I was recently viewing a post from one of the boating groups I follow on Facebook. The video accompanying the post showed a boat, with a hole in the side of it, being towed to shore. The story, according to the person posting, was that a Jet Ski collided with his boat while on the Butler Chain of Lakes in Orange County. The occupants aboard the boat were injured. The driver of the Jet Ski was DUI and died as a result of the accident. There was also a passenger on the Jet Ski who was seriously injured.

The reason I am sharing this with you is because I want to remind my fellow boating enthusiasts that other irresponsible and inexperienced boat operators can be hazardous. We might have all of the boating safety credentials and years of safe boating experience but we can’t anticipate the behaviors of the other boaters sharing the waterways.

Unlike auto insurance, Florida does not require boat owners to carry insurance. Not having a boat insurance policy exposes you to gaps in insurance and potential expensive medical bills.

Unfortunately, boating accidents often result in serious injury or worse. According to data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the fatality rate of reported boating accidents in 2017 was 8.7%. Comparing this to Florida auto related deaths during the same year, the auto fatality rate was only .77%.

Aside from avoiding any kind of a boating incident, the best way to protect ourselves while on the water is to have a boat insurance policy. Insurance premiums for boat policies are relatively inexpensive. Even if you think your boat is not worth insuring for physical damage, having coverage for Liability, Medical Payments and Uninsured Boaters is invaluable.