Choosing mooring lines and fenders, length, diameter and damage at the berth

Lines that are too short hold the boat rigid, too few fenders let it chafe. Between them they cause the most common damage at the berth, to your own topsides and to your neighbour's. Four fenders are the minimum, over ten metres you need more, and a spare fender for locks is part of the kit.

Damage to the boat alongside is a liability matter, provided you are at fault. On the water, liability follows fault: if the boat next to you is damaged through no fault of yours, in a storm for example, nobody is liable. That is precisely why your own hull cover is what protects you, not your neighbour's liability cover.

Damage to rented property such as pontoons and storage units is included in the liability cover from Basis-Plus upwards. In the reverse case, where your boat is damaged and the party responsible cannot pay, cover for irrecoverable claims is likewise included from Basis-Plus upwards. It steps in when a third party is liable but unable to pay.