named in the policy, and occasional, unplanned crossing of the limits is covered and has to be reported without delay. In the quotation of 7 August 2026 held on file, only European inland waters, the North Sea and Baltic and the Mediterranean were offered, although we had asked for worldwide. The list of excluded countries belongs to the additional war, strike and confiscation cover, not to the hull cover itselfPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), Teil A Yacht-Kasko-Bedingungen, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 2 no. 1; Pantaenius insurance recommendation of 7 August 2026 (document on file); Kriegs-, Streik- und Beschlagnahme-Bedingungen, Teil A2 § 1 no. 4, with the list of exclusions in version DE AT CH ESP/DE/0326 | weakNo, worldwide only with a clause and exceptions: all African territorial waters except Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Djibouti and South Africa are excluded, the Red Sea only as a direct transit, the North Pacific only up to 33° N, the South China Sea excluded entirely, plus Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador and Peru; piracy is excluded. Calling at a port of refuge in distress is exempt from the country exclusionsHKVA worldwide clause 2024, sections on Africa, the Red Sea, the North Pacific, the South Pacific and the Caribbean, and letter c) on piracy | partlyOnly as area C and only after prior written agreement; no country is excluded outright, but the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden carry additional conditions. Premium and deductible follow the reported cruising area day by day, outside it there is no coverPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11; insurance proposal of 23 November 2025 | weakNo. The hull cover applies only to the cruising area stated in the application and the policy; the widest area on offer, area G, ends at 32° west and 25° northFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 2.1; Antrag zur Yachtversicherung (FIRMENICH/WECOYA), section Geltungsbereich, cruising areas A to G | partlyNot unrestricted, but more flexible than a hard boundary: the policy names cruising limits, crossing them is included, has to be notified without delay and may carry an additional premiumYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), clause 1 | weakNo, worldwide as cruising area C, but subject to the cruising limits of JWLA-031 of the Joint War Committee; excluded are, among others, the territorial waters of North Africa except Tunisia and Morocco, the Middle East, Albania, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and the Black SeaTrinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file) / JWLA-031 (2023), not scored |
| Days to a quotationIf you want to leave in spring, you cannot spend weeks waiting for a quotation. | goodPrice shown in the online calculator straight away; the underwritten blue water quotation follows individuallyOur own statement about our own online calculator at nammert.com | partlyNot surveyed: we have no documented date of enquiry and date of replyNo documentation on file: the date of enquiry and the date of reply were not recorded in this survey, not scored | partlyNot surveyed: we have no documented date of enquiry and date of replyNo documentation on file: the date of enquiry and the date of reply were not recorded in this survey, not scored | partlyNot surveyed: we have no documented date of enquiry and date of replyNo documentation on file: the date of enquiry and the date of reply were not recorded in this survey, not scored | partlyNot surveyed: we have no documented date of enquiry and date of replyNo documentation on file: the date of enquiry and the date of reply were not recorded in this survey, not scored | partlyNot surveyed: we have no documented date of enquiry and date of replyNo documentation on file: the date of enquiry and the date of reply were not recorded in this survey, not scored | partlyNot surveyed: we have no documented date of enquiry and date of replyNo documentation on file: the date of enquiry and the date of reply were not recorded in this survey, not scored |
| Online calculation with a priceWithout a price on the screen, every comparison stays a negotiation. | goodYesOur own statement: online calculator showing a price at nammert.com | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | partlyNot surveyed: we hold no dated record of a visit to the provider’s websiteNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored |
| Documents requiredBefore the first quotation, half an archive is often demanded. | goodNone, photographs or a valuation if neededOur own statement about our own underwriting process | weakFor cruising areas outside Europe additionally: photos and a yacht description form, a passage plan, the owner's qualification and evidence of experience covering cruising areas, nautical miles and types of vessel; with every application also a yacht condition report with interior and exterior photographsPantaenius insurance recommendation no. 12197404 of 16 October 2025 (document on file), section “Hinweis” with the condition report form, the application and interior and exterior photographs, plus the list given there: “For cruising areas outside Europe please give us the following information: photos and yacht description form, passage plan, owner qualification / boating licence, experience: in which cruising areas, how many nautical miles as skipper, with which types of vessel”; identical wording in the recommendation of 7 August 2026 | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us: neither the proposal nor the application form names any documents to be submitted before an offerHKVA proposal of 7 October 2025 and HKVA 2026 application form: no list of documents to be submitted found, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | weakApplication form, purchase contract, proof of registration, records of conversions, rebuilds and refits, sailing CV, current photographs of the overall condition, test certificates for all life-saving equipment, evidence of rig and engine inspection (each no older than 12 months) and a description of the winter storagePreuss insurance proposal of 23 November 2025, section “The following information and documents are required from you” and the closing paragraph on taking out the policy | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to usYacht insurance application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA) and supplementary sheet to the application: no list of documents to be submitted found, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partlyApplication for yacht insurance and the form “Self-assessment of my yacht” with a valuation and a condition rating, plus current photographsSchomacker, Antrag Yachtversicherung and the form „Selbsteinschätzung zu meiner Yacht" (74-dt-Wertgutachten-7/24), documents on file | partlyCopy of the boat’s papers, evidence of purchase and investment, photographsTrinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored |
| Hurricane | |||||||
| Hurricane season included in coverThe most expensive exclusion on a long passage. In a claim, the conditions decide between a reduced payment and no payment at all. | goodYes, no further measures requiredAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG); the conditions contain no hurricane, cyclone or typhoon proviso and no securing requirements for the season; checked against A-2 and A-6 | partlyYes, but with a 20 % deductible and extended securing requirementsPantaenius insurance recommendation of 16 October 2025 (on file); the PYB themselves contain no hurricane clause, the requirement stands in the recommendation and in the policy, not scored | partlyYes, but only under precisely described conditions: either de-rigged ashore, with mast, boom and rigging in a specially secured mast store, sails and covers removed and in locked rooms, tender and outboard in secure storage, or permanently manned in harbour with at least two properly laid anchors on separate chainHKVA Weltweitklausel 2024, letter a) | weakNo, damage caused by named tropical storms is excluded within the hurricane zone for a defined periodPREUSS yacht hull conditions form 2020/11, clause 9.14: no cover for “losses and/or damage caused by named tropical storms … from 1 July to 15 November of a year between 10° North and 37° North”; Preuss insurance proposal of 23 November 2025, cruising area C | partlyNone of the quotations held on file offered a cruising area that includes the hurricane zone; the hull conditions contain no hurricane clauseFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, containing no hurricane clause; Antrag zur Yachtversicherung (FIRMENICH/WECOYA), section Geltungsbereich, cruising areas A to G | partlyNot governed by the conditions available to us: neither the yacht hull conditions nor the special conditions SFR 040 SR 2002 RÜ contain a hurricane or season rule; clause 3.1 is an all-risks cover and the exclusion list in clause 4 does not name tropical storms. No hull quotation was received for our enquiry, so the point was never negotiatedOur own review of the yacht hull conditions (YKB, edition 02-dt-YKB 2014-10-24), the special yacht hull conditions (YKS 2011) and the special conditions SFR 040 SR 2002 RÜ, version 03-24: no hurricane, cyclone or typhoon rule found, not scored | partlyYes, but under ten conditions: tripled and crossed mooring lines in reinforced hose, at least four large fenders per side, every sail, cover and sprayhood removed and stored, tenders, liferafts and outboards ashore, mast lowered or a steel cradle, receipt of official hurricane warnings and a duty to make for the nearest hurricane hole. On top of that, in the Caribbean the deductible is applied even in a total loss and sails are excluded from cover altogetherWeltweitklausel / Zusatzbedingungen Karibik und Fahrtgrenzen 2025 (Trinity Marine), worldwide clause and Caribbean supplement |
