Skip to content
DigiCare Insurance Greece home page

Sailboat insurance in Greece

DigiCare Insurance arranges hull and third-party liability cover for monohull sailing yachts kept in Greek waters, under a Greek or foreign flag, on the same policy as our yacht insurance. Mast, spars, rigging and sails are part of the insured boat at the value you agree, and you see the terms and the IPID before you pay.

  • 100% of the agreed value on a total loss, rig and sails included, less your deductible
  • Accidental damage, a dismasting included, repaired up to the agreed value, less your deductible
  • Up to 80% of what you spend to save the boat, paid on top of the hull sum

Damage from a windstorm named or numbered by NOAA or an equivalent government body carries a deductible of 10% of the hull value; other storm damage takes your normal deductible.

Get a sailboat quote

Reviewed by Costas Matheou, licensed insurance agent

Law 4926/2022, Art. 17

What the law requires and what we cover on a sailing yacht

Sailboat insurance in Greece is compulsory third-party liability for any sailing yacht over 7 m, plus optional agreed-value cover for the hull, rig and sails. A sailing yacht over 7 m is a pleasure craft under Greek law, whatever its flag, so it must be insured while sailing, moored or at anchor (Law 4926/2022, Art. 17). The minimum pays other people. It pays nothing for your hull, mast or sails.

Death or bodily injury

Greek legal minimum
€150,000 per person, €700,000 per event, €2,100,000 per insurance period

Our policy

Third-party liability, one limit per occurrence in your Schedule

Damage to property

Greek legal minimum
€150,000 per event, €450,000 per insurance period

Our policy

Inside the liability limit

Pollution

Greek legal minimum
€150,000 per event, €450,000 per insurance period

Our policy

Sudden and accidental pollution, inside the liability limit

Hull, deck and keel

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Agreed value, total and partial loss

Mast, boom and spars

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Part of the insured boat, at the agreed value

Standing and running rigging

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Part of the insured boat; wear and tear excluded

Sails

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Part of the insured boat; theft afloat only with forced entry

Auxiliary engine

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Part of the insured boat; list it when you ask for a quote

Tender and outboard

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Covered with the yacht; not while being towed

Salvage and saving the boat

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Salvage up to the hull sum; 80% of what you spend to save the boat, on top

Collision with another vessel

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Up to the hull sum, plus defence costs if the underwriter agrees in writing to contest liability

Personal belongings, medical payments, towing, paid crew

Greek legal minimum
Not required

Our policy

Optional; belongings up to USD 5,000 per item

The legal minimums are those for pleasure craft under 300 gross tonnage. A section applies only when your Schedule shows a sum for it, so you can buy liability only or hull and liability. We ask for a liability limit at or above the Greek minimum when we quote. For a catamaran, see catamaran insurance.

Sailboat insurance cost

What sets the price of your sailboat cover

Sailboat insurance in Greece is priced yacht by yacht: the underwriter rates the agreed value of hull, rig and sails, the deductible (1% to 5% of the hull value), mooring, cruising area and skippers. The quote is free and commits you to nothing.

  • 12-month cover, paid by bank transfer
  • Quote from one questionnaire
Get a sailboat quote

  • The yacht

    What we ask
    Builder, model, year, length, hull material, flag

  • Agreed value

    What we ask
    Hull, rig, sails and equipment together; the percentage deductible is taken from it

  • Rig and condition

    What we ask
    Year of the last survey and, if you know it, when the standing rigging was replaced

  • Auxiliary engine

    What we ask
    Power, fuel and year

  • Tender

    What we ask
    The tender and its outboard

  • Mooring and lay-up

    What we ask
    Marina or port, afloat or ashore, lay-up months

  • Cruising area

    What we ask
    The navigational limits in your Confirmation of Cover

  • Use

    What we ask
    Private cruising; racing, single-handed sailing or charter only if the underwriter agrees

  • Skippers

    What we ask
    Each named operator: certificates, experience, previous boats, claims

  • Deductible

    What we ask
    A hull deductible of 1% to 5% of the hull value; a higher one lowers the premium

Quotes are for 12 months, in euro, paid by bank transfer against the invoice.

