The following is an article I provided for a magazine that is no longer published. But it think the information is still valuable this time of year.
Insurance, (often defined as the transfer of the risk of a potential loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a reasonable fee) is sometimes expected to pay for these regular expenses. Well, let me remind you that wear and tear and maintenance are not covered by insurance.
There are a few claims that keep popping up. One marine insurance claim department I contacted felt that about 80 percent of their claims are the result of hitting a submerged object.
Lightning strikes. Being the one of the tallest things on the water during storms is bound to result in a lightning strike. Lightning usually “fries” the electronics, puts holes in fiberglass and starts fires. It is a hard thing to prevent. Best way to reduce the damage is to ground the boat so the current has a way to pass through to the ground.
There are all sorts of variations along with different levels of each type of claim. Even if you take all the precautions, accidents do happen. Boat owners buy insurance to transfer the risk to the insurance company for those unexpected catastrophes, so make sure you have the right coverage for your vessel and you implement a preventative maintenance plan to help reduce potential claims.