Boat Insurance

For life on the water

Canada has beautiful lakes, rivers, and ocean access, making it a boat lovers’ paradise. In Ontario, it’s important to consider the right boat insurance policy to protect your watercraft, yourself, and your passengers.

Boat insurance protects your watercraft from a myriad of potential perils, such as:

• Fire
• Explosion
• Hail
• Wind
• Theft
• Vandalism
• Liability issues

Boat insurance applies to a variety of watercraft devices, including:

• Fishing boats
• Kayaks
• Canoes
• Sailboats
• Yachts
• Jet skis
• Pontoons
• Cruisers
• Rowboats
• Motorboats

At Ron Johnston Insurance, we provide watercraft insurance that covers you from your home garage to the city marina to your lakeside cabin. Whether your boat is in transit on the road, or being lowered into the water, you can rest assured your boat insurance is actively protecting it.

What Does Boat Insurance Cover?

Within the coverage your boat insurance provides, your watercraft is protected in terms of:

• Hull – The body of the boat.
• Belongings – The contents of your boat.
• Trailers – Anything towed by your boat or used to tow your boat to a marina.
• Motor – If your boat is motorized, watercraft insurance covers damage or loss of your motor.
• Furnishings – For larger vessels that might carry furniture and appliances, you can rest assured these items are also protected.
• Equipment – From your radio system to your GPS tools, the equipment on board your vessel is covered.

There are two types of watercraft insurance to consider:

Standard Boat Insurance

A basic boat insurance policy offers protection in the way of:

• Uninsured boaters – If you are on the water and another boater hits you, uninsured boater coverage allows your insurance company to help pay for damage to your watercraft, medical fees, and other concerns, even if the other boater has no insurance of their own.
• Medical – Medical coverage is there to help pay for costs outside of standard medical services covered under Canada’s healthcare system. If you are injured in your boat and need special treatment, medical coverage helps pay the tab.
• Liability – As with all vehicles, liability is an issue when boating. If somebody else, or their property, is harmed by your boat, liability protection acts as a buffer to absorb costs related to legal fees, medical bills, and damage repair.
• Emergency services – Even the most experienced boater find themselves in trouble from time to time. Emergency services coverage helps pay for costs like tug boat rescue, water ambulance, and more.

Extended Boat Insurance

If standard boat insurance isn’t providing enough coverage, you can opt for an extended policy, which can increase coverage in areas like:

• Water damage – Water damage is not included in insurance policy or other watercraft insurance policies for a good reason – these devices spend a lot of time in the water. If you want to protect yourself from expenses relating to mould, mildew, rust, or flooding, water damage coverage is the way to go.
• Pest control – When docked for long periods, boats can draw the attention of pests, especially rodents. Pest control is an extended boat insurance feature you can add to your policy.
• All-risk – As the name suggests, all-risk protection covers your boat from all perils, rather than just those named in your policy. This includes sinking, flood damage, falling objects and more.