Agreed value or actual cash value: which basis should a boat policy use?
They pay very differently. ACV coverage settles at depreciated market value at the time of loss, so a boat insured for $150,000 could pay out $110,000 if that is its market value on the claim date; agreed value pays the declarations-page amount on a total loss without depreciation. The premium difference buys certainty, so confirm the standard of value before binding coverage.
What is included in a boat's insured hull value?
Everything needed to make the vessel move: the hull itself, machinery such as engines and generators, electronics like GPS, AIS, and radios, and sails and rigging. Incomplete equipment lists are a classic partial-loss dispute, because insurers argue unlisted components were never contemplated in the stated hull value.
Do insurers expect a marine survey before writing hull coverage?
For agreed value and higher limits, typically yes: the insured value should track current market value, and carriers lean on a marine surveyor's valuation to set it. Underwriters may also request equipment lists and upgrade invoices when the requested limit sits well above or below what guides and recent sales imply.
Who actually requires a boat to be insured, and at what value?
Most states do not mandate boat insurance by statute, but lenders require coverage protecting their collateral and marinas commonly require liability coverage to dock. A financed boat generally needs a hull limit at least covering the loan balance with the lender as loss payee, so loan documents and payoff figures become part of the valuation picture.