Does Boat Insurance Cover a Blown Engine?

Boat insurance provides important coverage for your boat, but it doesn’t cover everything. There are some instances where your boat insurance policy won’t provide compensation for an accident. 

If you have a blown engine on your boat, there’s a chance your boat insurance policy won’t cover you. Boat insurance covers: 

• Comprehensive Coverage: Comprehensive coverage provides compensation for damage due to lightning, windstorms, theft, vandalism and more.
• Collision Coverage: Collision coverage provides compensation if your boat is damaged due to a collision, either with a boat or other object.
• Property Damage Liability: This liability insurance helps if you damage someone else’s property while operating the boat.
• Bodily Injury Liability: Bodily injury liability helps pay for medical expenses and possible legal expenses if you injure someone while operating the boat.
• Towing
• Guest Passenger Liability: This liability coverage provides compensation to victims injured by a guest allowed to operate your boat. 

Boat insurance generally does not cover normal wear and tear. If your engine blows due to normal wear and tear or negligence, your boat insurance likely won’t cover you. If the engine blowout is sue to any of the above incidents (such as a collision with another object or some environmental accident), then you may be covered. 

Before filing an insurance claim, it’s best to have the damage appraised to see if the cost of repairs is more or less than the cost of your deductible. If it costs less to repair the damages out of pocket, you may want to avoid filing a claim. Filing a claim is also likely to raise your insurance rates. 

To avoid issues with your boat engine, make sure: 

• The motor is the correct height. Having it too high or too low can cause issues with the propellers.
• Keep everything in good condition, including the gear case.
• Identify boats more likely to have a blowout. The shape of a boat’s hull can have an affect on its likelihood of blowouts.
• Manage your speed. Make sure not to push the boat to or past its maximum. 

Boats with higher safety ratings may also cost less to insure.  

How Much Does Boat Insurance Cost a Month? 


The average cost of boat insurance is about $25-$41.66 a month ($300-$500 a year). This number depends on several factors, including what type of boat you have and what it’s used for. Other influences include your: 

• Age
• Location
• Claims history
• Credit score
• Gender
• Horsepower 

Boats designed to go faster may cost more to insure. If you have young or inexperienced boaters on the policy, your rates may also be higher. No matter how often passengers ride on the boat, all guests should be aware of safety measures to prevent in accident, especially in the case that you are unable to drive the boat back to shore. 

Is Boat Insurance Required? 

Boat insurance isn’t federal or state-mandated, but it’s important to have it nonetheless. A home insurance policy typically only covers about $1,000 in liability insurance for boats. This doesn’t account for expensive medical bills, possible lawsuits or any damage done to the actual boat. If you believe that you need more liability insurance, perhaps if you have a large boat and carry many passengers, you can also purchase an umbrella insurance policy that covers where your other liability insurance stops. For example, if you crash into another boat and owe $50,000 in damages but your policy only covers $5,000, umbrella insurance can step in to pay the remaining $45,000. 

Make sure to boat safely and speak with an insurance agent about insuring your boat.