Call us for a boat or marine trade insurance quote on 03333 609 886
Boatyard Insurance with Peace of Mind
A customer’s boat gets damaged on your pontoon, in your travel hoist or on stands waiting for antifouling, and the first question is: who pays? Marina and boatyard insurance exists to provide cover for your own structures, staff and income.
Our Managing Director, Keith Lovett, started in marine insurance in Poole in the early 1980s. Within a few years, he was helping put together some of the first combined policies for marine businesses. We still arrange cover for marinas, boatyards and mooring operators from our underwriting centre in Parkstone today.
So, get in touch for a quote on marina or boatyard insurance, or call us on 03333 609 886 to speak to a member of our team.
When a Customer’s Boat Is Damaged on Your Site
Most of the value on a marina or boatyard site belongs to somebody else. Boat owners should insure their own vessels, and most marinas make that a condition of the berthing contract, but their policy doesn’t cover the mistakes your business makes.
If a sling slips during a lift or a fire starts in your workshop, the owner’s insurer will try to recover its costs from you. Whether you’re liable depends on your contract terms and whether there was negligence, so your cover must be built around both.
That’s why every marina insurance quote starts with what you do with customers’ boats. Lifting, storing ashore, moving between berths and working on them each changes your liability.
What Does Marina and Boatyard Insurance Cover?
A standard commercial boat insurance policy isn’t written for pontoons, slipways and boats that belong to your customers. Specialist cover for marinas, boatyards and mooring operators includes:
- Liability for customers’ boats in your care, covering damage your business is legally responsible for
- Public liability – injury to visitors and damage to their property on your premises
- Employers’ liability – legally required once you have paid staff
- Property and structures – includes pontoons, jetties, slipways, gangways and other marine installations
- Handling equipment – includes boat hoists, travel lifts, cranes, transporters and forklifts
- Vessels you own, operate or have under repair as part of the business
- Pollution liability – covering clean-up costs and third-party claims after a fuel or oil spill
- Business interruption – for lost income after an insured event such as storm damage or losing access to the waterway
- Goods in transit – for stock and customers’ property while it’s being moved
At Stoneways Marine, we’ll work through which of these your business needs, and provide you with a bespoke package, instead of handing you a fixed policy.
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How Cover Differs for Marinas, Boatyards and Mooring Operators
Marinas
A marina’s main exposures come from the berths and facilities it provides. Public liability, property cover for pontoons and shoreside buildings, and liability for moored vessels usually matter most. Pollution cover follows close behind if you sell fuel.
Boatyards
A working boatyard lifts, stores and repairs boats, so handling equipment cover comes in, along with heavier responsibility for vessels out of the water. Many sites do both, and if this applies to your business, we can create one combined policy which covers everything in a single document.
Mooring Management
If you administer mooring rights for a landowner, harbour or club, the right policy depends on three things. We’ll look at whether you own any of the moorings, how many vessels use them and what your contract makes you responsible for.
Contractors Working on Your Site
Riggers, engineers and other independent tradespeople working on your premises can create claims that land on you. Many marinas now ask visiting contractors for proof of their own public liability cover before work starts. If you’re a contractor being asked for it, our self-employed marine trade insurance page explains what you need.
Who Arranges Your Cover
Keith has spent more than 40 years in the insurance industry, including time as a senior underwriter at a worldwide insurer. He’s a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute and leads Stoneways alongside Will Prest. You can read more about Keith or meet the rest of the team.
We’re a broker authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference 306915). We place your cover with insurers and review it with you as your business changes. If you run a harbour authority or other marine management operation, or a boat building and repair business, we arrange cover for those too.
Making a Claim
If something goes wrong on your site, call us first, and we’ll guide you through the claim with the insurer. Our claims guidance explains the process step by step.
Get in touch for a quote on marina insurance, or call us on 03333 609 886.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between marina insurance and boatyard insurance?
Marina insurance and boatyard insurance overlap in several areas but reflect different business activities and risk profiles. A marina primarily provides berths and facilities to boat owners, so the main exposures tend to be public liability, property, and liability for vessels moored on site. A boatyard is an active working environment where vessels are lifted, stored, and repaired, which introduces additional exposures such as handling equipment cover for hoists and cranes, contractor’s liability, and greater responsibility for damage to customers’ vessels while they’re in your care. Many businesses operate both functions on the same site, in which case a combined policy can cover all activities under one document.
Does boatyard insurance cover damage to customers' boats?
Customers should insure their own boats, and a marine or boatyard will insist on this as part of the terms and conditions. Any liability that rests with the marina or boatyard can be catered for.
What does mooring management insurance cover?
Mooring management insurance is designed to provide cover for businesses or individuals responsible for administering mooring rights where a legal liability exists. Because mooring management arrangements vary, the right policy structure depends on whether you own any of the infrastructure, the volume of vessels using the moorings, and the nature of your contractual obligations.
Call our team of experts today on 03333 609 886 for more information.