| Defined blocked seasonA defined season is a period in which you are not allowed to be where you are. | goodNoneAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), no season defined in A-2 and A-6 | weak1 June to 30 NovemberPantaenius insurance recommendation of 16 October 2025 (on file); the season is defined in the recommendation, not in the PYB, not scored | weak1 July to 1 November in the Caribbean; plus 1 November to 15 March for cyclones in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and 1 May to 30 November for typhoons in the Bay of Bengal and in the South and East China SeasHKVA Weltweitklausel 2024, letters a) and b) | weak1 July to 15 November between 10° and 37° North, excluding the Canaries, Madeira, Cape Verde and the Mediterranean; 1 November to 1 May between 10° and 30° South. According to the provider’s statement of 24 November 2025 the northern zone was negotiated down to 13° to 30.5° North in an individual casePREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, clause 9.14; provider’s statement of 24 November 2025 | partlyNo closed season defined; the cruising areas A to G on offer do not reach into the hurricane zone, and other cruising areas are possible only with express prior approvalFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, containing no hurricane clause; Antrag zur Yachtversicherung (FIRMENICH/WECOYA), section Geltungsbereich, cruising areas A to G | goodNo closed season found in the conditions available to usOur own review of the yacht hull conditions (YKB), the special yacht hull conditions (YKS 2011) and the special conditions SFR 040 SR 2002 RÜ, version 03-24: no season definition found | weak1 July to 30 November between 12°10' and 35° North and between 55° and 100° WestWeltweitklausel / Zusatzbedingungen Karibik und Fahrtgrenzen 2025 (Trinity Marine), worldwide clause and Caribbean supplement |
| Hull cover | |||||||
| Salvage costsSalvage, lifting and wreck disposal quickly run into six figures, and it is the authorities who order them. | partly€2.5m in Premium (Basis-Plus €1m, Basis up to the sum insured), and only where a state or the competent authority has arranged or ordered the salvage, wreck removal or disposalAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-5.2 | goodUnlimitedPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 4 no. 2, expenses for salvage, third-party assistance and wreck removal: “this reimbursement of expenses is not set off against the sum insured”, and under § 7 without a deductible as well. In the separate yacht total-loss cover (part A1 § 1 no. 3) the same rule applies, but there with a 10 % deductible on the reimbursement too (part A1 § 5) | good€5mHKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clause 11.1, twice the sum insured or €5m, whichever is the higher | partly€2mPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, salvage and wreck removal costs included at no extra premium up to €2,000,000 | good€5mFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 10, paid in addition to the sum insured up to €5,000,000 | goodUnlimitedYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), Schomacker, clauses 3.2 and 3.2.2: salvage costs, unsuccessful ones included, are reimbursed “also to the extent that, together with the rest of the indemnity”, they exceed the sum insured | partly€2.5mTrinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored |
| Boats over 25 years old can be writtenThe classic cruising yacht is rarely new. Many schemes write it only with conditions attached, or take the rig out of cover in exchange. | goodYesAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM; the conditions set no age limit for the boat, only individual modules are limited (machinery 10 years, osmosis 48 months) | partlyYes, but only against replacement of the standing rigging or with rig damage excludedPantaenius insurance recommendations of 16 October 2025 and 7 August 2026 (both on file); both document the rig exclusion, the 2026 quotation in these words: “the insurer pays no compensation for damage to the rig (e.g. mast, boom, standing/running rigging, etc.) or for consequential damage arising from it”; according to the provider the exclusion falls away on proof of inspection or replacement, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | goodYesHKVA quotation of 2 June 2026; HKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, no age limit in the conditions | goodYesPreuss insurance proposal of 23 November 2025, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | goodYes; the hull conditions do not name any age limit for the vesselOur own review of the Firmenich hull conditions (FKB), version 10/2022: no age limit for the vessel found | goodYes; the yacht hull conditions do not name any age limit for the vessel. The only limit is on the optional machinery damage cover, which applies to engines up to 15 years oldOur own review of the yacht hull conditions (YKB), Schomacker: no age limit for the vessel found; Schomacker HYV quotation of 11 August 2026, section “Extended machinery damage cover”: “Please note that the cover applies to engines up to an age of 15 years.” | goodYesTrinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored |
| Cost of unsuccessful mitigationSpend money trying to save your boat and, without this, you carry the bill yourself when the attempt fails. | goodUnlimitedAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-5.1: unsuccessful expenses are reimbursed too, “even where the expenses, together with the indemnity, exceed the agreed sum insured” | goodUnlimitedPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 4 no. 2: the insurer reimburses expenses reasonably incurred to avert or reduce the loss, “even where they have remained unsuccessful” | goodUnlimitedHKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clause 10, costs of reducing a loss | goodUnlimitedPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, clause 8.1: expenses are covered, “unsuccessful ones as well” | goodUnlimitedFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 9.1, expenses “even where unsuccessful” | goodUnlimitedYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), Schomacker, clause 3.2 | partlyUp to €25,000Wassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024 |
| Single-handed sailing includedOn long legs the crew sleeps. Excluding single-handed sailing excludes half the passage. | goodYesAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG); exclusion list A-6 does not name single-handed passages, and the conditions call for no minimum crew | goodYesPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 3 all-risks cover; § 5 does not name single-handed passages as an exclusion | goodYesHKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clause 4.1, all-risks cover subject to the exclusions in clause 5, which do not name this case | goodYesPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, clause 2 all-risks cover; the exclusion list in clause 9 does not name this case | goodYesFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 3.1 all-risks cover; the exclusions in clause 4 do not name single-handed passages | goodYes. The yacht hull conditions provide all-risks cover and do not name single-handed passages as an exclusion; the conditions do not require a minimum crewYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), Schomacker, clause 3.1 All-Gefahren-Deckung; the exclusions in clause 4 do not name single-handed passages | goodYesWassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024, § 3 no. 1 all-risks cover; the exclusions do not name this case |
| Single-handed sailing in a bought-on overseas area tooAn overseas cruising area is bought on separately, and clauses can come with it that appear nowhere in the base wording. | goodYes, the same cover as in home watersAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG); the worldwide cruising area is part of the tariff and not an add-on with conditions of its own; exclusion list A-6 does not name single-handed passages, not scored | partlyAn individual case, not part of the policy wording: in a supplement to a quotation for an extension of the cruising area dated 5 August 2026 held on file, single-handed sailing was excluded from 24 continuous hours onwards. The Pantaenius Yacht Conditions do not contain this exclusionQuotation supplement on extending the cruising area, 5 August 2026 (on file); the block of conditions appears there four times word for word, for the Caribbean, the Pacific, Asia and the South Atlantic; the PYB themselves do not contain this exclusion, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partlyNo supplement on extending the cruising area available to usOur own check of the documents on file: we hold no supplementary sheet on cruising area extension for this provider, not scored | partlyNo supplement on extending the cruising area available to usOur own check of the documents on file: we hold no supplementary sheet on cruising area extension for this provider, not scored | partlyNo supplement on extending the cruising area available to usOur own check of the documents on file: we hold no supplementary sheet on cruising area extension for this provider, not scored | partlyNo supplement on extending the cruising area available to usOur own check of the documents on file: we hold no supplementary sheet on cruising area extension for this provider, not scored | partlyNo supplement on extending the cruising area available to usOur own check of the documents on file: we hold no supplementary sheet on cruising area extension for this provider, not scored |
