How does damage waiver insurance work? What are the exclusions?
Updated on: 26/05/2025How It Works
Damage waiver insurance allows you, in the event of damage to the boat resulting from a navigation-related incident, to be reimbursed for the amount deducted by the rental company, minus a deductible of 10% of the damages (with a minimum of €200), up to a maximum reimbursement of €5,000.
See the summary of the terms and conditions for Gritchen’s damage waiver. See an example at the end of this article.*
Premium calculation and coverage
5.5% of the charter amount (excluding extras)
Minimum premium: €120
Minimum premium: €120
We strongly recommend that everyone purchase this insurance, as accidents happen even to the best of us when sailing. Get insured to sail with peace of mind.
If you do not wish to purchase it at the time of booking, please note that you can always purchase this insurance through your customer account up until the day of departure.
Exclusions
However, certain situations may result in the loss of part or all of the security deposit without entitling you to compensation. These are the exclusions of the damage waiver. Here are the main ones (this list is not exhaustive; to view all exclusions, please refer to the insurer’s terms and conditions, Section 4):
- Losses (unless the loss results from damage): for example, dropping a winch handle into the water.
- The spinnaker or gennaker (high-performance sails on a sailboat, which are very fragile and therefore never insured).
- The dinghy and outboard motor: for example, dropping the outboard motor into the water, or puncturing the dinghy. They are not strictly part of the boat.
- Damage to a third-party boat: the damage waiver never covers damage caused to a third-party boat, since this falls under the civil liability of the rented boat, not its damage insurance.
A note: a clogged toilet does not constitute navigation-related damage and is therefore not covered by the damage waiver. Never flush paper down the toilet!
*Example 1: You pay a €3,000 security deposit on-site. Following significant damage, the rental company keeps the entire deposit. The insurer will then reimburse you €3,000 minus a 10% deductible, totaling €2,700. You have therefore only truly lost €300.
Example 2: You pay a €3,000 security deposit on-site. Following minor damage, the rental company keeps €500 and returns the remaining €2,500 to you. The insurer will reimburse you €500 minus a €200 deductible (since 10% of €500 is less than the €200 minimum), for a total reimbursement of €300. So you have really only lost €200.
Summary of Terms and Conditions and IPID (FR, ES)
