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Narrowboat Insurance
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Why choose Craftinsure for narrowboat insurance?
Whether you’re leisure cruising or living aboard your narrowboat or widebeam, specialist cover through Craftinsure is designed to help you feel safe and ready for each adventure. Armed with a narrowboat insurance policy, you can cruise the canals confidently, knowing you have financial protection in place against injuries, third-party claims, and unexpected damage or loss to your vessel.
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Trusted by boat owners
Rated ‘Excellent’ by Trustpilot and Smart Money People, Craftinsure arranges cover for over 20,000 boat owners.
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Fast online cover
Request a quote online and complete your purchase in minutes using our simple, fully digital process.
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Up to £5m third-party cover
Up to £5m of cover is included as standard for protection against third-party claims.
Narrowboat insurance highlights
- Public Liability cover (up to £5m) is included as standard
- Includes cover for those who liveaboard and continuous cruisers
- Territorial limits include inland waterways across the UK
- Can cover the recovery of your vessel after a loss
- Get a quick online quote in minutes
What does narrowboat insurance cover?
Narrowboat Insurance
- Personal effects (with a single item limit of £500)
- Third-party cover up to £5m
- ‘Live aboard’ use and continuous cruising
- Loss or damage from fire or theft
- Loss or damage during transit by road
- Repair or replacement (up to the sum insured)
- Recovery of the vessel following a loss
- Tenders
- Underwater gear
- Others using your boat (with your permission)
- Use on inter-connecting tidal waterways
Narrowboat insurance through Craftinsure does not cover the following:
- Wear, tear, depreciation, or gradual deterioration
- Mechanical or electrical breakdown
- Loss or damage caused by the vessel being unseaworthy
- Theft of outboard motors (unless securely locked and you have recorded the serial number)
- Loss or damage to personal effects unless the vessel has lockable storage
- Loss of money, cheques, credit or debit cards, jewellery, spectacles, or mobile phones
- Vessel operation outside of the territorial scope shown in your policy
- Wilful misconduct or recklessness by you or others in control of the vessel
For full details on the cover provided, please see our insurance documents.
How much does narrowboat insurance cost?
Several factors affect the cost of a narrowboat insurance policy through Craftinsure, such as:
- the age and value of your narrowboat or widebeam
- your boat’s intended use
- your boat’s mooring location
- your experience and claims history
- your selected level of cover
You can learn the cost of narrowboat insurance through Craftinsure by getting an online quote.
Why consider narrowboat insurance?
Narrowboat insurance is designed to shield you, your boat, and other canal users from the various risks associated with using the canal. These include injuries to yourself or your passengers, third-party claims emerging from accidents on the waterways, or your boat being lost, damaged or stolen.
For example, thieves could target your boat during your travels, or you could accidentally damage another canal user’s property whilst mooring your boat. Narrowboat insurance can cover expensive reparation costs or legal fees, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, so you can get back to cruising without worrying about your finances.
Specialist narrowboat insurance through Craftinsure also covers widebeams, which are broader canal boats designed for more space and comfort. You can get covered in minutes by simply specifying your boat type during our quote process, subject to underwriting checks.
Narrowboat Insurance FAQs
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Narrowboat insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK, but many boat owners choose to buy it as a way of protecting their investment should the worst happen.
That said, you need to have a minimum of £1m of Public Liability cover to cruise on UK inland waterways, or you could face a fine. Craftinure arranges narrowboat insurance policies with £5m third-party liability cover as standard.
For further information on your legal requirements when owning a narrowboat or widebeam, please visit gov.co.uk.
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Having an out-of-water condition and valuation survey carried out on your narrowboat ensures the safety of everyone onboard, alongside other canal users.
At Craftinsure, for boats over 30 years old, you must have a survey report no more than five years old, with all recommendations complied with.
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Yes—Personal Effects are covered, with a single item limit of £500.
However, this excludes the loss of items such as money, cheques, credit or debit cards, jewellery, spectacles, or mobile phones. There is also an overall limit of up to £5k.
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There’s no better feeling than moving your home to a different location at the drop of a hat. Cover arranged by Craftinsure can include continuous cruising if you select this during the quote process, so you will be covered to live and travel on your narrowboat.
You may want to consider increasing the standard policy limit for Personal Effects if you live abroad. Simply select the limit that best suits your needs.
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Yes, our narrowboat policy specifically includes widebeam insurance, but we don’t cover static houseboats.
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With a narrowboat insurance policy through Craftinsure, the territorial limits of your insurance cover using your narrowboat all year-round across the UK inland waterways, including interconnecting tidal waterways.
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Should the worst happen and you need to make a claim, contact the specialist claims handlers at Navigators and General. You can do this by filling out a form on their website or by emailing claims@navandgen.co.uk. You can find more information on how to make a claim on our dedicated page.
Please ensure that you have familiarised yourself with the claims conditions covered in your insurance booklet.
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If you modify your narrowboat and it increases the value of your boat, please contact us as soon as possible. Making modifications to your vessel may change its overall value, so contacting your insurer can help ensure that you’re covered for the true value of your narrowboat.
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