Compare charter insurance.
Skipper liability, deposit, and trip cancellation cover compared
For a charter trip, the charter company's own insurance is often not enough – skipper and crew carry their own financial risks.
NauticAssure compares the relevant building blocks for your trip transparently, with the option to buy directly online.
Compare charter insuranceWe compare leading providers
- Pantaenius
- Gothaer
- Yacht-Pool
- Schomacker
- Sealogy
Which charter insurance do I need?
"Charter insurance" isn't a single product but an umbrella term for several building blocks. This overview helps you work out which cover is relevant for your trip.
| Building block | Protects against | Relevant for | Learn more | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skipper liability | Third-party claims and certain gaps in the charter company's hull cover | Skippers and crew who are personally liable | View details | Compare |
| Deposit insurance | Loss of the charter deposit you have paid | Charterers who have paid a deposit to the charter company | View details | Compare |
| Trip cancellation / curtailment | Cancellation and curtailment costs for insured events such as illness or accident | Crews with a high charter and travel cost | View details | Compare |
| Accident / travel health | Consequences of accident and illness during the trip | Depends on your existing private cover | Check your existing cover | – |
This assignment is general guidance only. Whether and to what extent a building block is relevant for your trip depends on your specific charter contract and the respective policy terms.
Charter insurance, directly compared
Rates and benefits at a glance: in our comparison tool, you enter your trip details and compare price, sum insured, excess, and area of coverage of the relevant providers.
Go to the comparison tool
Compare deposit, skipper liability, and travel protection insurance for your trip in a single tool and complete your purchase directly online.
On our comparison method: The comparison tool considers rates from specialized watersports insurers that NauticAssure works with as an independent broker. Results are sorted by the criteria you enter, not by the amount of broker commission – the premium matches the price you would pay by buying directly from the respective provider. Rate terms are reviewed regularly. As of: August 2026.
What is charter insurance?
Charter insurance is not a single policy, but an umbrella term for the cover that skipper and crew need around a charter trip – above all skipper liability and charter deposit insurance, supplemented by trip cancellation or curtailment cover.
Unlike with your own yacht, where hull and liability cover are usually bought as a single package, protection for a charter trip is made up of several building blocks that can each be bought independently. Which of these you actually need depends on your charter contract, the deposit amount, and the planned cruising area.
That's why NauticAssure compares each building block separately and shows you which combination makes sense for your specific trip – rather than selling a blanket "charter insurance" that may not match your needs.
Isn't the charter yacht already insured?
As a rule, a charter yacht has hull and liability insurance. However, this does not automatically cover every financial risk faced by skipper and crew.
Hull insurance essentially protects the yacht. If you cause damage yourself, the charter company can still keep your deposit. On top of that, there can be exclusions, limited sums insured, or recourse claims against the skipper.
What additional cover makes sense depends on the charter contract, the yacht's existing insurance, and your personal risks.
Insurance for the charter yacht
Charter yachts usually have hull and liability insurance in place.
Damage to the charter yacht
If the yacht is damaged, the charter company can withhold all or part of the deposit you paid.
Personal liability risks
Skipper liability insurance can close coverage gaps and – depending on the rate – also cover certain recourse claims.
Personal liability cover is often not enough
Don't rely on your personal liability insurance. Operating a chartered, motorized watercraft is excluded or only partly covered under many such policies.
One thing to note in particular: Deposit insurance does not prevent the deposit from being withheld – it reimburses an insured deposit loss afterwards, according to its terms. Skipper liability insurance, in turn, does not replace yacht insurance, but supplements it for certain liability and coverage gaps.
What matters when comparing
Differences between providers are often significant. Pay particular attention to these points of cover.
Sum insured
Sufficiently high sums for personal injury, property damage, and financial loss worldwide.
Liability between crew members
Claims between skipper and crew should be covered as well.
Damage to the boat
Cover for damage to the chartered yacht itself, depending on the rate.
Gross negligence
Waiver of the gross-negligence defense for handling or navigation errors, depending on the rate.
