What Is Marine Insurance – a Guide to the Types of Marine Insurance

Having the protection of your belongings should be your number one priority if you are planning an overseas relocation. If something goes wrong, the seller you chose will cover the damage or disappearance of your stuff.

What Is Marine Insurance?

Marine insurance is like all other insurances, only used to cover the results of damaging or losing terminals, goods, ships, and any kind of transport used to acquire or transfer property, or to hold it between the origin and final destination. The types also include Hull, Casualty, Liability, Onshore, and Offshore exposed property, while Cargo is considered to be its sub-branch.

The Transporter Can Choose the Insurance Plan

A transporter can choose the plan depending on the size of the ship, and the routes that are going to be taken to transport the freight. Keep in mind that there are different policies and plans, including covering both the cargo and the vessel, so the transporter should choose the most suitable plan for the business.

The Importance of Marine Insurance

Those who are thinking about relocating and living overseas should be aware of the importance of being insured. Through it, transporters and ship owners can be sure of claiming damages, especially when it comes to transporting some valuable belongings, such as shipping a car overseas.

When we compare four models of transport – air, road, trail, and water, the last one causes the most headaches to transporters. Not just because natural occurrences might do some harm to the vessel and the cargo, but other incidents which could be the cause of considerable losses in terms of finances.

Water transport is always in danger, and there are all sorts of incidents, such as piracy, that could cause significant losses to transporters. Also, we should not forget about the cross-border shoot-outs and other similar traits. Therefore, to avoid substantial losses, it is crucial to think in advance and have insurance as a back-up.

The Main Goal – Risk Management

All insurances are created to manage risks in every unfortunate situation, including loss of life or damage to the environment or property. The situation gets complicated when it comes to ships because they need to cover the risk of losing valuable vessels or upscale consignment, damage to the environment caused by oil pollution, or seafarers’ lives.

Types of Marine Insurance

Many types of marine insurance are created to benefit the client, and each one offers different features. The scope and nature of a client’s business will determine which model is most suitable to ensure the safe transport of goods.

The Selection of Coverages

• Hull Insurance primarily insures the hull and torso of the boat but also the belongings on it. In most cases, the owner of the vessel takes out this kind of coverage to prevent any loss to the boat, regardless of the type of accidents that could happen. Even if severe weather or collision damage the boat, it will be covered.
• Machinery insurance – This type covers all machinery, and the good news is that all claims will be accepted in case of any operational damage.

Hull and machinery insurances can come as one – Hull & Machinery, also known as H&M. This type can cover strike cover and war risk covers.

• Protection & Indemnity (P&I) – The P&I club provides Protection and Indemnity policies. It is the shipowners’ mutual insurance, and it covers the liabilities to risks that are not included with other policies and any H&M standard.

Protection covers the risks related to the ownership of the ship. In other words, it covers claims about the crew.

Indemnity covers the risks that are connected with the hiring of the boat. It means that it covers claims related to freight.

• Liability – the type of coverage with which compensation will be provided to any liability that occurs on the ship’s account, including colliding or crashing.
• Freight, Demurrage, and Defense – Often called Defense or FD&D is a coverage that provides claims necessary to handle legal costs and assistance for a variety of disputes that are not under P&I or H&M.
• Cargo – insures goods that are carried by ship and covers the freight owner in case of any accidents or delays, including trip and unloading.

Freight – This type is known for protecting merchant vessels’ corporations, which, in case the cargo is lost due to an unfortunate accident, is at risk of losing money in the form of freight.

Single Vessel and Other Types of Insurance Policies, and the Meaning of “Free on Board”

Even though marine insurance provides a fair claim to corporations and transporters, it is essential to know that it is rigorous. One of the most important things is that the ship’s captain has to follow a strict protocol regarding the route and time during which the vessel and the cargo have to reach the port of destination.

In case of any violation, the claim will be rejected entirely. When you know that, you will properly understand the importance of following the requirements of the policy you plan to choose.

• Single Vessel Policy is ideal for the shipowner who has one boat in different fleets or only one in general. It is used to cover the risk of one boat of the insured.
• Time Policy is a plan which is valid for a specific period, usually for one year.
• Voyage Policy is a kind of plan that is needed for a particular voyage.
• Mixed Policy presents a combination of time and voyage plan.

Port Risk Plan and More

• A port risk policy is used to ensure that the vessel will be safe while in the port.
• Open Policy is an inland plan that provides coverage for inland transport of goods for usually one year. It is suitable for shipping companies with a lot of transactions during the year because it offers coverage during the plan’s active period.

In the context of extended coverage, inland marine insurance can cover consignment shipped by land, including the time after the goods have arrived at a destination and are being transported to storage.

• Comprehensive protection presents a more expensive option, and it protects the value of your goods against damage, partial, or total disappearance of goods and other expenses while your goods are still in transit.
• Floating Policy is the type of plan that specifies a certain number of claims while other details are left when the boat starts its journey. It presents the ideal option for clients who often organize the transportation of goods through waters.
• Customization – Customized insurance is recommendable for companies with specific needs. You can choose options and coverage limits most suitable for your business.
• Mark up Value is a type of plan that allows a certain amount of your profit to be included in the insured value.

On the other hand, there are situations that will not be covered. You claim will be denied if the damage or disappearance of your freight:

• is caused by negligence
• includes contamination caused by radioactive rays
• is caused by civil commotion
• is caused by improper packing

Free on Board

Free on board or FOB is part of marine insurance, meaning that the seller will be considered responsible for all goods put on the vessel in a way the buyer assigns. The word “free” indicates that the seller is obligated to successfully deliver all belongings at the destination specified by the buyer.

When it comes to international shipments, signed contracts usually contain terms like the place of delivery and time. There’s a confirmation that the seller would pay the cost of insurance and freight in case of disappearance.

Marine Insurance in the Digital World

It was once hard to imagine that an industry such as this one will change the way it works, especially because it has survived over 300 years on a paper-based system. However, it is time to embrace new technologies and use the advantages of the digital world.

Advantages of Digitalization

• Speeding up the Process – Digitization will make the industry faster because insurers and brokers will have access to real-time data, and they will be able to react quickly and be efficient.
• The growth of partnerships – When they enter the digital world, insurers become attractive to big players as a good option for making partnerships. It is a low-risk strategy that gives a chance to brokers and insurers to invest in new technologies.
• Win-Win – Entering the digital world will cause a lot of changes in the whole chain, including shipowners, brokers, reinsurers, and insurers. Brokers will move from having just a transactional role to providing information based on analyzing essential data. Also, to manage risks more accurately, insurers will react in real-time, and that way, they will adapt prices.
• Preparations for Digitalization – If the industry wants to prepare for the digital world, it needs to adopt concepts of ambition, innovation, and leadership. Leaders should be able to present the future of the industry in the digital world, but organizations need innovation and enthusiasm to ensure the growth of the business.

Relocating across the world and moving to a new home require good organization, so knowing about all the advantages of marine insurance will save you from worrying about the precise belongings you want to move from your previous home. Finding a reliable moving company that provides international moving and overseas vehicle shipping is the key to stress-free moving.