Home / For international owners / Claims
Bow thruster fails while berthing: who pays for the damage?
Short answer
If the bow thruster fails while berthing and your boat damages another,
the claim usually goes to your third party liability cover.
A fault in the thruster itself is often treated by hull policies as wear and tear or mechanical
breakdown.
A bow thruster makes berthing a motor boat easy, which is exactly why so many skippers rely on it. If it fails halfway through, the bow blows off and the boat hits the pontoon or the boat next door. Typical causes: the electric motor cuts out after long continuous use because it overheats, the battery voltage drops, a shear pin breaks because a line or debris has fouled the propeller, or the tunnel is fouled with growth. For your neighbour the cause makes no difference: his or her boat is damaged and the question is who pays.
Damage to the other boat is usually a matter for your third party liability insurance. A technical failure does not automatically excuse the skipper, who is expected to berth in a way that can still be completed or aborted without the thruster. Your liability insurer looks at who is legally liable, defends claims that are not justified and settles those that are. The thruster itself is a different matter: a burnt out motor, a broken shear pin or a worn propeller are often treated in hull policies as wear and tear or mechanical breakdown and excluded. What applies is in your own policy wording.
Test the thruster briefly in both directions before you leave the berth and keep the battery charged. Use short bursts rather than holding it on, so the motor does not overheat. Plan every approach so you can abort it without the thruster, and have a boathook and fenders ready. If it happens: photograph the damage, exchange names and addresses, complete a joint incident report without admitting liability, and notify your insurer straight away. Do not accept or pay the claim yourself.
Worth remembering
Damage to the other boat
usually a third party liability claim
Fault in the thruster
often wear or mechanical breakdown
A bow thruster is an aid, not a plan: every approach must be one you can abort without it.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Who pays if my boat hits another because the bow thruster failed?
Damage to the other boat is usually a matter for your third party liability insurance. A technical failure does not automatically excuse the skipper, because the manoeuvre should be manageable without the thruster.
Will hull insurance pay to repair the bow thruster?
Often not if the motor overheated, a shear pin broke or the propeller is worn. Many policies treat that as wear and tear or mechanical breakdown. It can be different if an outside event caused the damage.
Why do bow thrusters fail while berthing?
Mostly through overheating after long use, a weak battery, a broken shear pin or growth in the tunnel. Short bursts and regular maintenance help.
Related
Not sure whether you qualify?
Whether it is “Bow thruster fails while berthing: who pays for the damage?” or another question: send us your residence and the flag your boat flies. You will get a straight answer in one email; including a no, if that is the answer.
Was this useful?
