Vessel operators fall basically into two categories, Regular and Occasional.
The Regular operator is the operator who uses or operates your boat on a regular basis, seasonally, daily, weekly, monthly and so on. This could be a relief captain, your fishing buddy, your spouse, better half, friend or companion, but is someone you know will use the boat somewhat regularly. A delivery skipper for a passage should be considered a Regular operator as they will have command of the vessel for an important period of time.
An Occasional operator uses your boat every once and a while
or just once. An example is a friend who comes to the
If you are not sure of the status of the operator, advise your insurer/broker/ agent and let them decide.
There is another type of operator-a Named Operator. This
class of operator is mentioned by endorsement or addendum to your coverage to
show they are known to Underwriters. Some insurers cover only Named Operators.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The terms and descriptions of terms on this page or
these pages is not meant to replace or define any policy wording or term or the
limit or enhance any meaning of any term(s) or conditions of any policy of
insurance. These comments are just that, comments and nothing more. They are
provided for you to refer to, so you can ask your insurer for an exact meaning
or explanation of the coverage you own or are contemplating purchasing. All
policies are subject to exclusions and revisions of meanings of standard terms.
Your policy covers you, and you need to ask questions now- before any loss, to
understand what you have. We are not lawyers, and we do not provide legal
opinions. We are Insurance Brokers and we provide guidance and try and help you
understand coverages and coverage issues. READ YOUR
POLICY, a boring but informative task and ask questions. Use this document to
help you ask those questions and learn from your Agent or Broker. He or she is
there to help you, if they don’t do the job, find another one.