Your boat spends as much time on a trailer as it does in the water, so it is smart to ask whether that trailer is insured. The short answer is that it often can be, but how it is covered depends on whether you are talking about damage to the trailer itself or liability while you are towing it.
This article is general information, not insurance advice. Coverage varies by policy, insurer, and state. Confirm what your policy includes with a licensed agent before you rely on it.
This is where most owners get tripped up. A boat trailer involves two separate coverage questions, and they are usually handled by two different policies.
Physical damage to the trailer itself, from theft, an accident, or a covered peril, is commonly covered under your boat insurance policy, often as an added or optional item. To make sure it is protected, the trailer usually needs to be listed on the policy with its value. Do not assume it is automatically included.
Here is the part that surprises people. When you are towing the trailer down the road behind your vehicle, the liability for an accident you cause typically falls under your auto insurance, not your boat policy. Your auto liability generally extends to a trailer in tow. The boat policy protects the boat and trailer as property, while the auto policy handles road liability.
Getting clear answers now prevents a nasty surprise after a roadside incident.
Suncoast Financial can walk you through how trailer and transit coverage fit into your boat insurance, so nothing falls through the cracks.
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