If you’re a boat owner, you wait all year for boating season. Whether you take your boat out for a joy ride, take it out every weekend with friends or enjoy fishing trip, boats bring a lot of joy.

If you are a new boat owner, you may be wondering what insurance coverage you may need for your boat.

It’s also important to note that people who have owned a boat for years should still review their insurance policy every few years. Our agency can help determine if your coverage is still sufficient for your needs or if you need to make any changes to your existing policy. An insurance review is free, so take work with your agent to ensure you are still properly protected.

Boat insurance isn’t required in every state, but we still feel it is important to have it as there are risks to being a boat owner. Boat insurance is affordable, so we feel it is imperative to have the extra layer of protection. Your home insurance policy may provide you with some coverage, but it will be limited.

Liability insurance:

All boat insurance polices include liability coverage. Liability coverage protects you if you cause damage to something or someone while driving your boat up to your policy limits. We can explain your options for policy limits.

Comprehensive insurance: if you are worried about your boat ever being stolen, you will want to add comprehensive insurance to your boat insurance policy. Comprehensive coverage may also pay for damage to your boat from weather related storms or vandalism. If you are financing your boat, you most likely will need this coverage.

Precautions to Take to Avoid Your Boat from Being Stolen

• Like any vehicle you own, you will want to ensure your boat is being stored in a secured location.
• Invest in an alarm system. Motion detector spotlights can also scare off a thief.
• Install a GPS tracking device. If your boat is stolen, this can help track it down.
• Always lock everything valuable up. This could mean locking your boat up to something stationary or ensuring all valuables inside the boat are properly stored and locked.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage: if you get into an accident with another boater who doesn’t have insurance, this coverage can help pay for your passengers injuries or damages to your boat.

Collision insurance: offers coverage if you hit another boat or object.

Does boat insurance cover maintenance? Not typically. You are responsible for maintaining your boat.

Equipment – if you use special equipment on your boat, talk to us about insurance coverage. This could include fishing gear or other property.

Save money on your boat insurance policy

Our agents can help you find insurance discounts for your boat insurance policy. We always shop for all discounts available to you as well as explain your coverage details. Contact us for a free boat insurance quote.

Prepping your home in the event you lose power or a natural disaster strikes –

We all know the importance of being prepared, but what percentage of us actually do the prep work? A good way to ask yourself if you are prepared is to assess what you have on hand now. If a disaster struck today or if you lost power for several hours to days, would you be prepared? If the answer is no, use this list to start preparing yourself this week. January can be a great time of year to start a new habit!

Checklist for home –

• Non-perishable food: canned goods, noodles, bars, cereal, dried fruit, nut butter, crackers and other items with a longer shelf life are important to have on hand. If you currently use an electronic can opener, be sure to have a manual can opener too. You should have enough food supply for several days. Check on your inventory every six months. Also, make sure everything you have for an emergency your family will eat.
• Water: Water isn’t just essential for drinking, but can be used for brushing your teeth, cooking food and washing your hands. Keep one gallon of water on hand per person minimum. A several day supply is even better.
• Flashlights: when your power is out, flashlights are essential. Be sure to have a few on hand. A variety of flashlights are handy – traditional and lantern style. Be sure to have extra batteries stored away too.
• First Aid Kit: you can get a variety of sizes and features with many first aid kits. Even without planning for a power outage or natural disaster, this is a good one to have in your home or car.
• Battery powered generators or gas generators: An ideal item to have for a natural disaster is a power generator. This allows you to run lights, refrigerators and change your cell phones. This technology has come a long way recently so be sure to look at the options available and get one with enough power to suite your needs.
• Bonus items: filtered masks to protect you from contaminated air and an emergency whistle.

Your home should require more emergency items on hand. It is important to keep your vehicle stocked with essentials in the event you are get into a car accident, experience a flat tire or your car breaks down, as well as items for cold weather.

Checklist for your vehicle –

• Reflective triangle
• Flashlight
• Ice Scraper
• Cell Phone Charger
• Blanket
• Bonus: jumper cables & first aid kit

All of these items can prepare you if you have a flat tire, need roadside assistance and aid with bad weather.

While we hope you never have to experience a natural disaster or accident, we hope you are always prepared. If you have questions about your home or auto insurance, call our agency. We can review your coverage to ensure you have the protection you need.

The holiday season tends to see some of the biggest crime waves throughout the year. Here are some things to be aware of when it comes to lowering your risk for theft this holiday season.

Vehicle Break-ins:

Nobody wants to have their vehicle broken into. Not only does it cause a major inconvenience, but it feels violating & you could have valuables stolen out of your vehicle. To lower your risk of a break-in, always follow these tips.

• Never leave valuables in your car. There are many scenarios where you may have valuables in your car, whether for a short period or a long period. If you are out doing holiday shopping, store items in your trunk or cover them so they are not exposed. If you are parking your vehicle outside overnight or for an extended period, always remove valuables from your car. When parking for an extended period, you are at a higher risk for a break-in. Even if your vehicle was broken into, at least you can say you didn’t have anything for the burglar to take.
• Park your vehicle in well-lit areas. This could prevent thieves from breaking in if they think they could be caught on a security camera.
• Always lock your car. Get in the habit of locking your car each time you get out of your vehicle. Unlocked doors gives prowlers a free look to see what is inside & a locked car can sometimes prevent valuables from being stolen.

If I had valuables stolen out of my vehicle, does my auto insurance policy provide coverage?

The short answer is no. Comprehensive coverage on an auto insurance policy will provide you with coverage if your vehicle is stolen. Items stolen from inside your vehicle are typically not covered.

Mail Theft:

Many people receive gifts in the mail during the holidays. Gift cards and cash can often be found in holiday cards & thieves may be out lurking in your mailbox hoping to score your gift. Here are a few tips to always remember this holiday season regarding your mail.

• Get in the habit of picking up your mail daily, even if you have a locked mailbox. Prowlers can still break into your mailbox if they see mail sitting there.
• If you plan to be gone for an extended period, hold your mail. This can be done online for free with USPS.
• Ask a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member to pick up your mail.
• Don’t place cash, check, or gift cards in your outgoing mail. Did you know a thief can easily use your checking account number on your check to steal your identity? If you can, take outgoing mail to a drop-off location.

Doorstep Theft & Home Security:

Many people do more online shopping during the holidays which means more packages getting delivered to your doorstep. Thieves are aware of this. Follow these tips to lower your risk of theft at your home:

• Track all your packages. If you see a package is getting delivered on a day you will not be home, ask a friend, family member, or neighbor to grab it for you.
• Ship packages to a different location. This could be your work or friend or family member’s home where someone will be around to pick up the package for you.
• If your delivery provider has the option to pick it up at their distribution center, consider this option if you will not be home.
• If you can provide a message to your delivery provider, consider asking him or her to leave your package in a specific location at your house that is not visible to thieves.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season! If you have any questions about your insurance policy, please contact our agency.