{"id":3759,"date":"2020-03-10T17:37:21","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T21:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.greatflorida.com\/?p=3759"},"modified":"2026-04-16T18:02:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T22:02:13","slug":"avoid-common-causes-of-boat-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/2020\/avoid-common-causes-of-boat-damage\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoid Common Causes of Boat Damage"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Florida leads the country in boating accidents and fatalities. A 2018 report<\/a> from the U.S. Coast Guard<\/a> (USCG) says Florida had 607 boating accidents resulting in over $7 million in property damage. <\/p>\n

\u201cPreparation and training can help prevent most boating accidents,\u201d says Dustyn Shroff<\/a>, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance<\/a>, Florida\u2019s leading independent boat insurance<\/a> agency.<\/p>\n

The top boat claims include the following:<\/p>\n

Towing<\/strong><\/p>\n

BoatUS<\/a>, a U.S. Boat Owners Association, analyzed 5 years of claims from 2012 to 2017. They found 40 percent of all claims were towing claims. Learning how to properly tow a boat can be challenging. There are many variables that go into towing. Be sure to check your vehicle\u2019s towing specifications, along with all the weights. Keep in mind the tongue weight. This figure will tell you how much of the trailer\u2019s weight can rest on the hitch. Also, be sure to balance your cargo. Don\u2019t forget to check the often-overlooked trailer tire pressure.<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/coastguardnews.com\/coast-guard-stresses-boating-safety-distress-signal-awareness\/2017\/04\/21\/<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Sinking<\/strong><\/p>\n

Boats can sink for several reasons. In order to prevent a
\nsinking boat, get proper maintenance and regular inspections. When you are out
\non the water, be aware of the weather which in Florida can transition quickly.
\nAlways check tides and currents as well as changing depths.<\/p>\n

Weather<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to hurricanes, thankfully we get ample warning,\u201d says Dustyn Shroff<\/a>, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance<\/a>, Florida\u2019s largest independent boat insurance<\/a> agency. This gives you enough time to move your boat out of the water if possible. Don\u2019t forget to pull the drain plug and remove the electronics on board. If your boat will remain in the water, tie it securely and cover lines to prevent chaffing. Protect the boat from rubbing against the pier, pilings or other boats.<\/p>\n

Collisions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Collisions with another vessel are typically caused by
\ninattention, blind spots and speed. Drivers must always pay attention but also
\nappoint a look-out. Before turning, be sure to look in all directions. And
\nalways maintain a safe speed in congested areas and at night. The water doesn\u2019t
\nhave a clear right of way, so all boat drivers must take responsibility for
\navoiding a collision. <\/p>\n

Striking a submerged object <\/strong><\/p>\n

It is very difficult to avoid striking a submerged object such
\nas a log because it can be so hard to see. Drought conditions and heavy rains
\ncan contribute to floating debris in the water. 
\nIf you hit a submerged object, stop and check the bilge for leaks. Once
\nyou arrive at the dock, do another more thorough check for damage. <\/p>\n

GreatFlorida Insurance<\/a> can customize a boat insurance<\/a> policy to protect your vessel and extend to your boating equipment<\/a> in and out of the water. Give us a call today. <\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/florida-boat-insurance<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Florida leads the country in boating accidents and fatalities. A 2018 report from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) says Florida had 607 boating accidents resulting in over $7 million in property damage. \u201cPreparation and training can help prevent most boating accidents,\u201d says Dustyn Shroff, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance, Florida\u2019s leading independent boat insurance agency. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1219,"featured_media":3764,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3,1,5,82,89,9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3759","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boat-insurance","8":"category-auto-insurance","9":"category-floridainsurance","10":"category-homeowners-insurance","11":"category-rv-insurance","12":"category-travel-insurance","13":"category-umbrella-insurance"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1219"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3759"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13720,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3759\/revisions\/13720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}