FAQ

When we first started the company, we searched for a name that would clearly reflect our connection to and love for the sea and boating. We also wanted the name to be easily recognizable and to convey a sense of optimism and joy. Once we landed on Ahoy!, the choice was clear!

Ahoy! is the brainchild of a group of naval officer veterans, insurance executives, and technology entrepreneurs who came together to bring recreational boating insurance into the 21st century. 

On the one hand, we have personally experienced the pains associated with boat insurance these days and its antiquated policies. On the other hand, we have observed the great innovation being brought to other parts of the insurance world. As entrepreneurs, we identified an opportunity to make recreational boating insurance much more modern and user-friendly. 

We decided to bring better insurance to benefit us, our friends, colleagues, and the entire boating community.

Insurance is about being able to best identify risk, mitigate, and cover it. Providing good insurance – the best coverage, the most attractive prices, and the ability to truly be there for boaters in their time of need (including at the time of claims) – requires intimate domain knowledge.

As a group of naval officer veterans, insurance executives, and technology entrepreneurs, we are uniquely positioned with this subject matter expertise to build the best recreational boating insurance program out there. 

But it goes beyond that. Being boaters ourselves, we know how important it is to be able to rely on trusted parties to continuously minimize risks and maximize time on the water. And since we know intimately what boating means to you, and what your needs are, we also understand how to bring you much more value along the way – even before an adverse event happens. We are the insurance company you want to be in touch with during the good times, too – not just the one you have to be in touch with in case of an emergency.

As boaters ourselves, we know what a meaningful experience it is, to be out on your boat. We understand that a boat is much more than a piece of property. It represents quality time with friends and family, peaceful time for yourself to disconnect from the daily hustle, a sporting outlet, and much more. 

And so, we aspire to provide you with much more than just financial coverage of the boat in case of an incident. We aim to ensure that you won’t get to that point in the first place and you will be able to enjoy this pleasure worry-free. We want you to get the maximum use of your investment in your boat. 

We meet these goals through a set of value-added experiences and features. Some are related to minimizing risk of adverse events happening, some are related to making better use of your time, and much more.

Our boat insurance policies are owned and covered by large insurance partners and reinsurers. Ahoy! is here for the long haul. But in the unlikely event that we’re not around and your boat still is, rest assured that your boat insurance policy and all your belongings will be in the hands of our trusted partners with the same level of care and coverage that we promised.

Also, the Ahoy! insurance product is an “admitted insurance product.” That means that it is regulated by your state regulator and guaranteed by the state, much like your bank deposits are guaranteed by the FDIC.

Ahoy! works exclusively with top-rated boat insurance partners who hold the risk on our policies, and are all rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best, and other recognized insurance rating authorities.

Indeed, Pelican Pete is our mascot.  Pelican Pete is named after Saint Peter, the patron of sailors, fishermen, and boat builders.

Ahoy! Insurance has nation-wide coverage based on two Insurance Products. An Admitted Product and an E&S (Surplus) Product through Lloyd’s.

Right now, we are available with our Admitted Product in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Colombia, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming and we are expanding aggressively to be able to provide the best boating insurance in other states very soon. 

In addition, our E&S Product provides coverages in all states and US Territories.

To secure a quote (and bind a policy), please go to our homepage where you can click the “Get a quote” button which will lead you through the process of getting a quote. If our Admitted Product is available in your State you will be able to get a quote and bind without any intervention from our end (of course, we are always available to help and consult by phone, e-mail, or chat). If we are yet to launch our Admitted Product in your state we will advise that in order to finalize the quote and bind we will need to have several more details and speak by phone. Still, the process will be streamlined and easy.

At Ahoy!, we take pride in offering specialized insurance for boats and yachts nationwide. Our insurance solutions cater to a diverse array of marine vessels. Speed/motor boats, fishing boats, sailboats, PWCs and much more.

Through our user-friendly website, Ahoy! extends insurance for boats up to 50 feet (45 feet for boats 30-40 years old), 40 years in age, up to 1050HP and $500K in value with some accommodation for larger boats.

For larger vessels ranging from 50 to 95 feet in length or valued between $500,000 and $2,500,000, insurance inquiries can be initiated via phone at 1-855-289-2469, through our chat portal at www.ahoy.insure, or by sending an email to firstmate@ahoy.insure.

At Ahoy Insurance, we offer two main types of boat insurance products:

1. 1. Admitted Product: This product is designed for boats valued under $500,000 and equipped with up to 3 engines. It provides comprehensive coverage by Spinnaker Insurance and is regulated by state insurance departments, ensuring compliance and protection.
   2. Excess & Surplus (E&S) Product: This product caters to boats valued between $500,000 and $2.5 million. It has fewer restrictions compared to the admitted product and is suitable for higher-value boats, offering specialized coverage options.  It is underwritten by certain underwriters at Lloyd’s ensuring compliance and protection.