| Waiver of the gross-negligence argumentGross negligence does not turn the loss into an exclusion; it allows the insurer to reduce the payment under § 81 VVG in line with the degree of fault, down to nothing. On a long passage that is exactly where the risk sits: the out-of-date chart, the rig that was never checked, the leg started too early with a front forecast. The loss itself is covered, the question is how much of it arrives. That makes this line say more about the payment than the size of the sum insured does. | goodThe reduction is waived up to a loss amount of 50 % of the sum insured, unless the cause of the loss lies in theft or in the use of alcohol or drugs; above that the payment is reduced according to the degree of faultAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-7 | partlyUp to €10,000 total loss amount, above which a reduction according to the degree of fault remains possible; in the separate yacht total-loss cover the right to reduce applies without this waiver thresholdPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 6: “in claims with a total loss amount of up to EUR 10,000 the insurer waives this argument”; part A1 § 4 no. 2 knows no comparable waiver | partlyUp to a loss amount of €10,000HKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clause 12 | weakNo waiver amount: clause 15.2 permits a reduction according to the severity of the fault, without the waiver threshold that the other sets of conditions name at this pointPREUSS yacht hull conditions form 2020/11, clause 15.2: “If the policyholder, the authorised skipper or a person on board causes the insured event through gross negligence, the insurer is entitled to reduce its payment in proportion to the severity of the fault.” This clause contains no waiver sentence | partlyUp to a loss amount of €10,000Firmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 5, “in claims with a total loss amount of up to EUR 10,000 the defence of gross negligence is waived” | partlyNot provided for in the yacht hull conditions: clause 4.1 allows a reduction according to the severity of the fault. The alternative special yacht hull conditions (YKS 2011) do provide, after eight claim-free years with the same insurer, a waiver for losses up to 20 % of the sum insured, at most EUR 10,000Yacht hull conditions (YKB), Schomacker, clause 4.1; special yacht hull conditions (YKS 2011), clause 3; special conditions SFR 040 SR 2002 RÜ, clause 3, under which a switch to the special conditions can be applied for in writing at any time | partlyUp to €10,000 total loss amount; above that a reduction in proportion to the degree of fault remains possibleWassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024, § 12 Herbeiführung des Versicherungsfalls, “in claims with a total loss amount of up to EUR 10,000 the insurer waives this defence” |
| Replacement boatWhen the yacht sits in the yard for weeks, the voyage stops. | weakNo, neither the hull conditions nor the additional assistance conditions provide for a replacement boat. What is organised is storage and transport at the place of loss up to €1,500 and the return journey, not the hire of a boatAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG) and ZB Assistance Wassersportkasko Premium (ZB Assistance WSK 1-2025nam), no replacement boat in A-3 of the assistance conditions | goodYes, where a necessary yard stay runs beyond 5 days, as an alternative to the accommodation and return travel costs, within the same limit of €5,000 and for the duration of the voyage originally plannedPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 4 no. 5 sentence 2 | goodYes, where a yard stay runs beyond 5 days, as an alternative to the accommodation and return travel costs, for the duration of the planned voyageHKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clauses 4.4 and 7.8 | partlyNot provided for in the conditions available to us: clause 5.3 names only the cost of a replacement skipper up to EUR 1,500; hiring a boat is not covered therePREUSS yacht hull conditions form 2020/11, clause 5.3; our own review of clauses 5.1 to 5.4, no replacement boat found | partlyNot named in the conditions available to usOur own review of the Firmenich hull conditions (FKB), version 10/2022, clauses 3, 7, 9 and 10: no replacement boat and no hire found | partlyNot named in the conditions available to usOur own review of the yacht hull conditions (YKB), the special yacht hull conditions (YKS 2011) and the special conditions SFR 040 SR 2002 RÜ: no replacement boat and no hire found | partlyNot named in the conditions available to us; what is covered is emergency repair, return transfer of the crew and a replacement skipper up to EUR 10,000Trinity Marine watersports hull conditions, version 01/2024, clauses 5.3 and 6; our own review, no replacement boat found |
| Hotel costs when the boat is uninhabitableAfter a fire or flooding the crew needs a roof. | partly€100 per person per night, max. 3 nights and no more than €1,500 per event, in the case of theft, total loss or uninhabitability established by a surveyor; the journey home is added at up to €1,500 per person and €5,000 per eventZB Assistance Wassersportkasko Premium (ZB Assistance WSK 1-2025nam), clause A-3.3.7 a and b | good€150 per person per night, max. 7 days, accommodation and return travel together up to €5,000, with no deductible; the condition is that a surveyor appointed by the insurers finds the boat uninhabitable and that the boat was not chartered out on the voyagePantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 4 no. 5; freedom from the deductible under § 7 | partly€100 per person, max. 3 days and no more than €1,500, return travel on top of that up to €1,500 per person, max. €5,000HKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clauses 4.4 and 7.8 | good€250 per person, max. €2,000 for the crew; uninhabitability is established by the surveyor appointed by the insurerPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, clause 5.2 | good€150 per room, max. €5,000Firmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 9.3, up to €5,000 in total, hotel costs no more than €150 per room per night | goodUp to €260 per crew member, max. €1,300 per claim, either as accommodation or as return travel costsBesondere Bedingungen SFR 040 SR 2002 RÜ, clause 2 | goodMax. €10,000, plus an emergency repair up to €5,000Wassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024 |
| Return to the home portWhen the voyage ends, the boat still has to get home. | goodUp to €5,000 per event, transport to the home port; the condition is that the boat cannot be made seaworthy at the place of loss within three weeks and that the repair does not cost more than an equivalent second-hand boat. Replacement skipper on top of that, up to €100 a day, max. €5,000ZB Assistance Wassersportkasko Premium (ZB Assistance WSK 1-2025nam), clauses A-3.3.8 and A-3.3.9 | partlyNot under the hull cover; there is only breakdown assistance up to €10,000 for a tow to the nearest place of repair, not to the home port. A return delivery is provided by the separate personal accident cover for those on board alone, up to €10,000, and only where an accident has taken the skipper to hospital and no replacement skipper is availablePantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 4 no. 3 and no. 5; the hull benefits end at the nearest place of repair; insurance recommendation of 16 October 2025 (on file) on the personal accident cover for those on board | goodMax. €5,000, replacement skipper up to €100 a day or transport of the yacht to the home portHKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clauses 4.4 and 7.8 | partlyMax. €1,500, and only as a replacement skipper for the delivery back to the port of departure where the skipper is out of action for more than three weeksPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, clause 5.3 | goodMax. €5,000Firmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 9.3, accommodation, return journey and delivery back to the home port together up to €5,000 | partlyA return delivery of the vessel is not named in the conditions available to us; what is reimbursed is, at the owner's choice, accommodation or return travel costs for the crew to the home port up to EUR 260 per crew member, at most EUR 1,300 per claimSpecial conditions SFR 040 SR 2002 RÜ, clause 2; our own review of the yacht hull conditions (YKB): no rule on returning the vessel found | goodReplacement skipper up to €10,000, plus return transfer of the crew up to €5,000 in the event of total loss or where repair is not timelyWassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024, clauses 5 c and 6 |
