You can insure a very small boat on Kentucky Lake through your homeowners policy, but any boat with a meaningful motor, ski boat, pontoon, or bass boat needs a separate watercraft policy for proper coverage.
Written by Blake Boswell, owner of the Boswell Insurance Agency, Murray, KY.
What homeowners actually covers
A standard homeowners policy provides limited watercraft coverage — typically boats under 26 feet with motors under 25 horsepower, and only up to a low sublimit (often $1,000 to $1,500 in physical damage). That’s fine for a kayak, canoe, or small jon boat but nowhere near enough for a real boat.
Why Kentucky Lake boats need standalone coverage
Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley boats — pontoons, bass boats, ski boats, wakeboats — are high-value assets with real liability exposure. A separate boat policy provides hull coverage at actual value, higher liability limits, on-water towing, personal effects coverage, and fishing gear coverage that a homeowners policy simply doesn’t have.
What we recommend for Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley owners
Standalone boat policy plus a personal umbrella. Umbrella liability is critical for lake homes — a serious injury on the water can generate a claim well beyond your primary limits. We package boat + umbrella + lake home routinely for clients on the water.
How to get quoted
Have the boat’s HIN, year, make, model, horsepower, and value ready when you call. We’ll quote the boat separately and bundle it with your home and umbrella for the strongest overall price.
Get a quote
Call (270) 925-1524 or start a quote at theboswellagency.com/quote. See our 136 five-star Google reviews (5.0 stars).
