Tournament fees. Uninsured boater. Your marina, named. All in the base policy.
Arkansas was in the launch group for Quantum Boat 2.0, and it shows in what the base form already carries. Here's all seventeen base coverages, all ten endorsements with their form numbers, and what a Beaver Lake boat actually needs on it.
The short answer
Travelers writes Arkansas boat insurance through Quantum Boat 2.0, on form BY-100, for boats under 27 feet. Tournament fees, uninsured boater and naming your marina as additional insured are all in the base form. Agreed value, drive system and pontoon coverage are endorsements. Cribb Insurance Group places it from Bentonville, twenty minutes from Beaver Lake.
Arkansas was in the launch group.
Travelers named Arkansas first among the states where Quantum Boat 2.0 went live. Worth stating plainly, because it isn't true of every carrier or every program — plenty of national products treat Arkansas as an afterthought. This one didn't, and the base form shows it.
Tournament fees
Reimburses non-refundable entry fees when a covered loss keeps you off the water. Beaver Lake runs bass tournaments most of the year and entry fees don't come back. This is base coverage, not an add-on.
Marina as additional insured
Marinas routinely require slip holders and storage clients to carry liability and name the marina. The policy gives you the option. That turns a paperwork scramble into a phone call.
Uninsured / underinsured boater
Covers you or a guest aboard hurt by an uninsured or underinsured boater. Arkansas requires liability only above 50 horsepower — below that line, and on any boat whose owner just didn't comply, this is what answers.
Travelers states Quantum Boat 2.0 policies come with a team dedicated to marine claims rather than the general auto and property queue. A hull is not a car. Grounding, submersion, salvage, drive system internals — that's its own discipline, and an adjuster who handled a fender bender that morning isn't equipped for it.
And three more you wouldn't expect to find in a base form.
Sale of Catch. A boat policy is written for private pleasure use, and selling fish breaches that warranty — which can void a loss entirely. This covers you if you catch and sell fish no more than 90 days per policy term year, with annual gross receipts under $10,000. If you guide occasionally, that's the provision that keeps a claim from dying on a technicality.
Trip Interruption. Trailer breakdown more than 100 miles from home: meals and lodging, up to $150 per day, maximum $600 per breakdown.
Newly Acquired Boat. Automatic coverage up to the full purchase price for an eligible new boat or PWC, for 15 days from purchase.
All seventeen, on form BY-100.
This is what's in the boat policy before you add anything.
| Coverage | What it does |
|---|---|
| Physical damage coverages | |
| Physical Damage | Applies when the insured watercraft is physically damaged in a covered collision, submersion, grounding, or contact with a submerged object. |
| Salvage | Can cover the cost — up to the watercraft's insured value — of rescuing a watercraft in peril when it can't return to safe harbor under its own power. |
| NEWTournament Fees | Reimburses non-refundable entry fees in fishing tournaments when a covered loss keeps you from fishing. |
| NEWSale of Catch | Protects against a loss that would otherwise be void for breaching the private pleasure use warranty. Applies if you catch and sell fish no more than 90 days per policy term year, with annual gross receipts from the sale of catch not exceeding $10,000. |
| NEWTrip Interruption | If a trailer breakdown happens on a trip more than 100 miles from your primary residence, pays for meals and lodging where the breakdown occurs — up to $150 per day, maximum $600 per breakdown. |
| NEWPartial and Total Loss Settlement | Settles on an actual cash value basis, with the option to buy agreed value loss coverage for eligible watercraft (BY-403). |
| Liability coverages | |
| Bodily Injury & Property Damage Liability | Protects you for bodily injury and physical damage you may become legally responsible for arising out of the use and operation of the insured watercraft. |
| Wreck Removal | Can cover reasonable costs to raise, remove and dispose of the watercraft when authorities require it. |
| Accidental Fuel Spill | Can cover reasonable cost of containment, clean-up and resulting damage from an accidental fuel spill you become legally responsible for. |
| NEWMarina as Additional Insured | Many marinas require slip holders and storage clients to carry liability insurance and to name the marina as an additional insured. The policy provides the option to do that. |
| Other base coverages | |
| Towing While Afloat | Can cover towing if the watercraft needs emergency services while afloat. |
| Towing While On Land | If the policy covers your trailer, coverage extends to trailer roadside assistance and towing reimbursement. |
| Medical Payments | Reasonable costs of medical bills for injuries to you and your guests while aboard. Legal liability is not required for coverage to be available. |
| Personal Property | Damage to personal property aboard — clothing, personal effects, fishing equipment. |
| NEWUninsured / Underinsured Boater | Covers you or a guest aboard who sustains bodily injury caused by an uninsured or underinsured boater. |
| Non-Owned Boat or PWC | Extends your liability coverage while operating a non-owned boat or personal watercraft with the owner's permission — not one that's rented, chartered, or otherwise always available to you. |
| Newly Acquired Boat or PWC | Automatic coverage up to the full purchase price for an eligible newly acquired boat or PWC, up to 15 days from the purchase date. |
Where a boat policy is actually decided.