| Deductible you can chooseThe deductible is not a requirement but your lever: agree to carry small losses yourself and the premium falls. What matters is therefore not the lowest figure but the range, how far up and down you are allowed to go. The figure names the highest step you can choose. | goodFreely selectable up to €10,000; it falls away for tenders, trailers, personal effects, inspection costs after a grounding, pure assistance services and in the event of total loss and burglary, and after five claim-free years it drops by 50 %AVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clauses A-4.1 to A-4.4 | goodUp to €7,500; in return the deductible falls away entirely for total loss, burglary, fire, lightning, personal effects and collisions caused solely by third parties with the boat lying still; for tenders, trailers and storage cradles a fixed €300 appliesPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 7 | goodUp to €7,500; after four claim-free years it is halved once, down to at most €2,500; for trailers and storage blocks €250 applies, for electric main drives and batteries 25 %, at least €2,500HKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clauses 8.4 to 8.6 and 20 | partlyUp to €4,000, graded by cruising area; in the worldwide area C at least €3,000 is prescribedPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11; insurance proposal of 23 November 2025 | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us; all that is documented is that the agreed deductible is halved after five consecutive claim-free yearsSupplementary sheet to the application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA), section on yacht hull insurance; neither the sheet nor the Firmenich hull conditions (FKB), version 10/2022, names a range of selectable deductibles, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us: the two quotations on file each name a single fixed deductible, EUR 500 and EUR 4,000; neither the quotation nor the application form nor the yacht hull conditions contains a range of selectable stepsSchomacker HYV quotations of 11 August 2026 (sailing yacht Dehler 29, EUR 500 deductible) and of 12 August 2026 (sailing yacht Hanse 460, EUR 4,000), both for a boat other than the example yacht; the application form and the yacht hull conditions (YKB) name no range, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | goodUp to €15,000; for tenders, trailers and storage cradles €150; no deductible for total loss, burglary, personal effects, fire and lightningWassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024, clause 7 |
| Claims notification onlineFrom the Caribbean a form is easier than a phone call during German office hours. | goodYesOur own statement: online claims notification at nammert.com | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | partlyNot surveyed: we hold no dated record of a visit to the provider’s websiteNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored | goodYesNo dated retrieval of the provider's website on file, not scored |
| Lying unmanned off an open coastOn a long passage the boat is sometimes left on its own. | goodYesAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG); A-6 does not name lying unmanned as an exclusion, and A-2.1 imposes no duty to keep the boat manned | goodYesPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 3: “the insurer bears all perils to which the insured items are exposed during the term of the insurance”; the exclusion list in § 5 does not name lying unmanned | goodYes. Only losses caused by defective or missing mooring and anchoring off an open coast are excluded; “off an open coast” is defined as the area up to 20 nautical miles from the mainlandHKVA Kaskobedingungen 2024, clause 4.1 all-risks cover subject to the exclusions in clause 5; list of exclusions in clause 5 (“mangelhafte oder fehlende Vertäuung und Verankerung vor offener Küste”); clause 22 Allgemeine Definitionen; there is no exclusion for lying unattended | goodYesPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11; the exclusion list in clause 9 does not name lying unmanned | goodYesFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 3.1 all-risks cover; the exclusions in clause 4 do not name lying unattended | goodYesYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), Schomacker, clause 3.1: “the insurer covers all damage and loss (all-risks cover)”; clause 4 does not name this case | partlyYes, but only up to 48 hours; beyond that, damage while lying unmanned off an open coast is excludedWassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024 |
| PiracyOn some routes this is not a theoretical question. | weakNo, piracy is not one of the named perils of our hull cover; acts of terrorism and political violence are excluded. Theft, burglary and wilful or malicious acts by unauthorised persons remain insuredAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clauses A-3.1.1 to A-3.1.4 and A-6.1.5 | goodYesPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 3 all-risks cover, § 5 without a piracy exclusion; part E § 5 no. 1 names piracy expressly among the claims that have to be notified, and unlike embezzlement and fraud without the addition “where separately agreed”. In the areas on the war, strike and confiscation exclusion list there is still no cover | weakNo, damage resulting from piracy is excluded; piracy is defined there as the taking of the vessel or insured items by force or threat while the vessel is under way or at anchorageHKVA worldwide clause 2024, letter c) | weakNo, damage caused by piracy within the meaning of Art. 101 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is excluded, together with consequential damage; only cruising areas A and A1 are exemptPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, clause 9.13 | goodYesFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 3.1 all-risks cover; the exclusions in clause 4 do not name piracy | goodYesYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), Schomacker, clause 3.1: “the insurer covers all damage and loss (all-risks cover)”; clause 4 does not name this case | goodYesWassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024, § 3 no. 1, all-risks cover; the exclusions do not name piracy |
| Orca damageOff Gibraltar and Portugal, a real risk to the rudder for years now. | goodYes, as an accident in the sense of a collision with a floating objectAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-3.1.1 | goodYesPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 3, all-risks cover with no exclusion for marine animals | goodYesHKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clause 4.1, all-risks cover subject to the exclusions in clause 5, which do not name this case | goodYesPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, clause 2 all-risks cover; the exclusion list in clause 9 does not name this case | goodYesFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 3.1 all-risks cover; the exclusions in clause 4 do not name this case | goodYesYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), Schomacker, clause 3.1: “the insurer covers all damage and loss (all-risks cover)”; clause 4 does not name this case | goodYesWassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024, § 3 no. 1 all-risks cover; the exclusions do not name this case |
| Engine damage from material and operating faultsThe engine is the most expensive single item on board. Most hull wordings pay there only where a named peril such as fire or collision caused the damage; bearing damage after a mistake at the controls stays with the owner. | weakCan be bought on as machinery cover: main engine including gearbox, shaft and propeller, auxiliary units, pumps, winches, plus misfuelling. But: the units drop out of cover as soon as they are more than 10 years old, so for the 2001 example boat this module is not availableAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clauses A-14.1 and A-14.2.1 | weakNo, damage to the machinery is excluded unless it is caused by accident, fire, scorching, smouldering, short circuit, lightning, explosion, force majeure, theft or vandalismPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 5 no. 8 | weakNo, damage to the machinery is only covered if it was caused by an accident to the vessel, fire, scorching, smouldering, lightning, explosion, force majeure, vandalism or theftHKVA general yacht hull conditions 2024, clause 5.2.1 | partlyPartly: the machinery is part of the insured property and falls under the all-risks cover. Design, manufacturing and material defects as well as wear are excluded, but only for the part directly affected; consequential damage is covered. The conditions contain no separate exclusion for operating errorPREUSS yacht hull conditions form 2020/11, clauses 2, 3.1 and 9.4; our own review of the exclusion list in clause 9: no machinery or operating error exclusion found | weakNo, damage to the machinery is excluded unless it results from a sudden, accidental event acting from outside, such as storm, force majeure, accident, fire, scorching, smouldering, short circuit, lightning, explosion, theft or vandalismFirmenich hull conditions (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 4.2.11 | weakNo, damage to the machinery is excluded unless it was caused by fire, scorching, smouldering, short circuit, lightning, accident, explosion, force majeure, storm, theft, robbery, vandalism, sinking, capsizing, stranding, a leak or a collision. All other machinery damage is covered only up to 36 months after completion of the yacht or the engine. The optional machinery damage clause 2008 applies only while the machinery is no older than 15 years, so it is not available for the 2001 example boatYacht hull conditions (YKB), Schomacker, clause 4.11; machinery damage clause 2008, clauses 2 and 3; Schomacker HYV quotation of 11 August 2026, section “Extended machinery damage cover” | weakNo, operating damage to machinery and gearbox and damage from faulty or incorrect operation are excludedWassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024, exclusions to § 3 |
