Workboat, Tug Boat and Crew Boat Insurance

Howdy there. If you run a workboat, a tug, a crew boat or a push boat, you already know your insurance isn't like a regular business policy. You've got the boat itself, the folks working on it, the dock you tie up to and the customers you're working for. And so if one piece is missing, you can be looking at a mighty big bill.

We've been an independent agency since 1980, and we've been writing longshore and marine work comp (USL&H) since 2007. We help workboat owners put the right pieces together, and we explain it in plain English so you know what you're buying.

Call or text Rickey at 205-275-5005, or fill out the short quote form. It's about 7 questions.

What workboat insurance usually includes

There isn't one single "workboat policy." It's usually a few coverages that fit together. Here's how they generally line up:

  • Hull and machinery. Covers physical damage to the boat, the engines and the equipment on it.
  • Protection and indemnity (P&I). Covers what you're legally on the hook for to other people, like injuries, damage to docks or other vessels, and some wreck removal and pollution costs, depending on the policy.
  • Maritime Employers Liability (MEL). Covers your crew injury claims under the Jones Act and general maritime law. More on that below. See our Maritime Employers Liability page.
  • Marine general liability. Covers your operations off the boat, like dock and shoreside work, and what your customers' contracts often require.
  • USL&H. Covers workers on the dock, in the yard or doing repair work who fall under federal longshore law instead of the Jones Act. See our longshoreman insurance page.

Which ones you need depends on what you run, where you run it and who's working for you. That's what the quote process sorts out.

Who we work with

  • Tug and towboat outfits
  • Crew boat and supply boat operators
  • Push boats and barge work
  • Survey, dredge support and other inland and near-coastal workboats
  • Marine contractors that run a boat as part of the job

Every risk has to be quoted and approved by underwriting, so give us a call and we'll tell you straight up whether it's something we can help with.

Seaman or shoreside worker? It matters a lot

Here's a common way folks get tripped up. Say an owner has a few hands that work on the boat and a few that work on the dock. He's got a state workers' comp policy and figures everybody's covered. And so when a deckhand gets hurt on the boat, he finds out that state comp generally doesn't cover seamen.

Here's the plain version:

  • Seamen (Jones Act). Folks who spend a good part of their time working aboard a vessel in navigation and help it do its job. Think captains, deckhands and engineers. Their injury claims usually fall under the Jones Act, and they can sue the employer. That's what MEL, or crew coverage under P&I, is for.
  • Shoreside workers (USL&H). Folks loading, unloading, building or repairing vessels on or near the water, but not working as crew. They usually fall under federal longshore law, and that's covered by USL&H.

Some workers fall somewhere in between, and it comes down to what they actually do day to day. So this is very important. Your agent needs to look at the real duties with you, not just check a box. That's what we do.

Why folks work with us

  • New outfit? That's okay. A new operation with no loss history can often be quoted with a signed No Known Loss letter. If you've been around a while, we'll ask for 3 to 5 years of loss runs.
  • Payments. We offer premium finance.
  • Certificates. Once your coverage is in place, certificates go out the same business day.
  • Audit help. We recently saved a client over $321,000 at audit. The auditor tried to move a class code to a higher-rated one, and we got it changed back. We stay with you after the sale.
  • Minimum premiums explained up front. Some marine policies come with minimum premiums nobody bothers to explain. Read the $150,000 minimum premium nobody explained.

We're licensed for workers' comp in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

How to get a quote

Fill out the short quote form. It's about 7 questions: your name, company, phone, email, the states you work in, the type of work and when you need coverage. Tell us about your boats and crew in the description, and we'll take it from there.

Most quotes take about 4 to 5 days. Some come back quicker and some take a little longer.

Workboat insurance FAQs

Is a deckhand on my tug a seaman or a longshore worker?

If he spends a good chunk of his time working aboard a vessel that's in navigation and helps it do its job, he's most likely a seaman and falls under the Jones Act, so you need Maritime Employers Liability. Folks who mostly work on the dock or in the yard usually fall under federal longshore law (USL&H). Every crew is a little different, so we look at the actual duties with you.

Does my regular workers' comp cover my boat crew?

Usually not. A state workers' comp policy generally isn't built for seamen. Crew injury claims under the Jones Act are normally handled by MEL or by crew coverage under P&I. That's a gap we see a lot, and it's one we check first.

What's the difference between hull and P&I?

Hull and machinery covers damage to the boat itself. Protection and indemnity (P&I) covers what you owe other people, like injury to crew or others, damage to docks or other vessels, and certain pollution or wreck removal costs, depending on the policy.

Can you write a new outfit with no loss history?

In a lot of cases, yes. A brand-new operation can often be quoted with a signed No Known Loss letter. If you've been in business a while, we'll ask for 3 to 5 years of loss runs.

How long does a quote take?

Most quotes take about 4 to 5 days. Some come back quicker and some take a little longer. The better the info up front, the smoother it goes.

Can I make payments on the premium?

We offer premium finance.

Got more questions? Check our FAQ page or contact us.

Let's talk about your boats

Call or text me at 205-275-5005, or fill out the short quote form. We'll explain it in plain talk and work for you, not the insurance company.

O. Rickey Harris, Certified WorkComp Advisor (CWCA)