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Boat insurance

Help protect your boat in and out of the water

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Sail with added peace of mind

Whether you have a luxury houseboat or a more modest dinghy, your boat is likely something you want to protect. With RACV Boat Insurance, your boat and its permanent fixtures and fittings can be protected from loss or damage caused by a variety of events, including unintentional damage, collision, fire, storm and flood, theft and more.

Keep in mind that this cover isn’t right for jetskis or flyboards.

24/7 claims help

Make or manage a claim anytime by calling our helpful claims team.

What does Boat Insurance cover?

Here’s a summary of what’s incuded:

Loss or damage to your boat caused by a covered incident including an accident, flood, fire, malicious act, storm, theft or attempted theft.

Up to $250,000 in clean-up costs to remove, contain or clean up debris and liquids from your boat as a result of an insured event.

Up to $1,000 for a hull inspection by a qualified marine repairer if you need to confirm whether a covered incident has caused loss or damage.

Up to $10 million in liability cover in certain circumstances to cover you or any person you allow to operate your boat, if your boat causes injury to someone else or damages their property.

Up to $5,000 to cover maritime search and rescue services if your boat is lost or reported missing.

This policy covers:

the hull

protective canopies and covers

motors that propel your boat through water

a boat tender

masts, spars, rigging and sails

a trailer used to carry your boat

fire extinguishers and life jackets

This is only a summary of the inclusions for RACV Boat Insurance. For more information, such as conditions, limits and exclusions, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.

The cost to fix previous damage.

Incidents that take place more than 200 nautical miles from the Australian mainland or Tasmania.

General deterioration or wear and tear.

Incidents where the person controlling your boat was under the influence of any alcohol or drug, was being reckless, was an unsupervised learner driver or did not hold a current or valid licence.

Mechanical, structural, electronic or electrical failures.

For more information on General Exclusions and items not included in your cover, refer to the Product Disclosure Statement.

For added peace of mind, you can choose to boost your boat insurance cover with optional extras. If you do this, you’ll need to pay more on your premium.

Nominate cover up to $10,000 for contents in a lockable cabin or compartment on your boat. Includes portable clothing and selected personal belongings, GPS, diving, fishing and waterskiing equipment stored there.

Only use your boat in summer? You can lower your premium by choosing a period between 1 and 6 months each year where you won’t be using your boat. You’ll get limited cover during this time then your full cover for the rest of the year.

Extend your liability cover to include when your boat is being used to tow a waterskier or someone riding a flotation device.

Extended cover for when your sailboat is used in a race, trial, test, contest or organised event, with up to a 50 nautical mile radius from the official starting point.

For associated conditions, see the Product Disclosure Statement.

We may need some extra info about your boat

If your boat is moored, you may be asked to provide an Out of Water Survey and Valuation Report before it can be insured.

About the report

Download requirements

See the information needed to obtain an out of water survey and valuation report.

How to tell if you need a report

Fibreglass boats

If your boat is less than 10 years old, you probably won’t need a report, but you can call us on 1300 870 922 to check. If it’s older, you may need a report from within the last 5 years.

Non-fibreglass boats

If your boat is less than 10 years old, you may need a report from within the last 5 years. If it’s older, you may need a report from within the last 3 years.

More than just great cover

No claim or query is too difficult. Local consultants are always here to help. 

Save on the price of your premium when you pay annually.

The longer you're a Member, the greater your discount on selected products with our Years of Membership benefit.*

Take out two or more eligible policies and save up to 10% on each – including home and motor insurance.*

Make sure you’re covered before you hit the water. Call us to get a quote now.

Frequently asked questions

How much does boat insurance cost?

A number of factors contribute to the overall cost of your premium. This includes the type of boat you have, where and how you keep it and whether you want to add extra options to your cover. See the Premium, Excess and Discounts Guide for more details

You may be able to reduce the cost of your premium by choosing the Lay up cover option at the start of your policy period.

Lay up cover is when you nominate a period of time – between one and 6 months – where you won’t be using your boat and it will remain securely kept on a trailer, or dry stored.

For more details on Lay up cover and associated conditions, refer to page 31 of the Product Disclosure Statement.

What is agreed value and how is it calculated?

Agreed value is the amount you want to insure your boat for. Because it is a fixed amount, it provides more certainty on what compensation you can expect if your boat is considered a write off after an accident.

To work out the agreed value, you might be asked to get a valuation report for your boat, which needs to be completed by an independent, qualified and licenced marine valuer.

The agreed value of your boat includes any modifications, options, or accessories that are attached to your boat.

What types of boats can be insured?

RACV Boat Insurance covers boats that are dry stored, moored or kept on a trailer. This includes canoes, cruisers, cuddy cabins (half cabins), dinghies, house boats, kayaks, runabouts, sailboats (single hull and catamarans) and ski boats.

We can also help you with...

Marine batteries

Get back on the water quickly. Our team carries a variety of batteries, and delivers to homes, boat ramps and docked boats in greater Melbourne and Geelong.

Trailer Insurance

Get cover for collision damage or loss caused by natural events like bushfire, flood or storm, malicious damage or theft, or a collision on the road.

Boat Trailer Roadside Assistance

The roadside assistance you need for your boat trailer to keep you moving.

Marine finance

With a wide range of boat finance options and our handy loan calculator, RACV can help make buying your new boat easier.

* The Multi-Policy Discount and Years of Membership Benefits exclude Travel, Business and Farm Insurance products. To qualify for the Multi-Policy Discount, you must hold two eligible RACV Insurance policies. For further details, see the Premium, Excess and Discounts guide at racv.com.au. Discounts will only be applied until any applicable minimum premium is reached. On renewal, any increases or decreases in your premium may be limited by factors such as your previous year’s premium. You may not save more with more eligible policies and by staying with RACV Insurance longer if a minimum premium is reached, or limits have been applied to increases or decreases in your premium.

The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.

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