Calculate berth area, berthing costs and cover at the pontoon

To calculate the berth area, take length times beam;

for manoeuvring and fenders add about half a metre in each direction.

Marinas charge in different ways, some by length, others by area. The berth should be more generous than the boat's own dimensions, otherwise she chafes every time a swell comes through. Half a metre of manoeuvring allowance on the length and sixty centimetres on the beam are a useful guide.

A large share of all reported claims happen at the berth, without the boat ever being under way: chafe marks on the topsides, mooring lines parting in a storm, a neighbouring boat that breaks free. On the water, liability depends on fault, so if your neighbour has done nothing wrong, he is not liable.

That is why your own hull cover is the protection that counts. Comprehensive hull cover can also pay where no third party is at fault; partial hull cover usually does not. Damage to the rented pontoon itself is a matter for the liability cover, provided it includes damage to rented property.

Worked out for your type of boat

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