Charter cancellation
Cover for follow-on costs such as hotel or travel expenses if the trip falls through.
Seizure
Security bonds in a foreign port if the yacht is detained.
Area of coverage
Check whether cruising areas such as the USA, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand are included.
Regattas & commercial use
Regattas, tenders, and working as a commercial skipper are often governed by separate rules.
What does charter insurance cost?
There's no flat answer: the premium depends on trip length, boat type and length, crew size, deposit amount, sum insured, and cruising area.
From around €50
Short weekend trip
For a smaller weekend trip with a modest deposit, deposit and skipper liability insurance can be had for under €50.
A few hundred euros
Mediterranean trip with the whole crew
For a one-week Mediterranean trip, the premium to cover the entire crew is often in the low three digits.
Split across the crew, that's often just a few euros per person – roughly the price of a dinner in the harbor. In return, you and your crew are calmly covered if things go wrong, instead of worrying about a withheld deposit or a liability claim.
A rough price indication, not a binding offer. Trip cancellation cover is not yet part of our online comparison – please contact us directly if you need it. Find the current price for your trip using the comparison tool.
Single-trip or annual policy?
Single-trip policy
Covers exactly the one planned trip. Useful if you charter once or twice a year and already know your travel dates.
Annual policy
Valid for 12 months worldwide, regardless of boat and cruising area. The benefit often shows up as early as your first trip: you buy it once and don't need to take out a new contract for every further trip.
What matters is that the annual policy covers the right scope – for example, up to which boat length or for which boat types cover applies. Check that these criteria are still met on your next trip too. You'll find the right rate comparison for both options in the comparison tool.
Typical claims from real life
These examples show how quickly each building block of charter insurance can become relevant in practice.
Example claim amount: approx. €8,000–15,000
Running aground in shallow water causes cracks in the hull and a bent keel. Deposit insurance covers the withheld deposit; if the damage exceeds that, skipper liability cover kicks in.
Example claim amount: approx. €20,000–50,000
A crew member is struck by the boom during an unexpected gybe and is seriously injured. On top of treatment and rehab costs, there can also be lost earnings if the person is unable to work for a longer period. Liability between skipper and crew is explicitly covered under a good skipper liability policy – including such consequential damage.
Example claim amount: approx. €3,000–6,000
Shortly before the trip begins, the skipper falls seriously ill and cannot travel. With no replacement available, the whole crew has to cancel the trip. Trip cancellation insurance covers the resulting cancellation and travel costs for everyone involved.
Example claim amounts for illustration only, not real individual cases and no guarantee for your specific claim.
Why compare through NauticAssure?
As an independent digital insurance broker, we're on your side – not on the side of any single provider.
Specialized broker
Focused on yacht and charter risks, not a side product of a general insurance intermediary.
Multiple providers compared
You see relevant rates side by side, instead of just a single quote.
Same premium as buying direct
The comparison costs you nothing extra – the commission is already included in the rate.
Support with claims
Personal support when filing a claim and liaising with the insurer.
Initial legal guidance
If needed, and depending on the rate, we arrange an initial legal assessment of your claim.
Free app
Manage your policy, crew, route, and on-board organization directly in the NauticAssure app.
How buying a policy works
Enter your details
Enter your trip details, yacht, and desired cover in the comparison tool.
Compare rates
Compare price and benefits of the relevant providers side by side.
Choose the right cover
Select the rate that fits your yacht, cruising area, and crew.
Buy online
Complete your purchase digitally and receive your policy documents right away.
Manage your policy
Manage your policy and claims conveniently in the NauticAssure app.
Further comparisons
Dive deeper into the individual building blocks of your charter insurance.
Frequently asked questions about charter insurance.
Answers to the most important questions about insurance cover for your charter trip.
NauticAssure GmbH
Registered insurance broker under §34d GewO (German Trade Regulation Act), specializing in watersports and charter insurance. Content is regularly reviewed and updated by our editorial team. Last updated: August 2026.
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