Workboat Insurance
From a team that knows a workboat isn’t a yacht.
Tugs, barges, crew boats, and the yards that keep them running carry risks a standard policy wasn’t written for. A deckhand’s injury, a fuel spill, a contract clause signed in a hurry: each one lands on a different policy, and a gap in any of them lands on you.
Our marine team insures steel workboats and the shipyards that service them, and it includes people who’ve run them. Nick Pucello spent 15 years at the wheel of tugs and steel vessels before he joined Allen.
Where we start
Every business/vessel has risks specific to their operation. We look at each business holistically and identify risks in both business operations but also in vessel operations.
Did anyone check the contract before you signed it?
Charters, towing jobs, and yard work come with insurance requirements: waivers, hold harmless clauses, “any and all” language.
Your policy only responds to what it says, not to what is contractually promised. Onboard vessels, your hull and P&I policies have to respond, not your general liability. The time to catch a mismatch is before you sign.
Do your policies still describe the vessels you operate?
Routes change. Crews grow. Engines and tenders get replaced. Vessels get refit/repowered.
Policies also carry warranties, conditions you’ve agreed to meet, and a breach can void coverage. If the policy describes last year’s operation, the claim gets handled on last year’s terms.
Who we insure
On the water
- Tugs and towing operations
- Barges
- Crew, supply, and pilot boats
- Ferries and passenger vessels
- Research vessels
Onshore
- Shipyards and repair yards
- Marine contractors
- Ports, terminals, and stevedoring
- Fuel docks
If a crew member gets hurt tomorrow, which policy reacts?
That answer gets decided when the policy is written, not when the claim comes in.
Our team has run these boats and worked these claims, so we know how much rides on the answers to questions like these:
- Who’s aboard, and how much of their working time do they spend there?
- Who works on the dock or in the yard, and in which states?
- What do your contracts promise, and to whom?
We’ve written about questions like these in WorkBoat magazine since 2008. And we place coverage with marine underwriters in the U.S. and overseas, for operators in all 50 states.
Our workboat insurance team
Chris Richmond, CIC, AAI, CMIP
Producer, Marine Insurance
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Dan Bookham, AAI
Senior Vice President, Business Development and Commercial Lines
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From our WorkBoat column
Questions we get asked
What’s the difference between hull and P&I insurance?
Hull insurance covers physical damage to the vessel itself. Protection and indemnity (P&I) covers your liability to others, including injured crew and damage you cause to other people’s property. A workboat typically needs both.
Does my hull policy cover a fuel spill?
Generally, no. Commercial hull policies exclude pollution, so a spill needs its own coverage. That policy can cover cleanup, legal defense, and government fines.
Who counts as crew under the Jones Act?
As a general rule, someone who spends about a third or more of their working time in service to the vessel. Crew injuries are handled through your P&I policy. Workers who service vessels from shore usually fall under the Longshore Act instead.
Can I insure a workboat on a yacht policy?
Yacht policies are written for pleasure boating. Once a boat is doing commercial work or carrying paying passengers, it needs commercial coverage written for that job.
Is the insurance market getting better or worse for workboat operators?
Both, depending on the coverage. Heading into 2026, hull and primary marine liability are becoming more favorable to buyers as new capacity enters the market. General liability and commercial auto remain tight because of rising jury awards. Operators with strong safety programs are in the best position to negotiate.
Also see our Marine Insurance page for tall ships, fishing vessels, marinas, and more.
