England is filled with canals that are so small the average boat cannot navigate the waters. This has made the narrowboat a vehicle of necessity if using these waterways is part of a family’s life and travel. Every year the number of families that own narrowboats continues to grow and as this happens the opportunity for accidents involving narrowboats increases.
Before purchasing a narrowboat the potential owner should find out everything they can about narrowboat insurance and what it covers. Many of the waterways in the UK are now requiring narrowboat insurance before they allow them to access their water and have passage to other areas. Before taking holiday and buying a narrowboat make sure the insurance policy has been purchased and is in place.
Theft and accident coverage is naturally an important factor when purchasing narrowboat insurance. Because the number of these boats has increased the number of thefts has increased. Narrowboat insurance can have a clause in it that covers theft of the boat as well as damage by vandals. While these are obviously areas people don’t want to consider, they can and do happen. Make sure to read the policy and know how to secure the boat so that if it is stolen it will be replaced. Fine print can be the deal breaker for an insurance policy.
Damage to the boat from underwater obstacles or while being transported to the water should also be included in the policy.
Some policies automatically include this while others have to add it in as an additional clause. Make sure the policy has included it and that the coverage is enough to get the narrowboat repaired and back on the water in a short period of time.
Liability or third party coverage is an absolute necessity in narrowboat coverage. The canals are becoming more crowded which increases the odds of collisions and other types of accidents. When these accidents occur it is important that there by a policy in place to help cover any losses that are incurred. Having liability coverage makes certain that if an accident were to happen the boat owner’s insurance would take care of the financial costs rather than the person in the accident taking the boat owner to court.
Narrowboat insurance should not be an option; it should be a requirement for the family’s finances if they are going to use a narrowboat. No one should take risks with their financial health and insuring their narrowboat is one way to keep their finances healthy.