| Osmosis damageThe blistering in the underwater hull only becomes visible when the boat is lifted, and putting it right costs five figures. In standard wordings it is almost always excluded. | partlyIncluded, but only for boats up to an age of 48 months; for the 2001 example boat the cover does not applyAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-6.2 h | weakNo, osmosis is expressly excluded; the exclusion does not apply only where the damage was caused by sinking, fire, short circuit or dismasting. For the example boat built in 2001, however, the providers with a 48-month rule pay nothing either, NAMMERT includedPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 5 no. 2 | partlyWithin 48 months of 31 December of the year of build before the boat was first launched, and only where the boat was treated to prevent osmosisHKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clause 4.3 | weakNo, damage caused by osmosis is excluded. For the 2001 example boat, however, the providers with a 48-month rule do not pay either, NAMMERT includedPREUSS yacht hull conditions form 2020/11, clause 9.5 | weakNo, damage caused by sun exposure and osmosis is excluded. For the 2001 example boat, however, the providers with a 48-month rule do not pay either, NAMMERT includedFirmenich hull conditions (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 4.2.3 | partlyOnly where the damage becomes visible in the first 48 months after completion, the yacht was given an osmosis protection coating by a specialist yard before first launching and warranty claims were unsuccessfulYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), Schomacker, clause 4.3 | partlyOnly if the damage becomes visible within the first 48 months after completion of the vessel, the vessel was given an osmosis protection coating by a specialist firm before first launching and warranty claims have failedTrinity Marine watersports hull conditions, version 01/2024, exclusion list to § 3 |
| Personal effects on boardElectronics, sextant, tools, clothing: on a long passage the household lives on board. The limit is usually a fixed amount, not a share of the boat’s value. | good3 % of the sum insured, at least €1,000 and at most €6,000, with no deductibleAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clauses A-9.4 and A-4.2 | partlyMax. €5,000 per claim, but with no deductiblePantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 1 sentence 2; freedom from the deductible under § 7 | goodUp to 5 % of the sum insured, at most €6,000; individual items worth more than €500 have to be declared separatelyHKVA AVB Yachtkasko 2024, clause 1.1.2 | goodUp to €10,000 where they are declared in the application with their own sum insuredPREUSS-Yachtkasko-Bedingungen Form 2020/11, clause 3.2 | partlyFree of extra premium up to 2 % of the sum insured, at most EUR 5,000Supplementary sheet to the application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA), section on yacht hull insurance: “Personal effects covered free of extra premium up to 2 % of the sum insured (max. EUR 5,000.00)” | partlyAutomatically up to 2 % of the sum insured, at most €2,000 for boats with a cabin, where the policy names no separate sumYacht-Kasko-Bedingungen (YKB), Schomacker, clauses 2.1.3 and 2.2 | partlyUp to 2.5 % of the sum insured at no extra premium; higher shares up to 10 % against a premium loading of 5 to 15 %Wassersportkaskobedingungen Trinity Marine, version 01/2024, § 3 no. 3 |
| Waiting time before payment after theftAfter a theft the owner is left without a boat and keeps paying for the berth and the loan. What matters is therefore not only whether payment is made, but when. | goodNo waiting period in the conditions; payment follows once the examination is completeAVB Wassersport-Kaskoversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG); A-9 and A-10 name no time limit for theft claims | partlyAt the earliest 2 months from notification of the claim, in the separate yacht total-loss cover only after 4 monthsPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part A hull conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 10 no. 2; part A1 § 7 no. 2 | partlyNot examinedNot checked: the conditions were not evaluated on this point, not scored | partlyNot examinedNot checked: the conditions were not evaluated on this point, not scored | partlyNot examinedNot checked: the conditions were not evaluated on this point, not scored | partlyNot examinedNot checked: the conditions were not evaluated on this point, not scored | partlyNot examinedNot checked: the conditions were not evaluated on this point, not scored |
| Liability | |||||||
| Public-law claims beyond the Environmental Damage ActIf an authority orders something by administrative act, that is not a claim for damages under private law. Three sets of conditions bring the environmental damage remediation back in through a special clause: ours, Schomacker's and Trinity's. Pantaenius and HKVA do not need such a clause because their base clause does not contain the narrowing to claims under private law in the first place. Preuss narrows the base clause and has no inclusion clause. Everything beyond the environmental damage act, for example an officially ordered wreck removal without environmental damage, stays outside the conditions that carry this narrowing. | partlyPartly: remediation duties under the German Environmental Damage Act (USchadG) are expressly included through A-10.1 (with the exclusions in A-10.4). Other public-law orders are not caught by the basic clause, because it is limited to claims “of a private-law nature”.AVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-1.1.1 (basic clause) and A-10.1 to A-10.4 (USchadG) | goodYes, without that narrowing; the basic clause speaks of “statutory liability provisions” without the addition “of a private-law nature”. The wording therefore needs no special USchadG clause, and contains none.Pantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part B liability conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 1 no. 1, without the addition; the wording names neither the USchadG nor environmental damage anywhere | goodYes, without that narrowing: the base clause refers to “statutory liability provisions” without the addition “under private law”. The conditions contain no separate environmental damage clause, but they also lack the restriction that would make such a clause necessary.HKVA 2021 general liability conditions for watercraft, clause 1.1, without the addition “under private law”; that addition appears there only in clause 6.1 on the default cover for liability claims; our own review of the conditions found no environmental damage clause | weakNo: the base clause is limited to claims “under private law”, and the conditions contain no separate clause including environmental damage. Clause 7.10 (a) additionally excludes claims for environmental damage under the environmental damage act; by its final sentence, however, that exclusion does “not apply within the insurance of private liability risks”.esa general liability conditions 2008 071218 (Preuss), clause 1.1; esa liability conditions (Preuss), clause 7.10 (a) including its final sentence; our own review of the conditions found no clause including environmental damage | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us; the Firmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB) are only available to us as a scan without a text layerFirmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB), version 10/2022, available only as a scan without a searchable text layer, not scored | partlyPartly: clause 5 includes USchadG remediation duties “by way of derogation from § 1 no. 1”, with a sum insured of its own. Beyond that the narrowing of the basic clause applies.Yacht-Haftpflicht-Bedingungen (YHB) 2019, Schomacker, § 1 clause 1 and clause 5 | partlyPartly: A2-2.1 insures USchadG remediation duties “by way of derogation from A1-3.1”. Other public-law orders remain excluded.Trinity Marine Wassersport-Haftpflichtbedingungen, A1-3.1 (basic clause) and A2-2.1 (USchadG) |
| Highest limit of indemnityIn a serious personal injury claim, this figure decides what happens to your private assets. | good€50m, although for personal injury the indemnity is capped overall at €25m and at €15m per person entitled to compensationAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-13.1.1 | partlyNo upper limit in the policy wording, the sum follows from the policy. The quotation of 16 October 2025 held on file documented €15m, while the five quotations from 2026 consistently show €10mPantaenius insurance recommendation of 16 October 2025 and five Pantaenius quotations from 2026 (documents on file); the PYB name no sum, it “follows from the policy” (Informationsblatt zu Versicherungsprodukten, section B), single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | good€30mHKVA quotation of 2 June 2026, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partly€15mPreuss insurance proposal of 23 November 2025, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partlyEUR 15 million, the highest variant offered in the applicationYacht liability application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA) no. 010106952/A, table of sums insured: recommendation EUR 10 million, first variant EUR 15 million; supplementary sheet to the application: “sums insured of up to EUR 15 million possible” | partly€15mSchomacker HYV quotation of 12 August 2026 (document on file): EUR 10 million for EUR 139.83, EUR 15 million for EUR 174.34; the quotation is for a Hanse 460 sailing yacht, year 2022, not for the example yacht, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partly€20mTrinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored |
