Insurance in France and Spain

ingenious

Active member
Joined
14 Jan 2025
Messages
105
Visit site
Question for who have bought a boat in France or Spain:
Do you have it insured with a local broker or one back in UK ( assuming you are not completely permanently living there)
Is it more difficult / more expensive to get insurance?
Looking specifically at Languedoc area of France, Catalonia in Spain if it makes a difference
 
Last edited:

dpb

Well-known member
Joined
14 Feb 2007
Messages
1,224
Location
Poole, Dorset
Visit site
We bought our french registered boat in SW france, re registered it under UK flag and insured it in UK.
This was 4 years ago.
The UK insurance companies I spoke to could not / would not insure French flagged boat.
I think we had to be UK residents also.
We paid 300veuro less than the previous french owner paid in France.
 

Portofino

Well-known member
Joined
10 Apr 2011
Messages
12,333
Location
Boat- Western Med
Visit site
It’s not more difficult or indeed expensive to use a U.K. broker for a med based boat which is U.K. registered and the owner using a U.K. address.

The internet Craftsure Co gives you an additional Med endorsement. I found these the most cost effective .
But as other threads have elicited check the level of cover suits your individual circumstances.

Personally I discovered reading small print the crucially , and even corresponding with the base underwriters- the import to me “ leaving your boat unattended @ anchor” was opaque, or none existent by a lot .

Craftsure s version of Zurich ( there’s only a handful of common underwriters btw ) explicitly wrote this activity in as covered .

It depends how you intend to use your boat .
 

markc

Well-known member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
2,177
Location
Bucks & St Raphael SoF
Visit site
I have a UK flagged boat in France and insurance is as simple as the UK. I am currently with Haven Knox Johnson. As mentioned by Porto above, read the small print to make sure it has the cover you want. As an example, last year my policy renewal said that I wasn't covered for single-handed use, but although I don't usually use the boat single-handed, I have the experience and ability to do so, plus if the need arose I would expect to do so. A quick exchange of emails and this clause was removed with no change to the premium.
 
Top