Catamaran Insurance for Adventurers

Catamaran insurance is a specialty marine policy written specifically for twin-hulled vessels — sail or power. It typically combines hull and machinery coverage on the two hulls and the bridgedeck, protection and indemnity (P&I) liability, personal effects, fuel spill and pollution, towing and salvage, uninsured boater coverage, and medical payments.

What sets catamaran coverage apart from monohull boat coverage:

• Two hulls means two repair scenarios. A grounding, dock collision, or hull damage event can affect one hull, both hulls, or the bridgedeck connecting them.
• Bridgedeck damage is its own category. Heavy seas can pound the underside of the bridgedeck, and the resulting structural damage is specific to multihulls.
• Wider beam creates docking and marina considerations — many marinas charge slip fees by beam rather than length, and some have width restrictions that affect where the boat can be kept.
• Many catamarans are used for chartering. Many catamarans, especially in the Caribbean, are run through charter management programs. Coverage has to reflect that.

Real claims catamaran owners file include:

• A bridgedeck slamming event in heavy seas damaging hull-to-bridgedeck structure
• A grounding on a poorly charted reef during a Caribbean charter or cruise
• A dragging anchor during a squall that puts the boat onto rocks or another vessel
• A named storm exceeding the hurricane plan and damaging the boat at its hurricane berth
• A guest injury at the trampoline, swim platform, or galley during a charter weekend
• Theft of electronics, tenders, and personal effects from a catamaran left at an unsecured charter base
• An engine compartment fire on one hull that spreads through shared systems
• A rigging failure on a sailing catamaran during a passage

Without the right policy, any one of these scenarios can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars of liability and repair cost.