| Total payable per insurance yearAfter the first large loss, what counts is what is left for the second. | good€100m, twice the agreed sum insuredAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-13.1.2 | partly€30mPantaenius insurance recommendation of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored | good€60m, twice the sum insured, including all costsAHB Wassersportfahrzeuge HKVA 2021, clause 4.4 | goodUnlimitedPreuss insurance proposal of 23 November 2025, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us; the Firmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB) are only available to us as a scan without a text layerYacht liability application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA) no. 010106952/A and the supplementary sheet name no annual aggregate; the Firmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB) are only available to us as a scan without a text layer, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partly€30mYacht liability conditions (YHB) 2019, version 10-2024, section VII clause 2: indemnities for all claims in one insurance year are limited to twice the agreed sums insured; with a EUR 15 million sum insured that is EUR 30 million | goodUnlimitedTrinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored |
| Territorial scopeThe liability cover has to reach as far as the boat goes. | goodWorldwideAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-7.1, losses abroad are included; only the skipper’s liability is limited under A-1.2 para. 4 b to Europe and the Mediterranean | partlyThe selected cruising area, in the quotation on file European inland waters, the North Sea and Baltic between 28° and 67° north and the Mediterranean, each with country exclusions; the skipper liability cover, by contrast, applies worldwide under the policy wordingPantaenius insurance recommendations of 16 October 2025 and 7 August 2026 (both on file); both name the same cruising area EUINL, NEURO and MM, while the 2026 enquiry asked for worldwide; Pantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part B liability conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 3: “the insurance applies to the cruising area named in the policy.” Occasional and unplanned crossing of the cruising limits is included, but has to be reported without delay and can trigger an additional premium; worldwide cover applies to the skipper’s liability alone under § 2 no. 5, plus the personal accident cover for those on board | goodWorldwideAHB Wassersportfahrzeuge HKVA 2021, clause 2, “the cover applies worldwide.” | goodWorldwide; for the USA, US territories and Canada a limit of €2m overall and €1m per injured person applies within the limit of indemnityesa Haftpflicht BB 2009/02 (Preuss), clause 7 | goodWorldwideAntrag zur Yachtversicherung (FIRMENICH/WECOYA), section Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung, “scope: worldwide unless agreed otherwise” | goodWorldwide, “loss events anywhere in the world”, provided the policy names no narrower cruising limitsYacht-Haftpflicht-Bedingungen (YHB) 2019, version 10-2024, clause 3, losses abroad | goodWorldwideTrinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored |
| Indemnity per individual personThe individual case is often capped well below the overall sum. | good€15mAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-13.1.1 | partly€8mPantaenius insurance recommendation of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored | goodNot capped per person (overall limit €30m)HKVA quotation of 2 June 2026; AHB Wassersportfahrzeuge HKVA 2021, the conditions name no limit per person, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | weak€3m (in the highest form of cover, with a €15m limit of indemnity)Preuss insurance proposal of 23 November 2025, section 2 yacht liability insurance, line “for personal injury per person max.”: EUR 3 million with a EUR 15 million sum insured | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us; the application names only the flat sum insured of EUR 15 million and EUR 6 million for financial loss, but no limit per personYacht liability application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA) no. 010106952/A, table of sums insured; the Firmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB) are only available to us as a scan without a text layer, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | goodNot capped per person (overall limit €15m)Yacht liability conditions (YHB) 2019, version 10-2024, section VII clause 1: the indemnity is limited per claim to the agreed sums insured; the conditions name no limit per person for the yacht liability cover | partly€10mTrinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored |
| Damage to rented jetties and pontoonsThe most common liability claim of all: the berthing manoeuvre. | good€100m per insurance year; the maximum payable per loss event equals the sum insured, the annual figure is twice thatAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM, clause A-1.5 (5) | goodUp to the limit of indemnity (€15m)Pantaenius insurance recommendation of 16 October 2025 (on file), not scored | partly€600,000 per insurance year (€300,000 per loss event), €150 deductible per caseBB zur Haftpflicht-Versicherung HKVA 2021, clause 1 | partly€400,000 per insurance year (€200,000 per loss event), €250 deductible per caseesa Haftpflicht BB 2009/02 (Preuss), clause 6 | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us; the supplementary sheet names only “high sums insured for damage to rented property and financial loss” without an amountSupplementary sheet to the application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA), section on yacht liability insurance; the Firmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB) are only available to us as a scan without a text layer, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | goodUp to the limit of indemnity (€15m), €250 deductible per claimYacht-Haftpflicht-Bedingungen (YHB) 2019, version 10-2024, clause 2 i) | partly€500,000 for all claims of one year: €250 deductible per caseTrinity Marine Wassersport-Haftpflichtbedingungen, part A1, clause A1-6.8 |
| Unlimited skipper’s liabilityTake a charter yacht out and you are liable for it, whatever your own policy says. | partlyIn Premium with no limit on engine power or boat size, but it then applies only in Europe and the whole Mediterranean, not worldwide, is capped at €20m, is provided on an excess basis and does not cover damage to the chartered boat itself. In Basis-Plus it is additionally limited to the size of your own boat, and use to a maximum of 30 daysAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-1.2 para. 3 b, paras. 4 a to d, para. 5 and para. 6 | partlyUnlimited in amount, but not in substance: the skipper’s liability cover applies on an excess basis only, and pays once there is no cover under the charter yacht’s own policy. Damage to the chartered yacht itself is covered only where gross negligence has been established by an authority, a court or in a recognised settlement, with a €2,500 deductible. Loss of charter income for the owner up to €20,000Pantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part B liability conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 2 no. 5 a) to d) | partlyNot unlimited: cover extends to the private use of a chartered vessel up to 500 hp or 250 m² of sail area, limited to the agreed charter period. For the 95 m² example yacht the limit is well above the boat's own sizeSpecial conditions to the HKVA 2021 liability insurance, clause 4 | weakNot unlimited: only for a vessel of the same type whose sail area or engine power does not exceed that of the owner's own boat, and for at most four weeks per insurance yearesa Haftpflicht BB 2009/02 (Preuss), clause 2 | partlyAccording to the supplement to the application, skipper liability cover is included automatically, also on chartered boats and yachts. Whether and how it is limited by engine power or sail area does not follow from the documents held on fileBeiblatt zum Antrag (FIRMENICH/WECOYA), section Yacht-Haftpflicht-Versicherung; the Firmenich Wassersport-Haftpflicht-Bedingungen (FHB) are held on file only as a scan without a text layer, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partlyNot unlimited: under the basic conditions only for boats lent free of charge and only on an excess basis. Only the Premium clause brings chartered yachts in, with damage from gross negligence to the charter yacht up to €100,000 per claim, €2,500 deductible, likewise on an excess basisYacht-Haftpflicht-Bedingungen (YHB) 2019, version 10-2024, together with the Premium clause on the yacht liability insurance (2019) | weakNot unlimited: the indication names 100 hp and 40 m²; the conditions additionally limit cover to Europe and the Mediterranean and to at most 30 days of use per insurance year, exclude personal watercraft and damage to the chartered vessel, and pay only on a secondary basis. For the 95 m² example yacht the limit is below the boat's own sizeTrinity Marine Wassersport-Haftpflichtbedingungen, part A1, clause A1-1.1.2; Trinity indication of 16 October 2025 (on file) |
