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Is your boat insurable?
The marine insurance market changed after 2022. Exclusions now apply to entire vessel categories. Several large US direct writers are widely reported to have stopped quoting multihull sailboats. Progressive's own published limits fall to 35 feet and $175,000 of value in some hurricane-prone US states. Underwriters who once asked only whether the hull was sound now demand full maintenance documentation, electrical system inspections, seacock service records, and standing rigging replacement history.
Buyers routinely discover a vessel is uninsurable after signing a purchase contract, commissioning a survey, and committing funds. The industry says to check insurability before you buy, but until now there has been no way to do that without calling multiple brokers.
This tool checks your vessel profile against current underwriting criteria from carriers worldwide. It takes 30 seconds, costs nothing, and could save you from buying a boat that no one will cover.
Boat insurability, answered
Which boats are uninsurable in 2026?
The consistently declined categories are ferro-cement hulls of any age, amateur and home-built vessels of any material, custom one-off multihulls, wooden boats over 30 years without a specialist survey, any vessel over 30 years kept in a hurricane zone, and ex-commercial vessels converted to leisure use. Liveaboards are close behind: most US carriers do not write the policy at all. None of this is published as a blacklist; it emerges from each carrier's underwriting guidelines, which is why buyers only discover the problem after applying.
Can I insure a ferro-cement boat?
Hull coverage is effectively unavailable for ferro-cement. Most were amateur-built during a 1960s and 1970s fad, internal rebar corrosion cannot be assessed without destructive testing, impact resistance is poor, and near-zero resale value makes agreed value policies unviable for the insurer. Many surveyors refuse to survey ferro-cement at all. Third-party liability cover can sometimes be obtained through specialists such as Pantaenius or Yachtmaster Insurance, which lets you hold a marina berth, but the hull itself is uninsured.
Why are catamarans hard to insure?
Claims data, not seaworthiness. Caribbean charter fleets suffered concentrated catamaran losses in the 2017 hurricane season and those numbers fed underwriting models for all multihulls. The wide beam raises salvage and haul-out costs, fewer yards can take the width, and bridgedeck slamming is a repair category monohulls do not have. Several large US direct writers are widely reported to have stopped quoting multihull sailboats, and multihull appetite in the Australian market has narrowed sharply. Production catamarans from established builders remain insurable through specialist brokers at higher premiums; custom multihulls are far harder.
What hull materials do marine insurers decline?
GRP is the most insurable material, though documented osmosis brings conditions. Aluminium is broadly accepted with corrosion documentation. Steel has a reduced pool of underwriters and requires ultrasound thickness testing on older hulls; over 30 years without documentation it is regularly declined. Wood over 30 years needs a specialist wooden boat surveyor and a specialist insurer. Ferro-cement is declined for hull coverage almost universally. Whatever the material, the 2026 shift means the maintenance record now matters as much as the hull itself.
Do I need a survey before getting boat insurance?
Under about 10 years old, usually not. From roughly 10 to 20 years, many carriers ask for a Condition and Value survey before issuing coverage, though it is not universal and some direct writers will quote used boats without one. Past 20 years the survey is universal and the scrutiny widens: underwriters now ask about electrical systems, seacocks, hoses below the waterline, and standing rigging age, not just structural soundness. An in-water-only survey may not satisfy them; plan for a haul-out. A vessel that fails on these points is not necessarily uninsurable, but coverage will be conditional on the work.
What is a maintenance backlog and why does it affect insurance?
It is the accumulated list of small, replaceable components past their service life: seacocks, hoses, hose clamps, wiring, rigging, exhaust risers. Underwriters analysed their claims books and found most expensive losses come not from storms or collisions but from the failure of neglected fifty-pound parts, a seized seacock that floods the hull, a split hose, a brittle loom that starts a fire. Since 2024 the burden of proof has moved to the owner's records. A boat that passes a structural survey can still be declined if the maintenance history is missing.
Can I insure a liveaboard boat?
It is one of the hardest policies to obtain. Continuous occupation raises the probability of fire, flooding, and liability claims, so large direct writers such as Progressive refuse liveaboard use outright. Coverage comes from specialty carriers such as American Modern, Markel, or Chubb, at substantially higher premiums. In the UK and Europe the position is somewhat better through specialists, particularly for marina-based liveaboards with shore power inspections and maintenance records. Declaring the use honestly matters: living aboard on a leisure policy voids it.
What happens if I cannot insure my boat?
The consequences reach further than the risk itself. Most marinas require proof of third-party liability before granting a berth, lenders will not finance an uninsurable vessel, and your resale market shrinks to cash buyers willing to carry the same problem. The practical routes are third-party liability only cover through a specialist, remediating the specific failure points an insurer names, or walking away before purchase. That last option is only available to buyers who check insurability before committing, which is what this tool is for.
Which insurers cover multihull sailboats?
Specialists still write production multihulls: International Marine Insurance Services, Suncoast Insurance, and Novamar in the US, Pantaenius across Europe and worldwide, and Topsail and Craftinsure in the UK. Australia is tightest: NRMA and RACQ are reported to write production multihulls at roughly 1.5 to 2.5 times the equivalent monohull premium, and custom designs are refused. Established production builders such as Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Leopard, Catana, and Outremer with clean survey histories place most easily. Expect a surveyor's report and higher premiums everywhere.
How old can a boat be and still get insurance?
There is no fixed cut-off, but the gradient is steep. Under 10 years is straightforward. From 10 to 20 years expect a survey requirement. From 20 to 30 years the pool of willing underwriters shrinks and maintenance records join the survey as decision points. Past 30 years many mainstream carriers decline outright; industry commentary after the 2022 hurricane losses put the number of carriers exiting boat coverage at roughly half, and the survivors are strictest with older boats. Specialists such as Hagerty and Novamar still place older boats. Documentation is the lever: an old boat with a complete replacement history insures far better than a younger one without.
Does an insurance risk check replace talking to a broker?
No. This tool maps your vessel profile against publicly documented underwriting patterns so you know the terrain before you commit to a purchase. Carriers change appetite constantly, regional exceptions exist, and an individual underwriter can decline or accept outside the pattern. Treat a green rating as a normal path, an amber or red rating as a signal to involve a specialist marine broker before you buy, and a critical rating as a serious warning about the vessel's insurability and resale prospects. Always confirm current terms with a licensed broker.