Boating is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature here in the Braselton, GA area. However, taking safety precautions when you’re out on the water is important. This blog post will provide some simple tips from us at Bingham Insurance Group for staying safe while boating.

1. Wear a life jacket: A life jacket can save your life in the event of an emergency, so make sure everyone onboard has one! Inflatable jackets are lightweight and comfortable, making them ideal for longer trips. 

2. Check the weather forecast: Before leaving, always check the forecast and be aware of any potential storms that could arise while you’re on the water. Don’t take unnecessary risks; ensure that you have adequate shelter ashore if a storm pops up unexpectedly. 

3. Have an emergency plan: Make sure everyone aboard knows what to do in an emergency. Have a designated person who will be responsible for contacting authorities in case of an accident or injury, as well as how to use business radios or flares if help is needed from other vessels or shore personnel. 

4. Keep a first-aid kit handy: Accidents can happen at any time, so it’s essential to have a well-stocked first-aid kit with bandages, antiseptics, gauze pads, and other necessary items on board your vessel at all times. 

5. Pay attention to navigation rules: Always follow navigation rules by keeping your speed down in congested areas and giving right-of-way when appropriate — this includes sailing vessels which must always be given right-of-way over motorboats per international law! 

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your time on the water is enjoyable and safe! For more tips, give us at Bingham Insurance Group a call. We are proud to serve the Braselton, GA area.

If you own a boat/watercraft in Georgia, you aren’t legally required to carry any form of watercraft insurance. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that some other stipulation might require you to have boat/watercraft insurance. Our team at Bingham Insurance Group is committed to helping Braselton, GA residents understand the benefits of boat/watercraft insurance and whether they should invest in it.

What is Boat/Watercraft Insurance?

Boat/watercraft insurance covers your boat, yacht, or personal watercraft. Like car insurance, it provides liability protection against damage to motor-powered vessels with 25/mph or more horsepower. In other words, like car insurance, boat insurance provides protection in a boating accident. This coverage can cover you, your watercraft, and damage to another watercraft or person. Watercraft liability insurance includes coverage for bodily injury and property damage coverage and property and indemnity coverage. If you purchase watercraft coverage beyond liability, your boat is also covered if it’s stolen.

Under What Circumstances Would Boat/Watercraft Insurance be Required?

Although you aren’t legally required to carry boat/watercraft insurance in Georgia, you may still need it. Some boatyards and marinas require patrons to have boat and watercraft liability insurance. Also, if you’re financing your watercraft, your lender will more than likely require you to carry watercraft insurance. If you’re a homeowner, your homeowner’s insurance usually offers limited coverage for watercraft. However, the coverage amount is typically very small. If you’re a Braselton, GA watercraft owner and have questions about purchasing insurance coverage, call us. Our team at  Bingham Insurance Group will be happy to answer all of your questions. We’re standing by.

   

 

While many Braselton, GA boaters like the boating experience, some become dodgy regarding boat insurance. Many shrug off boat insurance by assuming that home insurance covers their water vessels. While it’s true that home insurance protects your boat, the coverage is limited. Besides, home insurance isn’t as broad as boat insurance. For these reasons and others, you need boat insurance from Bingham Insurance Group for optimal coverage. And when you purchase a boat insurance plan, consider the below add-ons for well-rounded coverage. 

Medical payments coverage

Boating accidents aren’t as common as auto accidents, but when they occur, severe injuries and even deaths aren’t uncommon. And since treating accident injuries can be expensive, especially without health insurance, you need to consider medical payments coverage in your boat insurance. This coverage pays for medical expenses for you and your passengers, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. 

Underinsured/uninsured boater coverage

Since boat insurance isn’t mandatory in Georgia, you are likely to encounter many uninsured boaters while enjoying your boat. Unfortunately, uninsured boaters leave numerous uncovered expenses for the accidents they cause. The good news is that the uninsured boater coverage pays for your medical costs and property damage caused by a less responsible boater.

Emergency assistance

Has your car ever stalled away from home? It must have been a frustrating ordeal. The same can happen to your boat while miles away from the shore. Thankfully, if you have emergency assistance coverage, help is always a call away. Here, you get services like towing, gas delivery, and minor repairs just to get you out of the water safely.

Personal property coverage

This insurance coverage protects personal assets like clothing, fishing equipment, and other belongings from damage or loss while aboard your boat.

Boat insurance in Braselton, GA

Would you like to protect your boat with boat insurance? Please contact Bingham Insurance Group for a competitive quote. 

 

 

 

Owning a boat can be the source of endless hours of fun and relaxation, whether you like to go out on a lake to fish or hold a shipboard party in a nearby harbor for the weekend. But, like an automobile, a boat is a large motor vehicle, and so, as Bingham Insurance Group serving Braselton, GA is pleased to remind you, certain safety protocols should apply.

You should have your boat safety kit available, including life vests for all passengers. You can hope that you will not suffer a mishap that will cause you to abandon your boat, but being able to survive in the water until the Coast Guard or another boater rescues you is a good thing. A working radio with which to summon help would also be of use.

You should check the weather before going out. Nothing will ruin your outing quite like being out on the water in a storm.

You should maintain your boat properly, making sure that the engine runs as it is supposed to.

Do not overload your boat with people and equipment. Having your boat capsize is not only embarrassing but downright dangerous.

Use common sense while on the water. Do not go tearing around like a hot-rodder, endangering other boaters and swimmers. The same rules that apply to safe driving on the road in a car apply to safe boating. Be alert, as well, to other boaters who may be misbehaving.

Follow all of the safety procedures for anchoring when on the water and for docking when you return to the marina.

For information on boat insurance, feel free to contact Bingham Insurance Group serving Braselton, GA.

From Lake Sidney Lanier to Wake Lanier, there are many opportunities to boat in Braselton, GA and throughout the state. If you already have a boat or plan to get one soon, it’s important to have boat insurance. This way, if anything happens, like a boating accident, damage, injury, or theft, you’re covered. If you’re thinking boat insurance is expensive, it doesn’t have to be. At Bingham Insurance Group, we’ve put together three tips to help you find the right boat insurance policy and save money in the process.

1. Compare Many Quotes

Your insurance agent will help you go over several boat insurance policies to find the right one for your needs. Together, you’ll compare coverage and cost to help you make the right decision. You may want to stay with the insurance company you currently have policies with but keep an open mind. There are many policies from many companies to choose from that can save you money and still offer outstanding coverage.

2. Bundle Your Policies

One of the easiest ways to save money on boat insurance is to bundle this policy with all your other ones. Chances are you already have homeowners insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, flood insurance, and possibly other policies that you can bundle together with your boat insurance policy in Braselton, GA to save money on your premiums.

3. Work with a Reputable Agent

Walking the maze of insurance policies can be confusing. That’s where a trusted and reputable insurance agent comes in. At Bingham Insurance Group, our friendly and knowledgeable agents are customer-oriented. They work for you to find the best policy at the best price. To learn more about boat insurance, contact us today at 706-684-0040.