Catamaran Insurance: Worldwide Cover for Sail & Power Cats
World Yacht Insurance arranges catamaran insurance through London Marine Insurance Services Ltd, a Lloyd's-accredited broker (FCA 308599), covering sail and power catamarans worldwide, including the Caribbean, for hull and liability up to $5M. Premiums typically run 1 to 1.5% of agreed value a year. Trimarans and ferro-cement hulls aren't eligible under our program.
One multihull-specific policy for private, charter, liveaboard and bluewater cats, quoted from the Lloyd's market in about 48 hours.
- Lloyd's
- Placed via a Lloyd's-accredited broker
- $5M
- Hull & liability authority
- Worldwide
- Including the Caribbean
- 48h
- Typical quote turnaround
What Is Catamaran Insurance?
This page is about insuring catamaran sailboats and powercats. It is not about Catamaran Rx or OptumRx prescription-drug benefit plans, which share the name but have nothing to do with boats.
Catamaran insurance is a multihull-specific policy form, not a generic monohull boat policy. It covers hull and machinery on both hulls and the bridgedeck that joins them, plus protection and indemnity (P&I) liability if your cat damages another vessel or injures someone. Twin hulls, twin engines, and a wide beam get underwritten as their own risk category. That is why a standard single-hull boat policy often doesn't fit a catamaran cleanly.
We insure sail and power catamarans, and we're upfront about what we don't take. World Yacht Insurance, through LMIS, does not currently insure trimarans, ferro-cement hulls, or cigarette boats. If you own one of those, this isn't the right product, and we would rather tell you now than after you fill in a form.
World Yacht Insurance is a yacht-insurance introducer arranging hull and liability cover up to $5M for sail and motor yachts worldwide, including the Caribbean, placed at Lloyd's of London through London Marine Insurance Services Ltd, a Lloyd's-accredited broker.
How Much Does Catamaran Insurance Cost?
Catamaran insurance from World Yacht Insurance typically runs 1 to 1.5% of agreed value per year, placed through London Marine Insurance Services Ltd, a Lloyd's-accredited broker. So a $500,000 catamaran runs roughly $5,000 to $7,500 a year.
| Agreed value | About 1% / year | About 1.5% / year |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $2,500 | $3,750 |
| $500,000 | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| $1,000,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| $2,000,000+ | $20,000+ | $30,000+ |
What moves your premium
- Where you cruise and your hurricane exposure
- Whether the boat charters (private use prices lower)
- Your marine survey and claims history
- Well-known builders like Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, and Leopard sit across these value bands, so find your agreed value in the table rather than guessing from the model name
Our in-house underwriting authority covers agreed values up to $5M, with access to the wider Lloyd's market above that. For context, market rates for catamaran cover run anywhere from about 1 to 5% of value depending on region and provider; our indicative band is 1 to 1.5%. We quote your own number rather than a range once we see the boat.
Not financial advice. Premiums depend on underwriting, and the figures above are indicative examples, not a quote or an offer of cover.
What's Covered and What Isn't
The terms below come straight from the LMIS policy wording we hold, not from marketing copy. That is the difference: we can show you the actual coverage boundaries before you apply.
Covered
- Hull and machinery on both hulls and the bridgedeck
- P&I (third-party) liability
- Agreed-value settlement, with no depreciation or actual cash value (ACV) argument at claim time
- Bareboat and crewed charter endorsement
- Loss-of-charter-hire cover
- Named-windstorm cover with a signed hurricane plan (10% deductible)
Not covered
- Trimarans
- Ferro-cement hulls
- Cigarette boats
- Normal wear and tear
- Unseaworthiness
- Cruising outside your declared navigation area without an extension
- Named-windstorm damage without a signed hurricane plan on file
Two conditions to know before you apply. Pre-owned catamarans usually need a current marine survey, and underwriters may ask for recent photos of the boat. Neither is a hurdle for a well-kept cat; both simply confirm the agreed value is fair.
We don't hide the exclusions. Reading them now saves an awkward conversation at claim time. Every line in this table comes from the LMIS policy wording, not marketing copy.
Catamaran Charter-Ownership Insurance (Bareboat & Crewed Fleets)
Plenty of catamarans aren't private weekend boats. They sit inside charter-management programs in the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Croatia, and across the Mediterranean, earning their keep between owner trips. This matters for insurance, because a standard pleasure-use policy excludes charter activity outright. Put your cat on charter under a pleasure-use policy and a charter-related claim can be declined. You need the charter endorsement, and that is a separate conversation from private cover.
Bareboat charter
The boat is rented without a captain. The charterer sails it themselves. The endorsement covers the vessel while it is in the hands of qualified renters, subject to their sailing credentials.
Crewed charter
A captain, and often crew, come with the boat. The moment you pay someone to work aboard, US crew-liability law can apply. The Jones Act (46 U.S.C. §30104) gives an injured seaman the right to sue their employer, and USL&H cover can come into play too. Crewed-charter cats need this crew-liability exposure written into the policy, not assumed away.
If a covered loss puts your catamaran in the yard during charter season, the income stops but the loan payments don't. Loss-of-charter-hire cover answers that. Under the LMIS wording it pays up to €600 per day, for a maximum of 67 days, while the boat is under repair from a covered loss. It is an add-on, not part of the baseline premium, so ask for it when you request your quote.