Form numbers included, because they're what appears on your declarations page — and because that's how you check whether you have one.
| Endorsement | What it does |
|---|---|
| NEWAgreed Value Loss Settlement — HullBY-403 | On a total loss, coverage is provided on an agreed value basis with no depreciation taken — the deductible still applies. On a partial loss, coverage is on a replacement cost basis, with depreciation taken on certain specified items, and the deductible applies. |
| NEWAgreed Value Loss Settlement — MachineryBY-404 | Removes depreciation on engines and machinery for an eligible watercraft. Separate from the hull endorsement above. |
| NEWDrive System ProtectBY-411 | Covers repair or replacement of an outdrive unit — or the lower unit of an outboard engine — following a failure, including wear and tear. Not available for PWCs, jet boats, electric boats or ski boats. |
| NEWDrive System Protect PlusBY-436 | Includes Drive System Protect and extends mechanical breakdown coverage to the watercraft's mechanical propulsion system by deleting the mechanical breakdown exclusion. Not available for PWCs, bass boats or electric boats. |
| NEWNew Boat ReplacementBY-421 | On a total loss to a boat three years old or less, pays to replace it with a new model, less the applicable deductible. Not available for PWCs. |
| NEWPremier On-Water Towing & AssistanceBY-406 | Emergency services to your watercraft while afloat, dispatched where available by an Authorized Service Provider. An upgrade over the base Towing While Afloat. |
| NEWIce and Freezing CoverageBY-414 | Physical damage coverage resulting from ice and freezing of the watercraft — conditional on the boat being professionally winterized each year. |
| NEWBoat Liability OnlyBY-415 | Liability-only coverage for people who want affordable protection without physical damage. Also includes Salvage Charges and Hurricane/Tsunami Haul Out Expense Reimbursement. |
| Pontoon Special CoverageBY-429 | For pontoon and tri-toon style watercraft. Enhanced loss settlement terms, removes the exclusion for vermin and marine life, and adds rental reimbursement for a similar watercraft. |
| Antique and Classic CoverageBY-405 | For restored antique and classic watercraft. Includes transportation reimbursement to and from a qualified repair facility after a covered loss. |
Four things we check before you sign.
None of these are traps. They're the difference between a policy that's in force and one that pays what you think it pays — and asking them is our job, not yours.
1. Agreed value, or actual cash value?
The base policy settles on actual cash value — depreciation comes off. If the boat is a total loss, ACV pays what it was worth the day it sank, not what you paid and not what a replacement costs. Agreed value is available for eligible watercraft, but it's an endorsement you buy (BY-403), not the default.
Which is right depends on the boat's age and value and how much depreciation you're willing to carry yourself. Plenty of people should stay on ACV — an older aluminum boat that's paid for is a reasonable thing to self-insure. A financed pontoon is not. The point is to decide it deliberately rather than by default, and that's the conversation we start.
2. Read the agreed value row twice.
Agreed value on a total loss means no depreciation — but the deductible still applies. Those are two different things, and people routinely hear "agreed value" and assume both.
And note the second half of that row: on a partial loss, BY-403 settles on replacement cost with depreciation taken on certain specified items, and the deductible applies there too. Agreed value is a total-loss instrument. It doesn't make every claim depreciation-free.
