How to Protect Your Boat This Winter

Ready Your Boat for Winter Storage: A Few Tips

Before you tuck your boat away for the winter, there are a few essential steps to ensure its optimal condition when it resurfaces in the warming months.

Wax Your Boat

Once you’ve thoroughly washed your boat one last time for the season, make sure to add a coat of wax to defend its exterior. In winter, as temperatures dip low, the risk of damage through cracking increases. Waxing provides a protective layer, protecting your boat’s exterior from cracks and rust.

Keep Your Boat Covered

Even if you’re storing your boat in an indoor facility, it’s still crucial to cover it. This protection prevents dust and debris from accumulating over the winter. Additionally, using a high-pitched tarp ensures that any incidental water drains off, keeping your boat safe and dry during winter.

Clean the Interior

Prior to winter storage, thoroughly clean your boat’s interior. Failing to do so could invite pests, leading to potentially significant damage that might only be discovered in spring.

Store in a Garage

Store your boat in a garage or at an off-site storage center if possible. Always choose enclosed spaces to protect your boat from climatic conditions and damage, vandalism, or theft. If the space is climate-controlled, all the better. Still, even an unheated garage provides better protection compared to leaving your boat out in the open.

For boat/watercraft insurance quotes in the Baraboo, WI area, reach out to us at Johnsen Insurance today for further details.

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Top Reasons To Winterize Your RV at a Storage Center

If you own an RV, it’s unlikely you’ll be going on many winter trips. However, if you’ve been considering sending your RV to a storage center this winter, these reasons might tip the balance.

Prevent Damage From Winter Weather

Prolonged exposure to winter elements such as snow, ice, sleet, and bitterly cold temperatures can cause cosmetic damage to your RV. Small cracks can develop and worsen in the harsh winter weather. Winter also accelerates the process of rusting, especially if there’s an unnoticed leak from the snow and ice accumulation.

Keep Pests Out

Storing your RV, especially in a climate-controlled facility, can prevent pest invasions. Skiffs of RV owners have opened their RVs after the winter only to find pests and rodents have used them as a refuge from the cold, causing extensive damage to the interior. This results in time-consuming maintenance and repairs before you can hit the road again.

Prevent Theft

Proper storage can offer protection against vandalism or theft. Storing in a secure facility with surveillance systems allows for better monitoring and control in case of damage or theft. It always pays to be secure compared to leaving your RV out in the open through the winter.

If you’re looking for RV insurance in the Spring Grove, IL, area or surrounding communities, contact Spring Grove Insurance. We’d be happy to provide a quote.

What boat insurance covers and what it doesn’t

Understanding the Importance of Boat Insurance in Wisconsin

Boating is incredibly popular in Wisconsin, with the beautiful Lake Michigan and extensive Mississippi River offering ample opportunities for water-based fun. At Johnsen Insurance in Baraboo, WI, we’ve provided personalized insurance services for six decades, helping boating enthusiasts make informed decisions about their specific insurance needs.

Why You Need Boat Insurance in Wisconsin

While Wisconsin does not require boat insurance by law, it’s critical to consider the risks involved in boating. If you’re a boat owner with significant assets, having boat insurance makes sense. Also, if you’ve taken a boat loan or use a marina, you may be required to have boat insurance.

What Does Boat Insurance Cover?

A typical boat insurance policy covers several risks and eventualities:

  • Liability Coverage: This covers damages you cause to others, their property, and medical expenses.
  • Collision and Comprehensive Coverage: This covers damage to your boat due to an accident, theft, vandalism, or uncontrolled events. This may also include coverage for fishing or diving equipment on your boat.
  • Uninsured Boaters’ Coverage: Provides protection if an uninsured boater damages your boat or injures you or your passengers.
  • Breakdown Coverage: Helps with towing and repairs if your boat breaks down. Some policies may also cover engine replacement.

What Boat Insurance Doesn’t Cover

It’s also crucial to be aware that boat insurance typically doesn’t cover wear and tear, which is an expected part of owning a boat.

Why take the risk? Contact our team at Johnsen Insurance in Baraboo, WI today to discuss your boat insurance needs.

Make Sure You’re Summer-Ready, With Quality Boat Insurance

There’s nothing better than getting your boat out on the water on a hot summer day. But you also want to be sure you’re protecting that boat and giving yourself plenty of peace of mind, as well. If you’re in the Baraboo, WI area and looking for boat insurance options, reach out to us at Johnsen Insurance.

We can help you get the right policy, so you can focus on having fun!

A boat policy should do more than just give you a coverage amount. It should also help you feel confident that you have the right type and level of protection you really need. After all, you probably take your friends and family out on your boat, as well. You don’t want to put them at risk, and the right insurance is a great way to help keep them safer during all your adventures.

By working with a trusted agent, you can get the best boat insurance for your needs from an insurer who will give you value and great customer support. You can also look at multiple policies in one place that way, so you don’t have to make a lot of phone calls or visits to different insurers in your area. Save yourself time and frustration by working with one company to get several quotes and all the information you need.