Both products are tailored to meet the unique needs of boat owners, ensuring peace of mind on the water.

We provide a comprehensive suite of boater-tailored coverage – Liability, Comprehensive and Collision, Uninsured/Underinsured Boaters, Medical, On-Water Towing, Fishing Equipment, Roadside Assistance, Boat Rental Reimbursement, Personal Effects, and we even cover your cell phone if it falls overboard!

Small tidbit – we even cover one’s boat lift, mechanical or electrical, that one use exclusively to store an insured watercraft out of the water.

Premium calculation includes several factors that influence what each customer pays, such as geography, loss experience, financial responsibility, property loss exposures, and the characteristics of each boat which include size, value, speed, and other parameters. While factors related to the boat itself cannot be easily changed, there are rating factors that are more easily influenced by customer selections, including but not limited to:

• Coverage limits
• Endorsements/optional coverages
• Deductible options

Ahoy! is the first and only boat insurance geared to you, the boater. Our insurance program was designed with a set of value-added features to continuously protect you – such as a mobile application that can help you to avoid grounding your boat, and a smart device that will help letting you know where the boat is. We provide you with technology that helps you avoid all kinds of risks, and because of that, we will also provide you with affordable prices.

Additionally, we provide discounts such as:

• A vanishing deductible when you upload photos of your boat; and an additional amount if you are claims-free
• A 5% discount if you pay your policy in full (i.e. annually)

A deductible is the amount of money you must pay out of your own pocket before your boat insurance policy kicks in. Typically, the higher your deductible, the lower your premium.

Our streamlined online process will suggest to you a few insurance packages which will differ in their deductible so you can make an informed decision. You will also be able to customize a package to your specific needs, including the deductible level. 

Our insurance representatives who could be reached at 855-BUY-AHOY (1-855-289-2469) can help you create a policy that balances your individual needs with a premium and deductible you can afford.

Boat insurance may be required for a variety of reasons. Some states require that you have boat insurance. Marinas may require you to have boat insurance in order to dock your boat there. Additionally, if you take out a loan to buy a boat, the lender will most likely require that you purchase boater’s insurance.

We aspire to provide the best recreational boating insurance product and service possible. As such, we insure boats and just boats. We are relentless in this focus as we believe that focus drives quality, and quality drives value to the boater.

Having said that, aiming to provide our customers not only the best but also the most holistic value, we partnered with Roamly (https://www.roamly.com/), the leading provider of RV insurance so to provide our customers access to as attractive insurance to RVs as our insurance is for boats. If you are interested in RV insurance please call us at 1-855-289-2469 Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM EST or send us an email to firstmate@ahoy.insure. In the future we aim to create more partnerships with well curated and synergetic insurance partners so we will be able to connect you to the best of home, car, and other types of insurance. At that time our insurance agents will work with you to make sure they understand your holistic needs and provide you with appropriate coverages.

Here are just a few examples of how we use technology to provide you with better value at a better price:  

To facilitate a great user experience, for instance to enable a fast quoting process, we leverage the use of external data sources and data fusion technology to pre-fill data fields, minimize the number of data entries, and much more.

To be able to provide great insurance coverage (such as cell phone overboard protection), we leverage our proprietary mobile app so we can automatically identify boating times.

To reduce the risk of bad things happening (such as hitting ground), we embed proprietary algorithms into our mobile app so you can be alerted about upcoming hazards in a timely manner.

These are just a few examples of how we use technology to provide you with better value at a better price. 

And much more to come…

At the time of quote, we leverage data about you and your boat(s) in order to provide you with an accurate insurance quote and if you become a customer, to continue to service your account.  

And to help you stay safe while on the water, we leverage location data in order to identify risks around you.

Yes. Here are the minimum requirements for our mobile application:

• iPhone iOS 13.0 or later.
• iPadOS 13.0 or later.
• iPod touch requires iOS 13.0 or later.
• Apple VisionRequires visionOS 1.0 or later.
• Android 7.0 and up

These permissions are required for us to detect if you’re boating, and to automatically activate your phone overboard protection once you are. Our system is designed so that we don’t hold on to your specific location while on land – it’s just roughly monitored so we can know when you’re on the water, which means it also doesn’t use much battery power.

We use this technology to ensure that we thoroughly know your boat. Also, in the event that your boat is stolen, we can quickly provide you with a report to share with the police.  We are also developing technology that when implemented will provide you with planned maintenance recommendations based on what we see in the photos (for example, that you might need to clean/repair/replace your battery cables).

If you will have our mobile application open and running while you are boating, and your phone falls overboard into the water, we will provide you with up to $600 to replace the phone, subject to a $50 deductible.

