I had decided to go kayaking after work one day, and that morning, I’d carefully loaded my kayak onto my cartop racks, strapped it down and tied bow and stern lines to the car. I had driven 15 miles, including several miles on the freeway, and I was only one stoplight away from work. As I pulled forward in the line of waiting cars, I heard what sounded like a horrific automobile crash. The front of my boat lurched down toward the hood of my car, and small pieces of fiberglass floated down like falling snow sprinkling my -windshield.
I quickly realized what had happened: The cheap bow tie-down strap I got at the hardware store had come loose from the car, and the car’s front tire had run over it. My six-month-old sea kayak had broken in four places. The smallest crack was five inches long; the largest break was a nine-inch open gap bridged by the sheer extrusion.
I got the bowline out of the way and very slowly drove the last quarter mile to work feeling very sick. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next. As I stood in the parking lot, I suddenly thought that my car insurance would cover my kayak, as I had been driving at the time of the accident. Isn’t that what insurance is for? Feeling a little better, I grabbed my insurance card out the glove box, headed to my office and called the 800 number on the card.
I told the agent what happened and asked if I could make a claim through my automobile insurance. She told me that this sort of thing was covered by homeowner’s insurance. I have both policies covered by the same company, so I was transferred to the claims department to initiate a claim. When she got back to me, she informed me that my homeowner’s policy had a $1,000 limit of coverage on watercraft, whether it’s a kayak, rowboat, canoe, powerboat or sailboat. This $1,000 limit applied as well to watercraft equipment: trailers, furnishings, equipment and outboard engines or motors. At first, that seemed like more than enough to cover the damage.
I started calling around to get some estimates for repairs. I found a shop that could do the work, but they couldn’t guarantee a time frame. My kayak could be “shelved” if more important work came up, and it could take up to three months to get it back.
Meanwhile, I learned from my insurance agent that kayaks, as watercraft, are regarded by insurers as a higher liability than other types of recreational equipment and are not as well covered. My agent also speculated that my home-owner’s policy rates would go up if I made this claim. I had been receiving a 15 percent annual discount from this particular company because I’d made no claims in nine years. I had to weigh if it was even worth it to make the claim, pay my deductible of $250 and face increased premiums for however long it would take to earn back the lower rate for being claim free.
Fortunately, I have a good friend who has quite a bit of experience building and repairing fiberglass kayaks. Together we did most of the repairs in a weekend, and my kayak was scarred but seaworthy. These days when I transport my kayak, I use a bow tie-down that’s just long enough to tie to the bumper but not long enough to get caught under a front tire.
My kayak was salvageable, but if the damage had been beyond repair, my insurance policy would not have come close to covering the cost of replacing it. Even carbon-fiber paddles, dry suits and PFDs carrying VHF radios and GPS units can be costly to replace, so it’s a good idea to find out how your insurance covers your kayak and your equipment before you need to make a claim.
Each insurance company may cover watercraft and related equipment differently. Don’t assume your existing home or auto policy covers any loss you might suffer. On a homeowner’s policy, a kayak would only be covered for the “named perils”—fire, theft, etc.—listed in the policy. Damage or loss suffered while you’re on the water would not be covered. A separate boat policy would include a different set of “named perils” appropriate to boats, but it would still be important to review the extent of the coverage.
Homeowners and renters with insurance policies can include specific items on their existing policies and have them insured for exact replacement cost. A special listing can cover your loss if someone steals your car with your kayak on the rack or steals your kayak from your garage. You’re also covered if your kayak comes off the car and injures bystanders or passengers in another car. It even covers you if you drive over your bowline. It won’t cover damage due to wear and tear, gradual deterioration, manufacturing defects or damage intentionally caused by the policy holder.
If you have any specific items you’d like to make sure are adequately insured, call your agent. With my kayak and all my paddling gear now included in an addendum to my policy, everything is covered at its replacement cost for just about any type of loss for around 30 dollars per year with no deductible to be paid. It’s reassuring to know that if I have another bit of bad luck, it won’t cost me a fortune to get back on the -water.
Jon Hansen is an Intake Counselor for the Oregon Department of Corrections. He learned to paddle on the north Oregon coastal waters of Tillamook County and recently did an 80-mile tour of Lake Chelan in Washington State.