Canal Boat Holiday Insurance

Why do I need Holiday Insurance?

Holiday Insurance is designed to cover those risks that are not going to be covered by the company supplying the holiday as well as risks that might arise as a result of booking a holiday at all.

For example: 

·         Holiday cancellation due to accident or illness

·         Excess expenditure due to flight or other delays

·         Loss of luggage

·         Loses due to events beyond the holiday company’s control

·         Numerous other situations according to the exact nature of the policy.

Looking at canal holidays in particular “Acts of God” beyond the control of the hire company can occasionally cause problems, for instance flooding could possibly deny you reasonable and safe access to the boat. As could severe drought even though an unlikely prospect in England.

Added to this canals can sometimes, though rarely, be closed for emergency repairs such as collapsed banks or damaged lock gates.

These situations, though thankfully unlikely could leave you looking for emergency accommodation or even alternative holidays, but fault cannot be attributed to the hire company as the situation is out of their hands.

At the same time you find yourself in a position where having already paid for accommodation you still need to find an alternative … and in a hurry.

Most firms will do their utmost to help you through a situation which is as inconvenient and embarrassing for them as it is difficult for you, but they have already themselves paid for the facilities and services to provide you with the holiday and are not likely to offer a complete refund unless they really have too.

They may possibly have some insurance of their own to cover some of these factors, but ultimately it is far safer for you to make your own arrangements.

Accident and medical insurance should also be considered, especially if you are coming to the UK from abroad.

The NHS are well practiced and proficient at putting bodies back together, but if you then have to be transported home in a specialist Air Ambulance the bills are going to mount up.

What Insurance do the Hire Companies offer?

As a basic measure the companies are required to provide Public Liability Insurance, this is effectively third party insurance designed to cover compensation for any damage done to third parties by their Company’s activities  …. Such as hiring out boats.

Anything beyond this is voluntary, though they are likely to effectively provide the boats with fully comprehensive insurance to insure against damages or loses affecting the boats themselves.

Typically this will come with something like a £500 excess per boat, which will be passed onto the hirers, in other words you, if hiring a boat, will be asked for a £500 deposit against damage, while the boat is in your care.

This is usually offered with an alternative of paying an insurance waiver, which effectively means that you take out additional insurance to cover the £500 excess.

Some companies will include this in their initial quote; others will present it as an additional charge when you pick the boat up.

Typically the cost is between £25 and £45 it is best to ask about this when getting the initial quotes.

While doing this  you can also sensibly check that they do have valid Public Liability Insurance and that they are signed up to some sort of recovery and repair service, should the boat break down or get something like a supermarket trolley wrapped around the propeller.

On the whole problems are few and far between, but asking sensible questions about insurance status and validity is always a good precaution. As is ensuring that you personally have sufficient insurance to turn a “disaster” into an “adventure” in the unlikely event of disaster happening.