One cruising-ground note that catches charter owners out: Croatia carries doubled deductibles under LMIS policy terms. Croatia runs one of the largest catamaran-charter fleets in the world, so if your cat is based on the Dalmatian coast, factor that in from the start. We would rather set the expectation now than surprise you at renewal.
Worldwide Cruising Limits and the Hurricane Box
Your policy covers a declared navigation area. Sail outside it without an extension and a claim can fall through, so declare where you actually go and add an extension before a longer passage.
The one zone that changes the terms is the hurricane box: the named-storm risk area running south of Florida and the Bahamas through the Caribbean. The NOAA Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Some competitor pages round the end date to November 1; it is November 30 per the National Hurricane Center, and getting that wrong can leave a late-season storm outside your assumptions. Navigating or storing your catamaran inside the box during the season is what triggers the hurricane-plan requirement and the 10% named-windstorm deductible.
| Area | Season dates | What it means for cover |
|---|---|---|
| Caribbean / hurricane box | June 1 to November 30 | Signed hurricane plan required; 10% named-windstorm deductible |
| Croatia (Adriatic) | Year-round | Doubled deductibles under LMIS terms |
| Mediterranean (general) | Year-round | Standard terms; extension needed for longer passages |
| Outside declared area | Any | No cover without a cruising-area extension |
The hurricane plan is what unlocks named-windstorm cover in the first place, not a formality to file and forget.
Hurricane season dates: NOAA National Hurricane Center
Liveaboard and Bluewater Catamarans
We can cover a catamaran you live aboard, where some standard pleasure-use forms exclude it outright. If the cat is your home, tell us at quote stage so the cover matches how you actually use the boat.
Ocean crossings and bluewater passages need the navigation area declared and extended to match the route. A Pacific or Atlantic crossing is a different risk from coastal hopping, and it should be written in before you leave, not explained afterward. Single-handed and solo-cruiser passages can also be arranged, subject to underwriting, usually against your experience and a passage plan. None of this is off the table; it just needs declaring so the policy holds when you need it.
How to Get a Catamaran Insurance Quote
Here is what happens after you reach out. Most catamaran quotes come back within 48 hours.
World Yacht Insurance is an introducer, not the underwriter. We don't carry the risk or write the policy. LMIS (FCA firm reference 308599) is the Lloyd's-accredited broker that arranges and places your cover at Lloyd's of London. So no, you can't just call Lloyd's and ask for a person named Lloyd; catamaran cover at Lloyd's is placed through an accredited broker, and that is exactly the route we open for you. Read the full chain on how it works.
- 1
Tell us about the catamaran
Fill in the pre-qualifying quote form: builder, model, agreed value, where you cruise, and how you use the boat.
- 2
Send a survey and photos if the cat is pre-owned
A current marine survey and a few recent photos let underwriters confirm the value.
- 3
We introduce your details to the LMIS producer desk
London Marine Insurance Services Ltd arranges and places the cover at Lloyd's.
- 4
LMIS quotes back, usually within 48 hours
You review the terms and decide.
Catamaran Insurance FAQ
How much does catamaran insurance cost?+
Through World Yacht Insurance, catamaran cover typically runs 1 to 1.5% of agreed value a year, placed via LMIS at Lloyd's. A $500,000 catamaran works out around $5,000 to $7,500 annually. Your final figure depends on where you cruise, hurricane exposure, whether the boat charters, and your survey and claims history.
Is catamaran insurance more expensive than monohull insurance?+
Not automatically. The bigger drivers are your navigation territory and whether the boat charters, more than the fact it has two hulls. Multihull-specific risks like bridgedeck damage, twin engines, and a wider beam are underwritten as their own category, not simply priced higher for being a cat.
Does catamaran insurance cover trimarans or other multihulls?+
No. World Yacht Insurance, through LMIS, does not currently insure trimarans, ferro-cement hulls, or cigarette boats. Sail and power catamarans (two hulls) are fully eligible worldwide, with cover up to $5M.
Can I insure a catamaran that's in a charter-management program?+
Yes, but it needs the bareboat or crewed charter endorsement. Standard pleasure-use cover excludes charter activity. You can also add loss-of-charter-hire cover, which pays up to €600 per day for a maximum of 67 days while the boat is under repair from a covered loss.
What is a hurricane plan and why does it matter?+
It is a signed, filed plan setting out what happens to your catamaran if a named storm threatens: haul-out, relocation, or tie-down. It is what unlocks named-windstorm cover. With the plan on file, named-windstorm losses carry a 10% deductible; without it, that cover isn't in place.
Is "Catamaran" insurance the same as OptumRx or Catamaran Rx prescription benefits?+
No. Catamaran Rx, now part of OptumRx and UnitedHealthcare, is an unrelated pharmacy-benefit-management company that happens to share the name. This page is only about insuring catamaran sailboats and powercats.
Reviewed by Costas Matheou, licensed insurance agent (Cyprus).
Coverage terms, premiums and deductibles on this page are indicative and not financial advice. Cover is subject to underwriting, survey and the policy wording.
Get your catamaran covered
Tell us about your cat today and get a Lloyd's-market quote back within 48 hours.