Placed in the London insurance market through London Marine Insurance Services Ltd, a Lloyd's-accredited broker.

Private use

Which sailing yachts and uses we insure

Monohull sailing yacht over 7 m, private use
Required: Liability compulsory (Art. 17); we quote hull, rig and liability
Liability only, at the legal minimum or above
Accepted: Yes; hull cover is your choice
Sailing yacht of 7 m or under
Accepted: Not compulsory under Art. 17; we quote on request
Greek, EU or non-EU flag
Accepted: Yes, subject to the underwriter; Greek minimums apply in Greek waters
Russian flag, or an owner on a sanctions list
Other: Not accepted
Owner living outside Greece
Accepted: Yes, subject to the underwriter; sanctions rules apply
Second-hand yacht you are buying
Accepted: Quote before handover; photos or a survey may be asked
Older sailing yacht
Accepted: A survey may be asked; its recommendations carried out within 30 days of it
Racing, regattas, rallies
Other: Only if the underwriter agrees in writing before the event
Single-handed sailing
Other: Only if the underwriter agrees in writing
Charter
Other: Only with the underwriter's prior approval
Year-round liveaboard
Other: Declare it in the questionnaire
Catamaran
Other: See catamaran insurance
Trimaran, cement or "cigarette" vessel
Other: Not insured

The questionnaire asks how you use the yacht; the underwriter quotes on those answers.

Exclusions

What sailboat insurance does not pay

  • Rig or sail failure from wear and tear, weathering or lack of maintenance
  • Design, manufacturing or latent defects
  • Races, regattas, rallies or speed trials the underwriter did not agree to in writing
  • Single-handed sailing the underwriter did not agree to in writing
  • A skipper who is not a named, approved operator
  • A yacht that is not seaworthy or properly crewed
  • Sailing outside your navigational limits
  • Using or living aboard during a declared lay-up
  • Theft of sails or equipment afloat without forced entry
  • Named windstorm damage without the agreed windstorm plan
  • Osmosis, blistering and electrolysis
  • Damage to the tender while it is towed
  • Trimarans, cement and "cigarette" vessels

Example dismasting

€24,000

You · €1,500Underwriter · €22,500

The deductible is the part of each hull claim you pay. An illustrative covered claim: on an agreed value of €150,000 with a 1% deductible, a €24,000 dismasting repair costs you €1,500 and the underwriter pays €22,500. If a named windstorm brought the rig down, with the agreed storm plan in place, the deductible is 10% of the hull value: you pay €15,000 and the underwriter €9,000. Under the policy wording, hull deductibles run from 1% to 5% of the hull value, and both they and the 10% apply to a total loss too.

4 steps

How to insure your sailing yacht online

  1. 01

    Fill in the questionnaire

    Sailing yacht is preselected. Add the boat, the engine, the value with rig and sails, mooring, cruising area, skippers and how you use her.

  2. 02

    Get the terms and the IPID

    Before you pay. The underwriter may ask for photos within 14 days or a survey, which must be received and approved within 45 days of the start date.

  3. 03

    Pay by bank transfer

    For 12 months, against the invoice. Cover starts on the date in your Confirmation of Cover.

  4. 04

    Keep the certificate on board

    Greek law accepts an insurance certificate in Greek or English, kept on board (Art. 17(1)).

Documents: registration or flag certificate, each skipper's licence or certificate and sailing CV, the last survey or photos, the marina or mooring contract.

  • Registration
  • Skipper licence
  • Survey or photos
  • Mooring contract

Claims

If your rig comes down or the yacht is damaged

Make the boat and crew safe and limit the damage; the underwriter pays 80% of what you spend to save the boat, on top of the hull sum, less your deductible. Report it to London Marine as soon as you can, let the underwriter inspect before repairs or removal, send at least two repair estimates, and do not admit liability without consent.

