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When Your Livelihood Depends on Your Vessel, Generic Coverage Won’t Cut It

As a commercial business, you face risks that recreational policies weren’t designed to handle. Commercial liability concerns, crew-related exposures, equipment losses, and unexpected downtime can all impact your ability to operate – and your bottom line. Our Commercial Vessel Insurance is bespoke marine insurance – it’s tailored, designed solely for working vessels and associated liabilities.

What Our Commercial Vessel Owners Can Count On:

  • Extensive Coverage

    Comprehensive, occurrence-based coverage designed specifically for commercial operations like yours.

  • Defense Costs

    Expenses for legal fees and costs incurred to defend and investigate any one accident or occurrence covered within the liability limits.

  • Hull & Machinery Agreed Value

    Know exactly what a covered total loss pays with no depreciation surprises.

  • Captain and Crew Protection (optional)

    Liability to protect you as the vessel owner from Maritime Employment Acts such as Jones Act or the United States Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act.

  • Commercial Watercraft Liability

    Commercial marine liability protection built for commercial vessel exposures.

  • Contractual Liability Coverage (optional)

    Protection to insure the liability of the policy holder arising out of hold harmless and/or indemnity agreements as entered into by the vessel owner for the furnishings of vessel services.

  • Pollution Liability (optional)

    Rest easy with coverage designed for accidental fuel spills and discharge incidents.

  • 24/7 Claims Support

    Around-the-clock help is there when you need it – whether you're offshore, at the dock, or on a job.

Trusted By Commercial Operators Across the Water

Absolute breeze to get insurance on my boat! Would recommend this company to anyone!!!!!

Jon

Your Commercial Vessel Insurance Should Reflect the Realities of Your Operation

Behind every survey, inspection, environmental project, rescue operation, and commercial fishing trip is a business that depends on reliable protection. Whether you're supporting critical infrastructure projects, assisting a vessel in distress, or earning your livelihood on the water, your insurance should fit your needs – not the other way around.

We help commercial vessel owners secure coverage designed around the work they perform and the risks they face every day.

  • Oil & Gas Contractors
  • Geophysical Contractors
  • Environmental Contractors
  • Pollution Remediation Contractors
  • Hydrographic Surveyors
  • Bridge Inspectors
  • Vessel Assist Tow Boats
  • Municipal Patrol & Fire Rescue Operations
  • Aquatic Foliage Control Contractors
  • Commercial Fishermen
  • Employee Transport Services

Added Protection – Because One Unexpected Incident Can Impact More Than Your Vessel

Your vessel may be the engine behind your business, but it’s not the only thing at risk. Your crew, contracts, cargo, and customers all depend on your operation running smoothly. The right protection is a must to keep your business moving forward with confidence.

Our additional commercial vessel insurance options are built to strengthen your policy and support the realities – and cover the risks – of operating a commercial vessel.

  • Jones Act / Maritime Employment Liability

    Protection designed for liabilities involving your crew and maritime employees.

  • Cargo Legal Liability

    Coverage for legal liability arising from cargo-related losses or damage.

  • Excess Liability Coverage

    Additional liability protection for businesses that require higher limits and broader peace of mind.

  • Additional Insureds & Waivers of Subrogation

    Meet contractual obligations with specialized endorsements and policy modifications.

  • Pollution Liability

    Additional protection for pollution-related incidents, accidents, and environmental exposures.

  • Towers Legal Liability

    Coverage designed for operations performing towing services and related activities.

  • Medical Payments Coverage

    Fast, reliable protection for covered injuries when unexpected incidents occur.

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Protecting Your Business Means More Than a One-Size-Fits-All Policy

Commercial marine operations can be complicated, but finding the right commercial vessel insurance partner shouldn't be. For 40 years, we’ve helped commercial operators protect their crews, contracts, assets, and livelihoods with insurance built for your risks and realities on the water.

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Commercial Vessel Insurance: Frequently Asked Questions

Commercial vessel insurance helps protect working vessels and the businesses that rely on them. Unlike general marine insurance or recreational boating insurance, this type of coverage is built for working vessels and the unique risks and responsibilities they take on. Depending on your policy, coverage may include hull and machinery, Protection & Indemnity (P&I), crew protection, pollution liability, and other coverages designed specifically for commercial marine operations.

Commercial vessel insurance is built specifically for businesses that earn their livelihood on the water. Unlike recreational policies, it should include specialized protections for commercial operations, crew-related liabilities, contractual requirements, pollution exposures, and other risks associated with working vessels.

It’s usually pretty straightforward. If you use your vessel for business purposes at all to generate income or revenue, a commercial vessel insurance policy is designed to provide protection that recreational boat insurance typically doesn't offer. Commercial operations often face unique risks involving employees, contracts, equipment, cargo, and liability exposures that require specialized marine coverage. If you manage any of those, it’s likely this type of insurance is a must.

Navigation limits refer to the geographic areas where your vessel is covered to operate. Some marine insurance policies restrict where you can travel, while broader navigation limits provide greater flexibility to operate across larger waterways or coastal regions. At Charter Lakes, we work with commercial operators to help secure navigation limits that align with where they do business.

If your business relies on working vessels as part of its operations, you probably need this type of insurance. This can include (but isn’t limited to) commercial fishermen, oil and gas contractors, environmental contractors, hydrographic surveyors, marine construction companies, vessel assist tow boats, municipal patrol and fire rescue operations, and many other commercial marine businesses. If your vessel is used for business purposes, specialized commercial marine coverage can help protect your operation from risks that recreational boat insurance isn’t designed to cover.


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