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Tidal ranges of several metres change depth and current through the day. Entering a ria or crossing a bar outside the right window is the most common cause of grounding on this coast, and grounding on hard sand can damage rudder, shaft and keel bolts without anything showing at first. Check how your policy treats touching bottom, stranding and drying out in harbour.

The second factor is the sea state. With wind against tide the waves grow steep and short within a short time, above all in harbour entrances. That is where damage concentrates: knocks against the quay on the way in, broken moorings in harbours open to the swell and lost deck gear. Biscay adds lows that build quickly, so look at salvage and wreck removal costs as well.

In France, Spain and Portugal ports ask for the insurance certificate on arrival, so keep it on board and not at home. If you plan to carry on towards the Canaries, Madeira or the Caribbean, ask your insurer to extend the cruising area before you leave, and check the new area for time or geographical limits and hurricane exclusion clauses.

What should I do after touching bottom on a bar?

Have the boat inspected even if she seems watertight. Damage to rudder, shaft and keel bolts often only shows up weeks later. Report the grounding to your insurer and check whether your hull cover treats grounding and stranding as insured events.

Do I need an insurance certificate in Portugal?

Yes, ports ask for it on arrival, just as they do in France and Spain. Keep the certificate on board with the boat's papers rather than at home, and make sure harbour staff can read the language it is written in.

What should I check before crossing Biscay?

Biscay is a demanding stretch where lows develop fast. Check that your cruising area includes the European Atlantic coast and look at the limits for salvage and wreck removal. Remember too that a line broken by a storm and an old line that simply wore through are judged differently.

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Why third-party liability is the part most countries ask to see.

Hull

Agreed value, market value and what decides a hull claim.

Boat insurance in English

The clauses worth checking before you sign, in plain English.

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