That's not a criticism of the endorsement — it's a good endorsement and we sell it. It's a criticism of how the phrase gets used. We'll make sure what's on your policy matches what you think you bought.
3. Two engine endorsements, and their exclusions differ.
Drive System Protect (BY-411) covers the outdrive unit or the lower unit of an outboard, including wear and tear — which is meaningful, because wear and tear is a standard exclusion on nearly every policy of any kind. Drive System Protect Plus (BY-436) goes further and deletes the mechanical breakdown exclusion for the whole propulsion system.
Both carry boat-type exclusions, and they're different exclusions: Protect is out for jet boats and ski boats; Plus is out for bass boats. If you fish Beaver Lake out of a bass boat, that distinction is not academic — and it's exactly the sort of thing that gets missed when nobody reads the form numbers.
4. Two clocks, and the insurance one runs out first.
Arkansas gives you 30 days from purchase to register a boat — notably tighter than the 60-day vehicle window under Act 41 of 2023. Quantum Boat 2.0's Newly Acquired Boat coverage runs automatically for 15 days from the purchase date.
Those two clocks are different lengths. Boat shows and spring dealer weekends produce a lot of purchases that get insured on day 19. Call us from the dealership — it takes a few minutes.
One more with a condition attached: Ice and Freezing Coverage (BY-414) requires the boat to be professionally winterized each year. Arkansas winters are mild enough that plenty of people skip winterizing, and mild enough that the hard freeze which does arrive catches them. If you buy that coverage, the winterizing isn't optional — it's what makes it work.
Arkansas requires boat liability, and most people don't know it.
This has nothing to do with which carrier you pick. It's the law here, and it's the most useful thing on this page.
Under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-101-207, it's unlawful to operate — or allow the operation of — a motorboat over 50 horsepower or any personal watercraft without liability insurance. The policy must provide at least $50,000 of liability coverage per occurrence.
Proof has to be carried on board and available for inspection, and your registration application has to be accompanied by proof of the policy. If you're in an accident and can't produce proof, the statute creates a rebuttable presumption that the vessel was uninsured — and being uninsured in an accident is a Class A misdemeanor.
The statute says $50,000. The market starts at $100,000.
Here's something useful that's easy to miss: Arkansas sets the floor at $50,000, but most carriers won't write boat liability below $100,000. The statutory minimum exists in the code and essentially not in the market.
So the practical starting point for an Arkansas boat policy is double what the law asks for — and it isn't a decision you get to make. It's where the market begins.
Two things follow. If someone quotes you "state minimum" boat liability, ask what the actual limit is, because the phrase doesn't mean much here. And since $100,000 is the entry point rather than a choice, the only real question left is whether to go above it. Out on the water with a boat full of somebody else's kids, that one deserves a minute — and it's a minute we'll spend with you.
Uninsured boater is why this is in the base form
Uninsured/Underinsured Boater is a base coverage in Quantum Boat 2.0. It covers you or a guest aboard who's hurt by an uninsured or underinsured boater.
Arkansas requires liability only above 50 horsepower. Below that line — and on any boat whose owner simply didn't comply — there may be nothing to collect from. The statute's own penalty structure exists because people do skip it. Uninsured boater coverage is what answers for that, the same way uninsured motorist does on your auto policy.
What this looks like twenty minutes from our office.
If you run a pontoon
Aimed squarely at pontoon and tri-toon hulls — which is most of what's tied up on Beaver Lake on a July Saturday. It removes the exclusion for vermin and marine life, which sounds exotic until something's nested in a pontoon that sat for a season. It adds rental reimbursement for a similar watercraft, so a claim doesn't cost you the summer.
The 100-mile line
Trip Interruption pays meals and lodging after a trailer breakdown — but only more than 100 miles from your primary residence, at up to $150 per day and $600 per breakdown. Worth measuring against the water you actually fish: from Bentonville, some lakes fall inside 100 miles and some fall outside.
For the part-time guide
A boat policy is written for private pleasure use, and selling fish breaches that warranty — which can void a loss entirely. Sale of Catch covers you up to 90 days per policy term year with annual gross receipts under $10,000. If you guide occasionally, that's what keeps a claim alive.
