Every year, Floridians must be prepared for the possibility of tropical storms, hail, damaging winds, and flooding.
In south Florida, boat dealers strongly recommend hurricane coverage because of both the frequency and likelihood of hurricanes every year.
If you own a boat or are looking to purchase one, here’s how you can save money on your boating insurance with a hurricane plan.
Similar to car insurance, boat insurance helps protect your boat or watercraft from certain risks.
Boating insurance can provide the following types of protection and coverage:
There are numerous benefits to having boating insurance in general, but what about hurricane coverage specifically?
Hurricane plans are not one-size-fits-all. Usually, the plan depends on your area and the insurance company you’re working with.
If you keep your boat or watercraft in an area with a high likelihood of hurricanes, your insurance company will likely want you to create and submit a hurricane plan.
The hurricane plan will show how and/or where your watercraft will be secured if a named or numbered storm is heading toward you.
The National Hurricane Center assigns numbers to every new tropical depression that forms out of the Atlantic.
A “named storm” happens when a tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of more than 39 miles per hour.
A hurricane is only designated as such once a tropical storm that forms in the Atlantic basin has a maximum sustained wind speed of 74 miles per hour.
For the last few years, hurricanes have devastated areas in the Southern U.S., the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Each year, these storms lead to huge losses for boat insurance companies.
As a result, there are higher insurance premiums every year for boats kept in hurricane-exposed areas.
Every insurance company will have its own rules to help you create a hurricane plan, but here are some general guidelines.
First and foremost, you want your hurricane plan to be realistic. You have to be able to follow whatever hurricane plan you submit to your insurance company.
If you do not follow the plan and your boat is damaged, then your insurer may deny your claims.
Where will you secure your boat in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane? This is typically the most important thing your insurance agency will look at when reviewing your hurricane plan.
Reputable marinas that are known for being safe harbors during storms are one of the best places to secure your boat. If you do not want to store your boat there full-time, reach out to the marina to see if you can procure a hurricane reservation.
Outline precisely how many dock lines you will use to secure your boat, as well as the configuration.
You want to make sure you have a thorough list of procedures before hurricane season even begins.
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect watercraft to spend your days on, explore reputable South Florida boat dealers.
Reputable dealers will not only have the best south Florida boats for sale but also be able to offer advice on what you need to know about a hurricane plan before reaching out to your insurance agency.
