Charter Boat Liability (P&I)
Protection & Indemnity (P&I) is the core liability coverage for any sportfishing charter. It responds to third-party bodily injury, property damage, pollution, and wreck removal arising from the operation of your vessel.
Protection & Indemnity for Sportfishing Charters
Protection & Indemnity (P&I) is the marine world's equivalent of general liability — but written specifically for vessels in navigation. As a charter operator carrying paying anglers, your single largest exposure is a third party getting hurt or your boat causing damage or pollution. P&I is the policy that responds.
Unlike a landlubber GL policy, P&I is built around maritime law. It contemplates the realities of a working sportfishing boat: passengers moving on a pitching deck, lines and hooks in the air, collisions in a crowded inlet, fuel in the water, and the duty a vessel owner owes everyone aboard and around the boat.
What P&I Covers
P&I responds to claims that a standard pleasure-craft or business policy simply will not touch once you start taking money to fish. It covers your legal liability to passengers, other boaters, dock owners, and the marine environment — including the defense costs that come with a maritime claim.
Why Charter Operators Can't Use a Recreational Policy
The moment you accept compensation to take anglers fishing, your recreational boat policy is void for that trip. Charter and "head boat" operations require a commercial marine P&I form rated for passengers-for-hire. We place coverage with carriers who understand 6-pack and inspected-vessel operations and won't deny a claim because you were running a charter.
What's Covered
Frequently Asked Questions
No. GL is a land-based form that typically excludes watercraft used for hire. P&I is a marine form built around admiralty law and written specifically for vessels carrying passengers for compensation — which is exactly what a sportfishing charter does.
Most marinas and tournament operators require a minimum of $1,000,000 in P&I. Operators running larger inspected vessels or carrying more passengers often carry $1M primary with a marine umbrella stacked on top to reach $2M–$5M.