How to Purchase Boat Insurance in the Hurricane Box
Where is the Hurricane Box & What Does Living in the Hurricane Box Mean?
The hurricane box is located in the Caribbean, beneath the state of Florida. While the exact coordinates vary from company to company, the northern limit is about fifty miles north of Cuba and the southern limit is only a few miles above Grenada. Living “in the box” means that you are within these boundaries.
Unfortunately, because hurricanes are so frequent in this region, those who live here are frequently subject to higher premiums during hurricane season. Many people who live “in the box” try to find ways to insure their boat “outside of the box” and have it docked outside of the box during hurricane season in order to avoid the higher premiums.
How to Get the Best Price
While you may be automatically subject to higher prices because of your geographical location, there are still ways that you can pay less. The most important thing is that you shop around. There are those who wait until the last minute to purchase boat insurance, and this puts them in a position where they must buy from the first insurance company that they come across that will actually insure them.
Do not put yourself in this position and start shopping for insurance around the same time that you are shopping for your boat. This will give you plenty of time to get insured by the time that you are ready to get out on the water.
The other thing that you should look for is discounts. Many insurance companies offer discounts for different reasons. Whether you are a veteran of the armed forces or you are a senior, or you have more than one boat to insure, make sure to ask your insurance company what discounts they have available. While they may not let you know about these discounts when you are discussing pricing, they will certainly tell you about them if you ask them directly.
You can also relocate your boat during hurricane season to avoid the high cost of premiums. For instance, many people dock their boat in Trinidad or Grenada during the summer months to avoid the pricey premiums and to keep their boat safe from oncoming storms.
Finally, don’t forget to consider timing. Shopping for boat insurance during hurricane season may be far more difficult than shopping at any other time of year. In fact, you may find that many insurance companies will refuse to insure you during this time. However, if you shop during the winter or springtime, you could probably get better rates from a wider range of companies than you would if you waited until hurricane season.