Multi-policy, and why we quote the account.
Travelers offers a multi-policy discount when your boat is written alongside other lines. It's tiered rather than flat — the credit depends on what else is on the account, so there's no single percentage to quote. The only way to know your number is to run it.
That's a real reason to let us quote the account rather than the boat in isolation. It's also a reason not to assume: if your home and auto are placed well somewhere else, the boat may still be better as a stand-alone. We'll tell you which — and we'll tell you if the answer is to leave things where they are.
A marine team, not a general adjuster.
Travelers states that Quantum Boat 2.0 policies come with a team dedicated to marine claims rather than the general auto and property queue. That distinction is worth more than it sounds. A hull is not a car — grounding, submersion, salvage and drive system internals are their own discipline, and an adjuster who handled a fender bender that morning isn't equipped for them.
1.800.252.4633 — Travelers Personal Insurance claims, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
On-water assistance
The base policy covers Towing While Afloat for emergency service on the water. Premier On-Water Towing and Assistance (BY-406) upgrades it — assistance dispatched, where available, by an Authorized Service Provider. Towing sounds minor until you're the boat that won't start, well out from the ramp, with the light going.
Financial strength
On August 8, 2025, AM Best affirmed a Financial Strength Rating of A++ (Superior) with a stable outlook for the main subsidiaries of The Travelers Companies. A++ is the highest rating on AM Best's scale. The rating applies to the main pool subsidiaries rather than every Travelers affiliate; individual affiliates are rated separately. Ratings change — the current one is always at ambest.com. And a rating is a solvency opinion, not a claims opinion: AM Best says so plainly.
What our agency does.
Report anything urgent on the water directly — that's what 24/7 is for. But if the question is what your policy actually settles on — ACV or agreed value, which drive system endorsement you have, whether the deductible applies — call us first at (479) 286-1066.
Those questions have very different answers depending on what's on your declarations page, and the worst time to find out is after the loss. We don't adjust your claim and we can't overrule an adjuster. What we can do is make sure the endorsement matches what you think you bought, and move you to another of our markets if Travelers stops fitting the boat.
Cheaper than most people assume.
And the spread between the two ways to buy it is the whole story.
| What you're buying | Typical annual premium | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Liability only | $40 – $150 | Satisfies Ark. Code Ann. § 27-101-207 for a motorboat over 50 hp or a PWC — and in practice starts at a $100,000 limit, since most carriers won't write below it. Pays for damage and injury you cause. Pays nothing toward your own boat. |
| Full coverage | $400 – $1,700 | Adds physical damage to your own hull, plus whatever endorsements you select. Where you land depends on boat type, horsepower and use. |
That's roughly what separates a policy which keeps a Game and Fish officer satisfied from one that pays for your boat. On a $50,000 rig, full coverage in the middle of that range is somewhere near two percent of the hull per year.
Why shopping bare liability on price is mostly theater.
Most carriers won't write a boat policy below a $100 minimum premium, whatever the rate calculates to. So if liability-only rates at $40 on your boat, you're still paying $100. You're at the floor either way, and the difference between the lowest quote and the highest one is a few dozen dollars a year. That's not where the decision is.
The decision is whether you're comfortable self-insuring the whole boat to save a few hundred dollars a year. Plenty of people are, for an older aluminum boat that's paid for. Almost nobody should be, on a financed pontoon.
What moves you inside the full-coverage range: boat type — a bass boat, a pontoon, a ski boat and a PWC are four different risks and they rate that way. Horsepower — the same factor that decides whether the state requires liability at all. And use. Endorsements move it too: agreed value, Drive System Protect and New Boat Replacement all cost something, and all three are the difference between a settlement you can live with and one you can't.
The other lines Travelers writes through us.
Travelers boat in Arkansas: common questions.
Does Arkansas require boat insurance?
Yes, for a lot of boats. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-101-207, it's unlawful to operate — or to allow anyone to operate — a motorboat over 50 horsepower or any personal watercraft without liability insurance, and the policy must provide at least $50,000 of liability coverage per occurrence. Proof has to be carried on board and available for inspection, and your registration application must be accompanied by proof of the policy. If you're in an accident and can't produce proof, the statute creates a rebuttable presumption the vessel was uninsured — and being uninsured in an accident is a Class A misdemeanor.
