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War, riots, confiscation: is the boat still insured?
Short answer
War, strikes, riots and confiscation are excluded in the boat policies we reviewed. Long distance cruisers therefore keep clear of trouble spots, and for a bail bond after a boat is detained abroad, assistance add-ons exist in the market.
Sail far enough and you reach waters where conflict, unrest or political tension shape daily life: the Red Sea, parts of the eastern Mediterranean, coasts where the situation can change within weeks. The obvious question is whether the boat is still insured there. In the policies we reviewed the answer is the same. Loss or damage caused by war, civil war, riots, civil commotion, strikes, terrorism and political violence is excluded, and so are confiscation, seizure and other acts of a government or authority.
For long distance cruisers this starts with route planning. Follow the FCDO travel advice for the countries on your route and the navigational and security warnings for the area, including those issued by UKMTO for the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and stay away from places of acute danger rather than relying on insurance that does not reach them. Separate war risks cover for a transit through a conflict zone does exist in the market; ask early, because it is expensive and not available for every route.
Detention happens more often than people think, and it rarely has anything to do with war. An authority holds a boat because papers are missing, a rule is said to have been broken or an accident is under investigation. Security is then often demanded before the boat is released. Keep the registration, proof of insurance and clearance papers complete on board. Bail bond or security cover is offered in some assistance add-ons in the market; if you look for it in a policy wording, check the limit, whether it is a loan you repay, and which situations trigger it. Settle before you leave who could advance the money abroad. With us, the liability cover provides a short-term bail loan abroad from Basis Plus, up to 50,000 euros, and in Premium up to 200,000 euros, at most the value of the boat.
Worth remembering
War and riots
excluded in the wordings we reviewed
Bail abroad
a question for assistance cover
You avoid trouble spots and you plan for bail.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Does boat insurance pay for damage caused by war?
As a rule, no. War, civil war and similar events are excluded in the hull wordings we reviewed, ours included. For a transit through a conflict zone, separate war risks cover can sometimes be arranged in the market.
Is the boat insured if an authority confiscates it?
Confiscation, seizure and other acts of an authority are excluded from hull cover in the wordings we reviewed. What can help is bail bond or security cover from an assistance add-on, if your policy has one.
What should I look for in bail bond cover?
The limit per case and per year, whether the money is a loan you have to repay and how quickly, and whether it applies only to alleged navigation offences or to other detentions as well.
Related
Not sure whether you qualify?
Whether it is “War, riots, confiscation: is the boat still insured?” 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.
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