It has two parts:

1. When you will become a customer, you will receive a welcome kit which will include a tracking tag. The tag does not require installation or connection to a power source – just stash it in a safe place on your boat. The tag won’t track you on an ongoing basis, but in case of an incident or theft, it can be queried to help zoom in on the location of your boat.
2. Also, once you are a customer, you can download our mobile app which includes a boat self-inspection feature that guides you through taking pictures of your boat. These pictures are stored away, and in case your boat is stolen, these pictures will be packaged and sent to authorities to help with the boat’s identification once it is located.

Yes! Being rooted in technology and being led by experienced boaters and insurance executives, Ahoy! will continue to innovate and provide our customers with more and more value. Keep an eye out for technology that will provide contextual alerts and recommendations to help make your time on the water safer and more enjoyable. Also, look for technology that leverages data from the boat to provide preventative maintenance recommendations and avoid equipment malfunctions while optimizing maintenance costs.

Ahoy! has made applying for boat insurance easier than ever. Visit our homepage and enter your boat details (we even help you do so by pre-filling many of the fields). In just a few minutes, you’ll have a quote. Our licensed sales team is also only a phone call away, and we’re always happy to walk you through the process.

We primarily sell online or through our internal licensed agents. However, we are big believers in the power of the ecosystem and are collaborating with independent agents as well. Hence, you might be able to find our offering through an agent. If not, and you already have an agent you would like to work through, please let us know by calling 855-BUY-AHOY (1-855-289-2469). We will collaborate with them so that they are also licensed to sell our boater-first insurance.

Ahoy! uses technology and data from multiple sources to automatically answer questions about your boat, so you don’t have to. Our models use this information to quickly and dynamically generate a quote for you based on the coverage you desire.

We also make great efforts to minimize the number of questions we ask (you would be surprised by how many obsolete questions traditional insurance companies ask) and apply the best User Experience minds to the task of designing it all (more clicks, less typing) so to make the process as easy and smooth as possible.

In general, you can switch your boat insurance provider at any time during your policy contract. Often, insurers will issue a refund for the unused portion of the contract if you’ve canceled before your renewal date. But we know that switching insurers can bring up visions of daunting paperwork. We’ll help you fill out the paperwork to cancel your policy and secure your potential refund with only a few clicks and calls. Simply call us at 855-BUY-AHOY (1-855-289-2469) to discuss how we can help you switch to a better boat insurance.

Ahoy! provides convenient options to fit your lifestyle. You can pay for your boat insurance coverage via:

• Bank account (ACH)
• Credit card

If you decide to pay via your bank account or credit card, you also have the option of paying your premium:

• Monthly 
• Annually and receive a 5% discount!

In some cases we might check your credit history. Your credit score isn’t impacted when Ahoy! checks it once you’ve applied for coverage. This is considered a “soft” inquiry, and soft inquiries don’t affect your credit score.

If you have any questions about your bill, feel free to contact us at billing@ahoy.insure or our First Mate support team which is available by phone at 855-611-AHOY (855-611-2469) by text, or through chat on the website and our app.

Canceling is as easy as getting a policy with Ahoy! Please call our First Mate support team which is available by phone at 855-611-AHOY (855-611-2469) and we will work with you to quickly cancel your policy.

You can call our First Mate support team at 855-611-AHOY (855-611-2469)  to make the changes for you. Please remember that any changes you make could impact your rate (either making it lower or higher).

Renewals are automatic. 30 days before your policy renews, we’ll send you an email with your policy documents and how much the policy will cost. If you don’t want to make any changes or it all looks good to you, the policy will be automatically renewed. Of course, you are also able to cancel the auto renewal if you like.

We have industry-leading claims handlers who are boat specialists. This means they understand all the nuances about you and your boat, and they speak your language. They are available 24/7 at 855-611-AHOY (855-611-2469), through the MyAhoy! Portal which you can access by clicking the MyAhoy! Link on the top right corner of any page of our website, or via the Ahoy! mobile application.

First make sure you and your boat are safe.  That’s the number one priority. Then, please call us at 855-611-AHOY (855-611-2469)  or contact us through the MyAhoy! Portal which you can access by clicking the MyAhoy! Link on the top right corner of any page of our website, or via the Ahoy mobile application, and we will walk you through all the steps.

Every claim is unique, and we work with you to determine what the needs are. We have developed remote video capabilities (think of a super-charged Facetime call) where, if needed, our adjuster can assess the situation remotely.

But, in some situations where an adjuster is required they might need to come and visit your boat (and you) in person. We are trying to minimize such cases using technology and a flexible approach.

This all depends on the complexity of the claim.  Just as we developed technology to speed up your application, we have invested in similar technology to service and pay claims. If we have your bank account information on file, we will make any applicable claim payments by direct deposit, which speeds up the process even more.