RIB Insurance UK: Cover for Rigid Inflatable Boats

Tubes, hull and the bits in between

The tube is the defining feature of a RIB and the part most likely to generate an unusual claim. Punctures, abrasion from pontoons and slipways, seam separation and UV degradation are all common. Accidental damage — a hook, a bollard, a sharp rock — is normally covered. Deterioration, perishing and delamination that develops over years generally is not, because it falls under wear and tear.

Hypalon and PVC tubes age differently, and insurers may ask which you have on older boats. Keeping the tubes covered when the boat is stored, and rinsing salt off after use, is the practical defence against the kind of gradual damage no policy will pay for.

Outboards and theft

Outboard theft is the single biggest loss driver on RIBs in the UK, and insurers respond with conditions rather than exclusions. Expect a requirement for a proprietary outboard lock, and often a further condition that the boat is stored behind a locked gate, in a secure compound or under a hitch lock when trailered.

Recording the engine serial number and photographing the boat and trailer takes ten minutes and makes a theft claim far smoother. Some insurers reduce the excess where an approved lock and a tracker are fitted.

• Fit and use an outboard lock rated for the engine weight.
• Use a hitch lock and wheel clamp on the trailer, even at home.
• Store the RIB out of sight of the road where you can.
• Keep the engine serial, HIN and photographs somewhere off the boat.

Trailer, launching and road transit

Most RIB policies include cover while the boat is on its trailer and in transit within a stated territory, sometimes with a mileage or duration limit for trips abroad. What is rarely included is damage to the trailer itself, or third-party liability while towing — that sits with your vehicle's motor insurance.

Launch and recovery is a claims hotspot: brake failure on a slipway, a boat coming off the rollers, or damage to the transom from a poorly adjusted winch post. Cover generally applies, but read the definition of transit in the wording if you tow regularly.

Club, training and commercial use

A RIB used as a safety boat by a sailing club, as a dive charter platform or for commercial passenger work is not a private leisure risk and cannot be insured as one. Commercial use needs declaring so that passenger liability, coding requirements and crew arrangements can be reflected — our commercial boat insurance guide sets out what changes.

Where a RIB is used unpaid as a club safety boat, some insurers will accommodate it on a leisure policy with an endorsement. Ask rather than assume.

What tends to affect the cost

Cover will depend on the insurer, the policy and the circumstances. Small private RIBs are usually among the more affordable boats to insure; high-powered or commercially used ones much less so.

• Value of the boat, engine and trailer as a package.
• Engine power and the boat's maximum speed.
• Where and how it is stored, and what security is fitted.
• Whether use is private, club, training or commercial.
• Operator age, experience and any powerboat qualifications.

Frequently asked questions

Is my RIB covered while on the trailer?

Usually yes, for the boat itself while stored or in transit within the territory stated in the policy. The trailer is often not covered and towing liability sits with your car insurance.

Will insurance pay for perished tubes?

Generally no. Accidental damage such as a puncture or impact is normally covered, but perishing, UV degradation and seam failure over time fall under wear and tear.

Do I need an outboard lock?

Most UK insurers make one a condition of theft cover, and some specify an approved type. Check the schedule, because a claim can be affected if the condition is not met.

Can I use my RIB for diving or as a club safety boat?

Often, provided it is declared. Diving support and club safety work carry different exposures from ordinary leisure use and some insurers price or endorse them separately.