| Tender includedUnder way, the dinghy is the vehicle you actually use every day. | goodYes, in Premium with no limit on the benefit, independent trips without any connection to the mother ship up to ten nautical miles away; in Basis-Plus only up to 10 m² of sail area or 30 hpAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung BASIS Plus and PREMIUM, clause A-1.3 | goodYes, without limitPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part B liability conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 1 no. 2 c) and § 2 no. 1: use of the tender and sport with watersports equipment belonging to the boat are included, “provided this happens in connection with the use of the boat” | goodYes, without limitAHB Wassersportfahrzeuge HKVA 2021, clause 1.2; included is “liability arising from use of the boat’s tenders” | partlyOnly the trips between yacht and shore by the shortest route are included; independent tender trips need a chargeable extensionesa Haftpflicht BB 2009/02 (Preuss), clause 9; Preuss product information on the liability cover | partlyYes; whether and how the cover is limited is not apparent from the documents available to usFirmenich liability product information sheet 07.26: “The insurance also extends to: the possession and use of tenders”; the Firmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB) are only available to us as a scan without a text layer, not scored | partlyYes, up to 50 hp; without a power limit only with the Premium clauseYacht-Haftpflicht-Bedingungen (YHB) 2019, version 10-2024, together with the Premium clause on the yacht liability insurance (2019) | partlyYes, but only up to 10 m² of sail area and 30 hp, and only for tenders of the boat named in the applicationTrinity Marine Wassersport-Haftpflichtbedingungen, part A1, clause A1-6.9 |
| Occasional hiring out includedLend the yacht out now and then and you lose cover somewhere else. | goodYes, up to 30 days in the insurance year without a professional crew; more frequent or commercial hiring out can be included where it is applied for and documented in the policy, and is then written on an excess basisAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clauses A-1.1.1 (2) and A-1.1.2 | partlyOnly by prior agreement: commercial use as a bareboat or skippered charter is excluded without a prior agreementInformationsblatt zu Versicherungsprodukten (PYB), version D/D/IPID PYB 0818, section B yacht liability, restrictions on cover | partlyOnly by special agreement: use for purposes other than sport or pleasure, in particular chartering, is excluded unless specially agreedAHB Wassersportfahrzeuge HKVA 2021, clause 5.1 | partlyOnly by express extension: hiring out, lending and chartering are excluded unless cover has been expressly extended to themesa Haftpflicht BB 2009/02 (Preuss), clause 1 | partlyOnly by express agreement: chartering and hiring out are excluded as long as no express inclusion is agreed in the policy; in one application addressed to us bareboat chartering was includedFirmenich Kasko-Bedingungen (FKB), version 10/2022, clause 4.2.7; FIRMENICH Haftpflicht-Produktinformationsblatt, section “Was ist nicht versichert?”; application 010106954/A with a special agreement on bareboat chartering (document on file) | partlyOnly by express agreement: bareboat charter and commercial use are covered if expressly agreed in the policyYacht-Haftpflicht-Bedingungen (YHB) 2019, version 10-2024, together with the Premium clause on the yacht liability insurance (2019) | partlyYes, but only occasionally, free of charge and without a professional crew, and the boat has to be based in EuropeTrinity Marine Wassersport-Haftpflichtbedingungen, part A1, clause A1-1.1.1 (2) |
| Bail bondAbroad, the bail decides whether the boat is held. | good€200,000 or the value of the boat, also as an annual limit, but as a short-term loan, repayable once third parties have reimbursed it, at the latest one month after payment, and only where the boat is seized abroadAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung PREMIUM (risk carrier Württembergische Versicherung AG), clause A-16 | partlyNot under the liability cover. A criminal bail bond up to €200,000 exists only through the separate yacht legal expenses policy, and that applies in Europe, the states bordering the Mediterranean, the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores alone. On a passage beyond that there is no bail coverPantaenius insurance recommendations of 16 October 2025 and 7 August 2026 (both on file), yacht legal expenses, general sum insured EUR 1,000,000, criminal bail up to EUR 200,000, scope Europe, the states bordering the Mediterranean, the Canaries, Madeira, the Azores, not scored | partly€50,000, to be repaid within twelve monthsAHB Wassersportfahrzeuge HKVA 2021, clause 4.5; BB zur Haftpflicht-Versicherung HKVA 2021, clause 2 (security in the event of provisional seizure abroad) | partly€25,000 and worldwide under cover form B, to which the premium compared here relates; the proposal of 23 November 2025 sets this expressly in derogation from clause 7.3 of the conditions. The conditions on their own provide only €20,000 and only within Europe, which applies to the cheaper cover form A. The amount is set off against the compensation paymentPREUSS insurance proposal of 23 November 2025, section 2 Yacht-Haftpflicht-Versicherung, clause on Deckungsform B; esa Haftpflicht BB 2009/02 (Preuss), clause 7.3 | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us; neither the application nor the supplementary sheet nor the product information sheet names a bail benefitYacht liability application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA) no. 010106952/A, supplementary sheet to the application and Firmenich liability product information sheet 07.26; the Firmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB) are only available to us as a scan without a text layer, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | good€100,000, but only where the boat is provisionally seized in a foreign portYacht-Haftpflicht-Bedingungen (YHB) 2019, version 10-2024, together with the Premium clause on the yacht liability insurance (2019) | partly€50,000, set off against the compensation payment; any excess has to be repaidTrinity Marine Wassersport-Haftpflichtbedingungen, part A1, bail clause to A1-6.11 |
| Cover when the party at fault cannot payThe liability case in reverse: a third party damages your boat but is uninsured or cannot pay. Without this cover the loss stays with you, although you did not cause it. | partlyIncluded from Basis-Plus, within the limit of indemnity (Basis-Plus €25m, Premium €50m), but only from a loss amount of €2,500, only against an enforceable title and proof that enforcement has failed, and only where the party at fault is permanently resident in Germany. Under the skipper’s liability the cover is excluded. In the Basis tariff it is missing altogetherAVB Wassersport-Haftpflichtversicherung BASIS Plus and PREMIUM, clauses A-12.2 (threshold €2,500), A-12.3, A-12.4, A-12.5 (1) and A-1.2 para. 4 c | partlyIncluded, and from a loss amount of €1,000, but likewise only against a final enforceable title; not where the third party acted with intent and not where another insurer or a social welfare body pays. The wording names no residence requirement for the party at faultPantaenius-Yacht-Bedingungen (PYB), part B liability conditions, version D ESP/D/PYB/0818, § 2 no. 6 a) to e) | partlyIncluded, but only for losses above EUR 2,500, only against an enforceable title and proven failed enforcement, and only if the party at fault has their permanent residence in GermanyHKVA 2021 general liability conditions for watercraft, clauses 6.1 to 6.3; HKVA quotation of 2 June 2026 | partlyNot found in the conditions available to usOur own review of the esa general liability conditions 2008 071218 and the esa liability special conditions 2009/02 (Preuss): no default or shortfall cover found | partlyNot apparent from the documents available to us; the Firmenich watersports liability conditions (FHB) are only available to us as a scan without a text layerYacht liability application (FIRMENICH/WECOYA) no. 010106952/A, the supplementary sheet and the Firmenich liability product information sheet 07.26 name no default cover; the FHB are only available to us as a scan without a text layer, single quotation, not the policy wording, not scored | partlyOnly with the Premium clause, not under the basic conditions; then up to the amount of the title, within the limits of indemnity, with a €1,000 deductible. It requires an enforceable title from the EU, Norway or Switzerland, a failed attempt at enforcement and the surrender of the original documentsPremium clause on the yacht liability insurance (2019), clauses 2.1 to 2.5 | partlyIncluded, with no minimum loss amount, up to the amount of the awarded claim within the sums insured. It requires a final title from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and a failed enforcement; the cover applies only to damage caused by a third party's watercraft and only to incidents occurring in those statesTrinity Marine watersports liability conditions, part A3, clauses A3-1 to A3-5 |
Where a cell names no source of its own, the statement of the survey itself applies (Our own survey, quotations and policy wordings from 7 October 2025 to 25 August 2026). We hold no policy wording from Firmenich, so those cells rest on the quotation alone.
