Commercial Boat Insurance for Your Lake Charter Business

Starting and running a lake charter business can be exciting. More people are hitting the water and enjoying the outdoors as a natural way to vacation and relax. And, with this increase in demand for domestic boat charters, it’s no wonder more businesses are opening their doors to meet demand. If you have the experience and the boat, you may wish to start your own business like this. And, doing so can be an excellent opportunity. Before you do, ensure you have the appropriate amount and type of commercial boat insurance in place.

What Type of Commercial Boat Insurance Do You Need?

Commercial boat insurance provides financial protection to you as the business owner for accidents and incidents that occur to your business, to your guests, and to your assets. It aids in protecting those assets while also working to reduce liability risks. Policy coverage should include, then, the following types of protections:

• Protection for the boat itself: This should be written based on an agreed value whenever possible. It should protect the value of your boat from most risks including theft, vandalism, fires, and others.
• Liability insurance: General liability and umbrella insurance help protect you from claims made against you by others including other property owners who suffer damaged as a result of an accident you cause as well as passengers aboard your boat.  Policies generally include up to $2 million in coverage, sometimes more.
• Property insurance for your belongings: If your charter offers fishing, scuba diving, or other services in which you have a significant amount of equipment on board, you need personal property coverage.
• Pollution liability cover: This helps to provide protection in situations where your boat or your passengers create an environmental hazard.
• Passenger medical payment cover: If an individual is hurt on your boat, this type of policy can help to cover his or her losses from medical care.

Work with your commercial boat insurance provider to select an appropriate level of coverage for the size and type of your operation. You’ll want to personalize your plan to the type of charter you offer such as eco and nature tours, sports fishing charters, whale watching, or even expeditions that span multiple days. Your plan needs to reflect the type of operation you offer.