One thing worth knowing: in practice most carriers won't write boat liability below $100,000, so the real entry point is double what the statute asks for. If someone quotes you "state minimum" boat liability, ask what the actual limit is. Statements about Arkansas law are general information, not legal advice.
Does Travelers boat insurance pay actual cash value or agreed value?
The base Quantum Boat 2.0 policy settles on actual cash value, which means depreciation comes off the settlement. Agreed value is available for eligible watercraft, but it's an endorsement you buy — Agreed Value Loss Settlement for the hull, form BY-403 — rather than the default.
Which one is right depends on the boat's age and value and on how much of the depreciation you're willing to carry yourself. It's a decision worth making deliberately rather than by default, and walking you through it before you sign is exactly what we're for. Send us your declarations page and we'll tell you which one you're on today.
Does agreed value boat coverage have a deductible?
Yes — and this one trips people up constantly. On a Travelers Quantum Boat 2.0 policy, the Agreed Value Loss Settlement endorsement (BY-403) means a total loss is settled on an agreed value basis with no depreciation taken, but the deductible still applies. "No depreciation" and "no deductible" are two different things.
And on a partial loss, BY-403 settles on a replacement cost basis with depreciation taken on certain specified items, and the deductible applies there too. Agreed value is a total-loss instrument, not a way to make every claim depreciation-free. Knowing that before a loss is the whole point of having an agent read the policy with you.
Does boat insurance cover engine wear and tear?
Not normally — wear and tear is a standard exclusion on essentially every policy of any kind. Travelers offers two endorsements that change that, and they're genuinely useful. Drive System Protect (BY-411) covers repair or replacement of an outdrive unit, or the lower unit of an outboard engine, following a failure including wear and tear; it's not available for PWCs, jet boats, electric boats or ski boats.
Drive System Protect Plus (BY-436) includes that and extends mechanical breakdown coverage to the whole mechanical propulsion system by deleting the mechanical breakdown exclusion; it's not available for PWCs, bass boats or electric boats. Note the exclusion lists differ between the two — if you fish out of a bass boat, that distinction isn't academic, and it's one we check.
Does Travelers cover fishing tournament entry fees?
Yes, and it's in the base policy rather than an add-on. Quantum Boat 2.0 reimburses non-refundable entry fees in fishing tournaments when a covered loss keeps you from competing.
In Northwest Arkansas that's not a small feature — Beaver Lake runs tournaments most of the year and entry fees don't come back. If you fish tournaments and your boat is insured elsewhere, it's a specific question worth asking your current carrier.
Can my marina be named as an additional insured on my boat policy?
Yes. Many marinas require slip holders and boat storage clients to carry liability insurance and to name the marina as an additional insured. The Travelers boat policy provides the option to include the marina as an additional insured to satisfy that request, and it sits in the base form.
If you keep a slip on Beaver Lake this is the request you'll get, and it turns a paperwork scramble into a phone call.
Is there special coverage for pontoon boats?
Yes. Pontoon Special Coverage (BY-429) is an endorsement for pontoon and tri-toon style watercraft. It provides enhanced loss settlement terms, removes the exclusion for vermin and marine life, and adds rental reimbursement for a similar watercraft.
The vermin and marine life piece sounds exotic until you've had something nesting in a pontoon that sat for a season — and the rental reimbursement means a claim doesn't cost you the rest of the summer. Given how much of Beaver Lake is pontoons on a July Saturday, this is one we raise often.
How long am I covered on a boat I just bought?
Quantum Boat 2.0 provides automatic coverage up to the full purchase price for an eligible newly acquired boat or personal watercraft, for up to 15 days from the purchase date.
Note that Arkansas gives you 30 days from purchase to register the boat — so the two clocks run different lengths, and the insurance one runs out first. Boat shows and spring dealer weekends produce a lot of purchases that get insured on day 19. Call us from the dealership; it takes a few minutes.
Does Travelers cover ice and freezing damage to a boat in Arkansas?
