GEAR
BOAT TECH
BOAT INSURANCE ADVICE
A
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT AND YOUR GEAR
s boat owners, we all carry
insurance, but are we really
covered? When we find out,
will it be too late? Boat insurance is
shrouded in mystery, as coverage
terms often come down to a matter
of opinion. Let’s unlock the secrets.
Jose Garza is the perfect person
to better explain the ins and outs of
insuring a bass boat. A Great Lakes
guide and former FLW tournament
competitor, Garza’s day job is insur-
ance sales and service for AAA in
Michigan. The job affords him a view
from both sides of the fence.
Liability
58
Garza advises boat owners to
check regulations regarding coverage.
some states, for example, require a
minimum amount of liability insur-
ance for licensed captains, guides, or
those fishing or boating for hire. In
addition, competitive anglers might
be regulated by tournament trails,
boat and motor sponsors, or sup-
porting dealers (FLW requires Tour
pros to have a minimum of $300,000
in liability coverage).
A million-dollar policy is a realistic
level of coverage. In the event that a
boat operator is deemed responsible
for the injury of another, running up
a million-dollar lawsuit isn’t out of
the realm of possibility.
Don’t Underinsure
In terms of day-to-day practicality,
Garza insists many of our policies
are still lacking.
By Joe Balog
PHOTO BY MATT PACE
“In the event of a boat insurance
claim,” Garza says, “most people
would be severely underinsured.”
He insists that, in the case of tour-
nament bass fishermen, the biggest
discrepancy lies in the amount and
value of equipment within a rig.
Most personnel working for insur-
ance companies don’t know much
about boats, especially tournament
bass boats, says Garza, and they
expect equipment within a boat to
be worth a few hundred dollars,
tops.
Considering rods, reels and lures
alone, many bass anglers carry tens
of thousands of dollars worth of
goodies in their compartments. In
the event of a theft, those items must
be covered by a rider on a policy.
FLWFISHING.COM I SUMMER 2019