Ronald was on the Illinois River when his motorboat collided with mud and debris. In order to free the propeller from the mud, he tried a variety of approaches to his dilemma. Eventually, the motor shut down and he was towed to shore. He submitted a claim for the destroyed propeller and its assembly, but Erie Insurance refused to honor the full claim. It argued that most of the damage was caused by Ronald and not by the collision

Click here to see how the court ruled.

Rushing to the exclusions in order to determine whether or not coverage applies can lead to a wrong conclusion. Starting at the top of a policy coverage and reading it through can prevent too hasty a decision. The ISO Watercraft Policy Part D Insuring Agreement explains what type of damage is covered. Only after determining that the damage might be covered under the insuring agreement should the exclusions be consulted.

Click here to read the pertinent parts of PF&M analysis of the ISO Watercraft Policy.

A watercraft purchase may be a well thought out plan or it may be an impulse buy. However it happens, an agent must be prepared for that phone call inquiring about needed coverage. The Homeowners policy offers extremely limited coverage but many insurance carriers offer policies for boats and yachts. However, these carriers will provide coverage only if the correct answers are provided.

Click here to review a watercraft specific questionnaire from the Producer's Personal Lines Risk Evaluation System that could help you get started.

July is a great time to talk about boats in your blog, newsletters or e-mail blasts. The following e-marketing articles could alert your clients that you are available to help them in their boating and other recreational coverage needs.

Note: These articles are subject to the Insurance Publishing Plus Copyright, so their use is limited to paid subscribers to E-marketing for Agencies.

Click here for the wording you could use for two watercraft e-marketing articles.