Ice and Freezing Coverage (BY-414) is available as an endorsement, and it carries one condition: the watercraft has to be professionally winterized each year.
That condition deserves attention here. Arkansas winters are mild enough that plenty of owners skip winterizing — and mild enough that the hard freeze which does show up catches them. If you buy the coverage, the winterizing isn't optional; it's what makes the coverage work. We'll tell you that at the quote rather than after.
How much does boat insurance cost in Arkansas?
Liability-only policies placed through our agency typically run $40 to $150 a year, though most carriers won't write below a $100 minimum premium, so the bottom of that range is largely theoretical. Full coverage typically runs $400 to $1,700 a year depending on boat type, horsepower and use.
The number worth thinking about is the gap: roughly $300 to $1,550 a year separates a policy that satisfies Arkansas law from one that actually pays for your boat. These are figures from policies we've placed, not a quote, not specific to Travelers, and not a guarantee of rate — individual premiums vary by hull, value, endorsements, operator history, carrier and underwriting.
How do I get a Travelers boat insurance quote near Beaver Lake?
Start at our personal lines quote form or call (479) 286-1066. We're in Bentonville, about twenty minutes from Beaver Lake, and we're appointed with Travelers and 40+ other carriers — so we'll quote it across our markets and place what fits the boat.
If you already have a policy somewhere, send the declarations page: we'll tell you whether it settles on agreed value or actual cash value, which drive system endorsement is on it, and what it would actually pay.
If our insurance guides and coverage comparisons are helpful, mark Cribb Insurance as a preferred source so more Northwest Arkansas boaters can find our local explanations.
Does your boat policy pay agreed value — or actual cash value?
Most owners don't know, and it's the difference between what the boat was worth and what you'd pay to replace it. Send us your declarations page. We'll tell you what you have, which drive system endorsement is on it, what it would settle at, and whether the marina is named. Travelers is one of 40+ carriers we represent — if it's the right home for your boat we'll say so, and if it isn't, we'll say that too.
Cribb Insurance Group Inc. is an independent insurance agency licensed in Arkansas. We are not Travelers, and this page is not written, reviewed, endorsed, sponsored or approved by Travelers. "Travelers," the Travelers Umbrella logo and "Quantum Boat 2.0" are trademarks of The Travelers Indemnity Company and its affiliates, used here nominatively to identify a carrier we represent. Boat insurance is underwritten by The Travelers Indemnity Company and its property casualty affiliates, One Tower Square, Hartford, CT 06183.
Coverage descriptions are general summaries and are not a contract. All statements are subject to the provisions, exclusions and conditions of the applicable policy; whether a particular loss is covered depends on the specific facts, provisions, exclusions and limits of the actual policy, and nothing here alters the terms or conditions of any policy. For an actual description of all coverages, terms and conditions, refer to the insurance policy. Coverages, endorsements, packages, discounts and other features are subject to individuals meeting Travelers' underwriting qualifications and to state availability; not all features are available in all states, and not all available features are listed. Form numbers are provided to help you identify coverage on your own declarations page and do not indicate that any form applies to your policy. Only the issued policy determines actual terms and conditions of coverage. If anything on this page conflicts with the issued policy, the policy controls. Nothing on this page is an offer of insurance or a guarantee of coverage or rate.
Discounts are subject to eligibility and state availability; savings vary and are not guaranteed. Cost figures reflect Arkansas boat policies placed through Cribb Insurance Group across our markets and are not a quote, not carrier-specific, and not a guarantee of your rate. The $100,000 liability figure described as a market entry point reflects our experience placing Arkansas boat business and is not a statutory requirement; the statutory minimum is $50,000 per occurrence.
Statements about Arkansas law and boating requirements, including Ark. Code Ann. § 27-101-207 and registration timeframes, are general information, not legal advice, and are subject to change. Verify current requirements with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Financial strength ratings are opinions of an insurer's ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations, are subject to change, are not recommendations to purchase, hold or terminate any policy, and do not address an insurer's claims-handling practices; current ratings are at ambest.com. The A++ rating described applies to the main pool subsidiaries of The Travelers Companies rather than to every Travelers affiliate.
Last reviewed July 2026.