Although boat insurance isn’t a requirement in North Carolina, you don’t want to leave the marina without it. Boats are expensive toys and repairs can become costly. Even a small accident like denting a fiberglass hull while docking can result in thousands of dollars in repairs for which you’ll be on the hook without insurance. Furthermore, with so many boats and watercraft on the water, it’s unclear what operators are carrying the right insurance, so it’s best to ensure that you are protected via boat insurance. Similar to auto insurance, boat insurance covers many of the same incidents, such as liability coverage for injuries or property damage to third parties, comprehensive for damage incurred by storms or similar, collision for damage caused by accident, and uninsured/underinsured boater coverage to protect you from having to pay out of pocket if a vessel without insurance is at fault in an accident.

Keep reading to learn about a few items that we bet you didn’t know boat insurance covers.

Emergency Towing: As an optional coverage, you’ll want to be sure your insurance provider includes emergency towing if it’s of interest. Should your vessel be stranded because of engine problem, mechanical failure, or any other reason, you won’t be responsible for paying hefty tow fees because the insurance company will cover the majority.

Storage Coverage: If you store your boat out of the water during the off-season in a marina or boat yard, your boat will be protected from covered perils.

Personal Property Coverage: While the boat itself is expensive, so too are any personal items that you have onboard. Stop worrying about having to replace these items with personal property coverage.