Insurance when a paying guest sleeps aboard
Hosting changes the risk picture on your policy more than most owners expect. The vessel never leaves the slip, but the moment money changes hands the use may no longer be recreational. Here is what to check, and what to ask, before your first booking.
The exclusion that catches owners out
Recreational marine policies are written for personal, non-commercial use. Many contain a charter, hire or commercial-use exclusion. A paid overnight stay can trip it even when the boat stays tied up and the engine never starts.
This is not a reason to skip hosting — it is a reason to get it in writing. Insurers handle dockside stays very differently, and some will endorse the policy for a modest premium change once they understand the vessel never leaves the slip with guests aboard.
The coverages in play
| Coverage | What it pays for | Why hosting touches it |
|---|---|---|
| Hull / physical damage | Damage to your own vessel | Guest-caused damage may be excluded under commercial use |
| Protection & indemnity (liability) | Injury to others, damage to their property | A guest slipping on a wet side deck is the core exposure |
| Pollution / fuel spill | Cleanup and fines from a discharge | Frequently required by the marina, guests or not |
| Dock / pier coverage | The dock structure if you own or lease it | Relevant for private docks, not most marina slips |
| Umbrella / excess liability | Limits above the underlying policy | Cheapest way to raise the number a marina asks for |
Ask your agent these, in writing
- Does this policy exclude charter, hire, rental or commercial use — and does an overnight paid stay at the dock fall under it?
- If a guest is injured aboard while the vessel is moored, is that a covered liability claim?
- Is there an endorsement for dockside-only paid stays, and what does it cost?
- How many guest nights per year, if any, are permitted before the classification changes?
- Can you issue a certificate of insurance naming my marina as additional insured, at the limits in my dockage agreement?
- Does coverage continue if the guest is aboard alone, without me on site?
Your marina agreement is the other half
The marina sets rules your insurer does not. Before listing, check the dockage agreement for: whether guest or short-term occupancy is permitted, liveaboard night limits, required liability limits, additional-insured language, gate and parking access for non-slip holders, and any transient or guest surcharge per night.
If short-term guest occupancy is prohibited, no insurance product fixes it — talk to the harbormaster first.
Practical risk reduction aboard
- Non-skid on the side decks and boarding step; a proper, secured passerelle or dock step rather than a jump.
- Lit companionway and cockpit at night; guests move around a strange boat in the dark.
- Working CO and smoke detectors, an in-date extinguisher, and life jackets in a marked, obvious locker.
- Shore power cord in good condition, strain-relieved, with a functioning ELCI or GFCI.
- A one-page laminated card: shore power, head operation, water, heat/AC, and your phone number.
- Lock out anything you do not want operated — engine keys, thruster, windlass, tender.
Questions owners ask
Does my regular boat insurance cover a paying overnight guest?
Often not. Most recreational hull and liability policies exclude commercial or charter use, and taking payment for a stay can fall under that exclusion. Ask your insurer in writing whether paid overnight guests dockside are covered before you host.
What is the difference between dockage liability and hull coverage?
Hull coverage pays for physical damage to the vessel itself. Protection and indemnity, or liability, covers injury to other people and damage to their property — which is the exposure that matters most with guests aboard.
Does the marina's insurance protect me?
No. A marina policy protects the marina. Your dockage agreement usually requires you to carry your own liability coverage and may require the marina to be named as an additional insured.
What limits do marinas usually require?
Requirements vary by marina and are stated in the dockage agreement, commonly as a minimum liability limit plus proof of fuel-spill or pollution coverage. Read your agreement and request a certificate of insurance from your agent that matches it.
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Browse slips and start hostingGeneral information for boat owners, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Confirm dockage rules with your marina and coverage with your insurer before hosting.