Annual premiums quoted
For the same boat, on the same enquiry. The deductible is given with each figure, because a low premium with a high deductible is not a low premium. And we are not the cheapest here: look only at the figure and you find three quotations below ours. What is missing from them stands in the table above.
Hull cover
HKVAEUR 2,500 deductible · worldwide cruising area · sum insured EUR 100,200 · 40 % no-claims discount applied · annual premium including 19 % insurance tax · HKVA proposal of 7 October 2025
€1,938.30
PreussEUR 4,000 deductible · cruising area C, worldwide only after prior written agreement and with a closed season in the hurricane zone · sum insured EUR 100,000 · 40 % no-claims discount applied · annual premium including 19 % insurance tax · Preuss proposal of 23 November 2025
€2,134.86
NAMMERTEUR 2,500 deductible · worldwide cruising area with no closed season · sum insured EUR 95,000 · 40 % no-claims discount applied · annual premium including insurance tax · our own tariff, as at August 2026
€3,064.89
Trinity MarineEUR 2,500 deductible · cruising area C worldwide within the trading limits of JWLA-031 · total sum insured EUR 97,500 · 40 % no-claims discount applied · annual premium including 19 % insurance tax · Trinity indication of 16 October 2025, valid for 30 days
€4,362.54
Liability
NAMMERTEUR 50 million sum insured · worldwide scope · annual premium including insurance tax · our own tariff, as at August 2026
€129.00
SchomackerEUR 15 million sum insured · annual premium including a EUR 1.50 fee and 19 % insurance tax, EUR 145.00 net · different scope: the quotation of 12 August 2026 is for a Hanse 460 sailing yacht, year 2022, 110 m² sail area, not for the example yacht · the same price list shows EUR 10 million at EUR 139.83 · Schomacker HYV quotation of 12 August 2026
€174.34
Trinity MarineEUR 20 million sum insured, at most EUR 10 million per person · worldwide scope · sail area up to 100 m² · annual premium including 19 % insurance tax · Trinity indication of 16 October 2025, valid for 30 days
€154.11
HKVAEUR 30 million sum insured · worldwide scope · annual premium including 19 % insurance tax · HKVA proposal of 7 October 2025
€210.29
PantaeniusEUR 15 million sum insured · different scope: quotation for European inland waters, the North and Baltic Seas and the Mediterranean, not for worldwide cover · annual premium including statutory insurance tax and annual handling fees · Pantaenius insurance recommendation no. 12197404 of 16 October 2025, valid for 30 days
€222.69
PreussEUR 15 million sum insured, at most EUR 3 million per person, main boat and tender together · worldwide scope · cover form B with EUR 25,000 bail worldwide; cover form A in the same proposal costs EUR 226.10 · annual premium including 19 % insurance tax · Preuss proposal of 23 November 2025
€278.46
Two providers offered no hull cover at all, while quoting for the liability: Firmenich, no hull quotation in reply to our enquiry. Schomacker, no hull quotation in reply to our enquiry.
Where the others come out ahead
The same survey measured us as well. Where another provider is better on a point, it stands here by name, otherwise the comparison would be none.
Salvage costs: €2.5mHKVA and Firmenich cover €5m, Pantaenius and Schomacker without a limit. If you move a heavy yacht in waters with no yard, compare this figure first.
Hotel costs: €100 per person, three daysThat is the bottom of the field. Preuss pays €250 per person, Pantaenius seven days up to €5,000, Trinity up to €10,000.
Indemnity per person: €15mHKVA does not cap the single claim per person at all, only the overall sum. In a serious injury claim with one person affected, that is the better construction.
Return to the home port: max. €5,000Level with HKVA, but Trinity allows €10,000. To come back from the Pacific none of these sums is enough; it is a contribution, not a delivery.
The premium is not the lowestFor the example boat, HKVA at €1,938.30 (€2,500 deductible, proposal of 7 October 2025) and Preuss at €2,134.86 (€4,000 deductible, cruising area C with a closed season, proposal of 23 November 2025) came in under our €3,064.89 (€2,500 deductible). All figures are annual premiums including insurance tax at a 40 % no-claims discount. Compare the figure alone and you are not comparing the same cover.
Our own survey of 7 August 2026: the identical enquiry put to 7 providers for the same boat, evaluated across 35 features per provider, on the basis of the quotations received and publicly available sources. Benefits and premiums may have changed since; what governs is the wording of each provider. The names given are trade marks of the respective companies.
Before you leave
Tell us the route, not just the boat.
Where you start, where you plan to winter and whether anyone sails single-handed. Those three answers change more than the length of the hull.
Before you sign
The three questions you actually have
Not “what does it cost”; you can work that out yourself in a minute. These are the three nobody asks an insurer out loud. Here they are, with the answers we can back up.
“Will they actually pay?”
We are an Assekuradeur; a managing general agent that underwrites and settles claims under its own authority. Our own claims department, appointed surveyors, more than 2,000 partner yards. Cover checked within 24 hours, release or a survey appointment within 48. We settle directly with the yard; you pay the deductible and nothing else.
What happens in the first 48 hours →“Who picks up the phone?”
A family firm since 1989, now in its second generation, with three of its own offices: Königs Wusterhausen near Berlin, Salzburg and Palma de Mallorca. No call centre, no franchise. You get a named contact from the first hour; and after office hours, a number somebody answers.
Out of hours: +49 3375 29 28 95 →“And if I choose wrong?”
Find the same cover cheaper elsewhere and we make up the difference. Our comparison sets seven providers against the same criteria; including the segments where somebody else comes out ahead of us, and the one where we are the most expensive in the field.
Price guarantee →When we are not the right fit →