A boat’s engine is critical to your ability to operate it. Even sailboats might need auxiliary power from time to time, though their primary source of propulsion is the wind. Therefore, you don’t need to envision or experience any kind of engine failure, especially when it might interrupt your trip or damage your vessel. The lost time, expensive repairs and inconvenience will all probably seem like challenges.

Even relatively simple damage to a simple outboard engine could wind up costing thousands of dollars in boat repairs. Therefore, it’s only natural to wonder whether your boat insurance will cover your damage.

Since your engine is an essential part for your vessel, your boat insurance may apply to help you purchase the required repairs, following a breakdown. However, whether it'll or not will usually depend upon the cause of the harm, the cost of the repairs, and the terms within your policy.

Boat Insurance Is Not Meant for Maintenance

Your boat engine might explode suddenly or without warning. In these cases, your boat insurance will be there to assist you because the damage was unexpected and unpreventable. However, when damage that could have been avoided occurs, you will likely see that your plan offers no coverage.

To put it plainly, your insurance policy won’t cover damage to your boat that results from lack of maintenance, negligent repairs or normal wear & tear. Given that engines are complex machines, it is your responsibility to have maintenance done regularly, and to make repairs to small problems before they have a chance to get worse and put you in harm’s way. If you don’t, and damage occurs, then your insurer might deduce that the damage was caused by your negligence and won’t honor your claim.

When Your Policy Will Cover Damage

Sometimes, your engine might fail due to a catastrophic problem that you could not have anticipated. For example, a simple spark within the engine could lead to a fire that spreads throughout the vessel and ultimately damages it beyond repair. Or, someone might steal your engine for parts, causing you to face the loss of an important piece of property.

Under these circumstances, your boat insurance might be able to help you. If your policy covers physical damage, it will usually pay for the results of a catastrophic engine failure. Some policies separate physical damage insurance into collision coverage, which pays for damage from wrecks, and comprehensive coverage, which pays for damage from losses other wrecks (fires, theft, weather etc.).

It’s important that you work with your agent to structure the terms and deductibles within your physical damage insurance appropriately. Therefore, if an engine problem leads to a total loss of your vessel, you will have the reassurance of a high degree of coverage, even in a worst-case scenario.

Also Read: How Much Boat Insurance Do I Need?