Boat Insurance - who are you using?

[Dan in Alaska]

I am shopping around for boat insurance. We had a pretty serious trailering accident this summer, and our current boat insurance company has been dragging their feet since June. We've been jumping through hoop after hoop, but we just can't seem to make the insurance company happy enough to cut us a check. I'm shopping around for better customer service for our next insurance company. Got some recommendations?

I'll be happy to spill the name and details of our current insurance fiasco, but not until things are settled. Until then, I'll bite my tongue and simply look elsewhere.

[Woodsie]

ALLSTATE !! My 2009 boat was stolen last year, and stripped overnight. It was a nearly total loss. Allstate had a Surveyor go to the tow yard and complete a loss list. He determined that the cost of replacing & repairs exceeded the value. I had replacement value coverage, so the Surveyor calculated the replacement value, less 3% depreciation per year.. I supplied all the original documents and title, and I was sent a check. Excellent customer service from the communications standpoint. I purchased another boat and Allstate has my policy. I could probably save a couple hundred bucks by shopping the policy, but the price to be paid is harsh..

I learned the easy way, not the hard way.

Woodsie

[DFreedom]

Progressive. Never had a claim so I can't say what the service is like. I have an Agreed Upon Value policy and the price seems fair enough.

[sandybeach]

If you voted for Obama then you will love Progressive.

[rchanner]

I use BoatUS for insurance, and have yet to find anyone who can beat their rates for me on an "agreed value" policy. That said, I have not had any claims, so I can't give any first hand info on how they are with a claim.

[Dan in Alaska]

After considerable shopping around, we went with BoatUS on the "new" boat. They wouldn't give us full surveyed price, though, because we bought the boat for $20K less than the surveyed value. They only wanted to insure the boat for the purchase price, but after some haggling they split the difference with us. The "agreed value" is now $10K more than our purchase price. The rate given to us by BoatUS was about half of what Progressive wanted for the same type of policy, with similar coverage.

The previous company finally agreed to pay us, but it took over two months and three different estimates. We went out of our way to make things work, too. We even went to far as to move the boat from Seward to Anchorage, on our dime, to get the third estimate. It's been a long summer. We haven't actually received a check yet, so I'm reluctant to reveal the name of our previous insurance company.

But things are looking up. Here is the new boat:

She's a 2001 28-ft Koffler Bay-Bee Explorer, with twin 2007 F225's.

[Capt Rick Hiott]

Most of the charter Captains I know of here in Charleston,SC use Charter Lakes. You might wanna check'em out.

http://www.charterlakes.com/default.aspx