Personal watercraft, charter operations, dock and pier coverage, and marine liability are usually under-covered or excluded by homeowners policies. We write these every season for clients in Stonington, Mystic, Niantic, Old Saybrook, and along the Connecticut River. Boats large and small — we know the questions to ask.
Most homeowners policies cover small craft (dinghies, kayaks, paddleboards) under personal property up to a modest limit. Anything larger — outboard motors over a certain horsepower, sailboats over a certain length, anything with cabins — usually requires a separate marine policy.
Docks and piers are even trickier. Most homeowners policies cover them under "other structures" at a small percentage of the dwelling limit, with exclusions for storm surge and wave damage. For docks worth replacing — and for the liability exposure if a guest is injured — we typically recommend a separate marine policy.
If you charter, fish commercially, or run any kind of boat-based business, your personal policy doesn't cover business use. We write commercial marine for charter operators in Stonington, Mystic, and Niantic. Pollution liability and crew coverage matter.
Tell us about the boat. We'll quote across marine markets this week.
Free boat quote →Most marinas require a certificate of insurance with specific liability minimums (often $300K, sometimes $500K or higher) and specific pollution liability. We coordinate the certificate with the marina directly so you don't have to.
Massive range. A 21-foot center console might be $400–$800/year. A 35-foot sailboat on a Mystic mooring might be $1,500–$3,000. Charter and commercial coverage is significantly higher. Dock-only coverage often runs $300–$700/year depending on dock size and location. We quote it all.
Only barely. Homeowners policies typically cover small craft under personal property up to a modest limit, with motor-size restrictions, and liability coverage for boats is narrower still. A 19-foot runabout on a trailer is usually already past what the homeowners form handles well — and theft of the trailer rig itself is its own question.
A certificate of insurance naming the marina, with liability at their stated minimum (often $300K, sometimes $500K or more) and, increasingly, fuel-spill / pollution liability. Every marina office from Westbrook to Mystic has its own sheet of requirements — send it over and we'll write the certificate to match.
Under homeowners alone, often not the way you'd hope: docks fall under "other structures" at a small percentage of the dwelling limit, and storm surge and wave damage — the way docks actually die — are commonly excluded as flood. A dock worth rebuilding usually needs its own coverage. The flood conversation is the other half of this.
No — any paid use is business use, and personal marine policies exclude it. Six-pack charter captains, fishing guides, and seasonal tour operators need commercial marine coverage, and the marina's certificate requirements are usually higher for commercial slips. It costs more; an excluded claim costs everything.
One conversation. We'll quote across carriers, coordinate the marina certificate, and make sure your dock isn't a $40K coverage gap.
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