  • Legal action on a claim within 1 year
  • English law, arbitration in London
Get a sailboat quote

FAQ

Questions about sailboat insurance in Greece

Is sailboat insurance compulsory in Greece?
Yes, for a sailing yacht over 7 m under any flag: it is a pleasure craft and needs third-party liability cover at the minimums of Law 4926/2022, Art. 17, in force since 1 June 2022, with the certificate on board. The old rule of Law 4256/2014 no longer applies. For an uninsured yacht the owner is fined €150 per metre of length and the skipper €100 per metre (Art. 20), and the port authority can stop the yacht leaving. Hull cover is your choice; for other boats see yacht insurance.
Are the mast, rigging and sails covered?
Yes. Under the policy wording, the insured sailing yacht includes her machinery, equipment, sails, masts, spars and rigging, all at the agreed value for partial and total losses. Rig or sail failure from wear and tear is excluded. Include the rig and sails when you set the value.
Is a dismasting covered?
If it is accidental, such as a collision, a grounding or a gust that breaks a sound rig, yes, less your deductible, and 80% of what you spend to save the boat is paid on top (your deductible applies to that too). If the rig failed through wear and tear, gradual deterioration, lack of maintenance or a latent defect, no. A recent survey and rigging records help show which it was.
Do storms and the meltemi change the deductible?
Storm damage is accidental damage and takes your normal hull deductible, so a meltemi gale is handled like any other storm. Damage from a windstorm named or numbered by NOAA "or any equivalent government organisation" (the policy wording) carries a deductible of 10% of the hull value, and windstorm cover needs a storm plan agreed with the underwriter. Greece's national weather service (ΕΜΥ) names very strong storms together with neighbouring countries' weather services, so a named Mediterranean storm can trigger the 10% if the underwriter treats ΕΜΥ as an equivalent organisation. Ask us how your policy treats it before you buy.
Can I race in a regatta or sail single-handed?
Only if the underwriter agrees in writing before you do. Races, regattas, rallies and speed trials are excluded under the standard cover, and so is single-handed sailing; without that agreement there is no cover while the yacht is raced or sailed alone. Answer both questions in the questionnaire and the underwriter sets the terms.
How much does sailboat insurance cost in Greece?
Sailboat insurance in Greece has no fixed price: the underwriter rates each yacht on its agreed value with rig and sails, year and condition, mooring and lay-up, cruising area, skippers, claims history and the deductible, so we publish no average. Cover runs 12 months and is paid by bank transfer; the free quote shows the price for your yacht.
Do I need a survey for an older sailing yacht?
Only if the underwriter asks for one. It must be received and approved by the underwriter within 45 days of the start date and its recommendations must be carried out within 30 days of the survey; otherwise the policy is void from the start. Photos of the boat may be asked within 14 days.
Are sails or the outboard covered if stolen?
Afloat, theft of equipment is covered only with evidence of forced entry, or when the whole yacht is stolen; every theft claim needs visible evidence of force. Ashore, only theft of the whole yacht from a locked building or an approved place is covered.
I keep my yacht in Greece but live abroad. Can I insure it with you?
Yes, under a Greek or foreign flag, subject to the underwriter; boats under the Russian flag are not insured. The Greek minimum applies in Greek waters, the policy documents are in English and the certificate can be in English.
Do you insure catamarans or trimarans on this policy?
Catamarans, yes: see catamaran insurance. Trimarans are not insured.
Is it better to buy online, through a local agent or a marina broker?
Online with us you get the terms and the IPID before paying, and London Marine handles claims for the insurers on your policy. A local tied agent sells the Greek insurers it represents. A broker compares several insurers for you under a written mandate and may charge a fee.
Important information

Cover is placed in the London insurance market through London Marine Insurance Services Ltd, a Lloyd's-accredited broker, and underwritten by the insurers named in your policy Schedule. Terms, exclusions and limits are in the policy documents (IPID and policy wording) provided in English before purchase. Racing, single-handed sailing and charter are covered only with the underwriter's prior written agreement.

The policy is governed by English law; disputes go to arbitration in London.

Greek law requires third-party liability insurance for pleasure craft over 7 m, including sailing yachts, and for speedboats of 7 m or less (Law 4926/2022, Art. 17 and 74). Keep your insurance certificate on board.

DigiCare Insurance is a licensed insurance intermediary. Legal information · How we review content

Complaints: contact us first; you can also turn to the Consumer Ombudsman (Συνήγορος του Καταναλωτή).

Reviewed by Costas Matheou, licensed insurance agent · Last updated: