Owner's Letter, November 2026

Hello,

November is here, and many boats will spend the winter afloat. In this Owner's Letter: what ice and storms mean for hull cover at the berth, who pays for salvage if a boat sinks, and what to check if your boat winters in the Med. Plus two things to try: a check of your sum insured and the vote for your favourite harbour.

Winter afloat: ice is not a storm

For hull cover, a berth in the water is usually no special case. But many wordings list ice and frost as weather under the exclusions, and some exclude losses when a boat lies unattended for longer than a set time. What to check in your schedule, and what to do at the berth now, is in the article.

Seasonal cover: look at the end date

If your policy only runs for the season, it may have ended with October. Then the boat is not insured over the winter, ashore or afloat, unless you extend it to a full year. A look at the schedule takes a minute.

What does your policy pay when the autumn gales come?

From what wind force does a storm count as a storm? Are salvage costs paid on top of the sum insured, or taken from it? How long may the boat lie unattended, and is the winter berth still inside the cruising area? Send us your policy as a PDF or photo. We show you how your wording answers these questions and work out a quote with at least the same cover. If the same cover is cheaper elsewhere, our lowest price guarantee makes up the difference.

If the boat sinks: who pays for salvage?

Raising a sunken boat with a crane barge, lifting bags and divers can cost more than the hull was worth. Whether those costs come on top of the payout for the boat, up to what limit, and whether an authority must have ordered the removal: these are the lines to look for in a hull wording.

Wintering in the Med

The yacht stays in Mallorca or Croatia, the owner flies home. Before you leave, check that the Mediterranean is in the cruising area on your schedule, what the policy says about theft ashore on an unfenced yard, and who checks lines and fenders when the mistral or the bora blows.

Is your sum insured still right?

Compare the sum insured on your policy with what the boat is worth today and see whether it is too low, about right or higher. For more than 45,000 models.

Your favourite harbour 2027

Until 1 April 2027, owners and crews choose their favourite harbour in five categories, from German lakes and rivers to harbours abroad. One vote per category and day, no sign-up. A nice way to think of summer in winter.

Owner's Letter, November: winter afloat, storms and salvage