May a friend take the helm?

Third-party liability attaches to the boat, not to a named person. That means it is not only you who is covered but every authorised helmsman who holds the licence required where you are. Authorised means with your knowledge and consent: a friend, a family member, a guest at the wheel. We do not ask you to name them.

Two conditions carry the whole question. The first is the licence: it has to be the one the water requires, and if it is missing the indemnity is at risk, whatever permission you gave. The second is the authorisation itself. Someone who casts off without your knowledge is not an authorised helmsman, and that is the case where the wording works against the person at the wheel rather than against you.

Put the permission in writing. A single sheet with the name, the period, the waters and any conditions you care about takes five minutes and answers the question that gets asked first after a claim. There is a printable form for it in the forms section.

On a hull claim the policy pays, not the helmsman. The excess is borne by the policyholder, and the claim runs through your contract rather than through your friend’s. Whether you ask them privately for the excess is a matter between the two of you and not one the policy decides. It is a conversation to have before you hand over the keys, not after.

The question comes up more often than you might think. A survey carried out by Nordlight Research for the German motoring club ADAC in January 2026 found that one in four of the roughly 3.6 million people in Germany who go boating regularly usually takes out a boat belonging to friends or family, while only one in eight mostly uses their own. If you are the one borrowing, look at it from your side too: personal liability cover at home is written very differently from one contract and one country to the next, and damage to the borrowed boat itself is almost never part of it. Ask before casting off whether the boat carries third-party and hull cover and how high the excess is.

Lending is not chartering. The moment money changes hands it is a commercial use, and that has to be in the contract. Without it the cover is missing at exactly the point where it is needed, and no amount of goodwill afterwards repairs that.

Worth remembering

After a claim the question is not who was at the helm, but whether they were allowed to be and held the licence.

Do I have to tell you who is sailing the boat?

No. Every authorised helmsman with the required licence is covered, and we do not ask for names.

Does my friend need a licence?

The one the water requires. If it is missing the indemnity is at risk, even though you gave permission.

My friend caused the damage. Who pays?

The claim runs through your contract, and the excess is borne by you as the policyholder.

Is a verbal permission enough?

Usually yes, but it is hard to evidence after a claim. Use the printable permission form, one sheet is enough.

May I lend the boat for money?

Then it is chartering and it has to be in the contract. Without that entry the cover is missing.

Who is covered on a skippered charter? Who has to prove what in a claim? What happens if the boat is underinsured?