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Italy, Sardinia and Sicily: what your policy must cover
Mediterranean
Between the mainland and the islands lies open sea.
Italy combines crowded harbours with real passages to Sardinia and Sicily. Liability insurance with fixed minimum sums is compulsory. A cruising area written only for coastal waters ends just where the crossing to the islands begins, so settle that before casting off.
At a glance
Minimum liability: €6,450,000 personal injury, €1,300,000 property damage
Sardinia, Sicily, Elba and the Amalfi Coast
Mistral and scirocco: short, steep seas and rough nights at anchor
Coastal cruising areas stop short of the crossing to Sardinia
Worth knowing
Italy, Sardinia and Sicily: what to know before you go
In Italy third-party liability insurance is compulsory for pleasure craft, with minimum sums of €6,450,000 for personal injury and €1,300,000 for property damage. It is checked in port and on the water, and even when the boat is transported or slipped. The legal minimum is well below the real cost of a serious injury, so if you manoeuvre daily in packed marinas, look at the sum insured before the premium.
Between the mainland and the islands lies open sea. A cruising area that only mentions coastal navigation ends a few miles offshore, exactly where the passage to Sardinia starts. Tell your insurer the route before you sail: extending in advance costs little, arguing afterwards costs a lot. Mistral and scirocco add short, steep seas and rough nights at anchor, so check how storm, dragging and salvage costs are handled.
The most frequent claims from Italian harbours are knocks when berthing, groundings in poorly marked waters and theft of outboards and electronics. For theft, the question is which security measures your hull policy demands, and the conditions spell that out. If the boat comes to the Mediterranean for a single holiday, ask whether a temporary extension of up to six weeks is possible instead of a permanent change of cruising area.
Questions and answers
Common questions
Is boat insurance compulsory in Italy?
Yes. Liability insurance is compulsory for pleasure craft, with minimums of €6,450,000 for personal injury and €1,300,000 for property damage, and it is checked. Carry a certificate officials can read without discussion, and consider a sum insured above the legal minimum.
Is a coastal cruising area enough to reach Sardinia?
No. The crossing to the islands runs through open sea and needs a cruising area that includes it. Give your insurer the route beforehand so it is written into the contract, rather than discussing it after a claim.
What should I check before wintering ashore in Italy?
Ask whether time ashore, including craning and blocking, is part of your hull policy. Then read the boatyard's own contract: the yard's insurance protects its building, not your boat standing inside it.
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