Marine Electronics Insurance Australia

Ownership

Fixed versus portable marine electronics

Category	Typical treatment	Examples
Fixed and permanently installed	Part of the vessel sum insured	Plotter, radar, autopilot, VHF, instruments
Portable marine equipment	Often a separate, much smaller limit	Handheld VHF, portable GPS, satellite messenger
Personal electronics	Personal effects limit, or not covered	Laptop, tablet, phone, camera
Removed for the season	May fall outside cover once off the boat	Anything stored at home over winter

Electronics value and settlement basis

Depreciation is applied more aggressively here than almost anywhere else on a boat. A ten-year-old chartplotter that cannot be replaced with the same model may be settled at depreciated value, leaving a real gap between the payment and the cost of a working replacement. Some policies apply new-for-old within a stated equipment age; most do not, and it is worth asking.

Insured damage to marine electronics

Lightning strike, which commonly takes several unrelated systems at once.
Shore-power surge, which does the same thing more quietly.
Theft, where portable equipment and removable displays are the target.
Water ingress at the helm or through a failed seal.
Progressive network damage that emerges over months after a surge.

Electronics inventories and receipts

List every item with make, model and serial number.
Keep the purchase invoices, stored off the boat.
Photograph each unit installed, and record a short video of the systems working at the start of each season.
Total the list and check it against your sum insured at every renewal.
Note which items your policy classes as portable, and what limit applies.

Condition is what decides marine claims

Almost every declined marine claim is an argument that a failure was gradual rather than sudden. The records you keep are what answers it.

How to make a claim

General information onlyThe information on sailboatinsurance.com.au is general educational information only. It may be wrong, incomplete or out of date, and you should not rely on it as a substitute for the current policy documents or professional advice. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs and is not personal financial product advice. Insurance cover depends on the actual policy wording, Product Disclosure Statement, certificate of insurance, endorsements, exclusions, limits, sub-limits and underwriting decisions that apply to your vessel. Always read the current policy documents before buying, renewing or changing cover. For legal, financial or insurance advice about your own circumstances, consider speaking with an appropriately licensed professional.