When you’re ready to get a boat insurance policy you can feel good about, reach out to us at Johnsen Insurance today. If you’re in the Baraboo, WI area, we’re here to help you get ready for summer and protect your boat all year round. Whether you’re playing on the water or storing the boat during cooler weather, the peace of mind that comes with the right policy is very important.

Do You Have to Carry Boat Insurance Year-Round?

At Johnsen Insurance, serving the greater Baraboo, WI region, we sell boat insurance. Since boats are primarily used during the spring and summer months, one of the questions that our customers often ask is whether you have to carry boat insurance on your boat year-round. 

Do You Have to Carry Boat Insurance Year-Round?

Legally speaking, you are not required to carry boat insurance year-round. You are only required to carry boat insurance when your boat is actively on the waterway. Because of this, many people freeze their boat insurance policies during the fall and winter months, when their boats are not likely to be used. 

Should You Carry Boat Insurance Year-Round? 

While you are not legally required to carry boat insurance year-round, there are many benefits to doing so. First, if you have a loan on your boat, the lender may require you to carry insurance at all times. Secondly, your boat can be damaged, even if it is not on the water. A tree can fall on your boat, your boat can be vandalized, or your boat can be stolen. Having full boat coverage and carrying that coverage year-round helps to protect your boat both in the water and when it is being stored during the winter months.  

Contact Us Today

If you have a loan on your boat or want to cover your boat when it is in storage, you will need boat insurance year-round. If you are looking to purchase a new boat insurance policy in the greater Baraboo, WI area, Johnsen Insurance is here to help you. Call or email us today and let’s sit down and talk about finding you the best boat insurance policy for your needs. 

How Can I Get Boat/Watercraft Insurance?

Many residents of Baraboo, WI may aspire to own a boat or a watercraft. Once you make this precious purchase, you should also get watercraft insurance to protect the boat, yourself, and any passengers you bring along on your boating excursions. As a new boat owner, you are likely wondering how to get boat insurance. Johnsen Insurance provides you with the following tips in navigating boat/watercraft insurance. 

Getting Boat/Watercraft Insurance

1. Pick a Reputable Insurance Provider

There are numerous boat insurance providers in Baraboo. However, you should select a reputable insurer with a good reputation. At Johnsen Insurance, we suggest that you ask friends and family for references and do comprehensive online research to help you create a shortlist of the best insurance providers.

2. Gather Your Information

Whether you are purchasing watercraft insurance for the first or the tenth time, the insurance providers will expect you to share the following information, basic personal details, craft information, and lien or marina information. The insurers will also ask you about your driving record and craft use.

3. Consider Your Coverage Needs

Take time to determine your coverage needs, including policy limits and deductibles, with the help of an insurance expert. Some popular types of coverage that boat owners go for are bodily injury and property damage liability, “all-risk” overage, named perils coverage, fuel spill coverage, and hurricane haul-out coverage.

4. Get a Quote

Request a quote from the insurance providers you shortlisted either by yourself or through an insurance agent/broker and compare them. If you are doing it yourself, you can get the quote for your watercraft insurance by contacting the insurer through the contact details on their website.

5. Get Insured

After comparing the quotes, pick the insurance provider you are most comfortable with from the shortlist and get insured.

Are You Looking For Boat/Watercraft Insurance in Baraboo, WI?

We at Johnsen Insurance are willing and ready to help you get the best boat/watercraft insurance coverage. Contact us today.

How To Make The Most Of Boat Ownership

Owning your own boat is a great way to spend time outdoors and to make memories with your friends and family. At Johnsen Insurance serving Baraboo, WI and surrounding areas, we want to help you make the most of your boat ownership. Keep reading to learn more. 

Protect Your Investment

You have invested money and maybe also some time in your boat. The only way to protect that investment is by having it properly insured. Even if the area you live in does not require boat insurance in order to operate your boat, it is still the best way to protect your investment. 

If your boat is damaged or lost due to fire, burglary, or natural disaster, a boat insurance policy will pay you to repair or replace your watercraft. 

Protect Yourself 

Owning a boat can be a lot of fun, but it is also a big responsibility. Accidents can happen, and when they happen on the water, they can be serious. If your boat is involved in an accident and causes damage to another vessel, you will be held personally responsible to pay for damages. If anyone is injured on your boat or they are injured because of your boat, you will be held responsible for any medical bills or legal fees that could result. 

A good boat insurance policy will protect you in liability cases like these so that you will not be left financially vulnerable. 

If you would like to learn more about our services, or if you are interested in a boat insurance policy, please contact us at Johnsen Insurance serving Baraboo, WI and surrounding areas. 

4 Benefits of Boat Insurance

Whether you are a startup or a seasoned boater in Baraboo, WI, you must familiarize yourself with the benefits of boat insurance. Whereas boat accidents aren’t as common as auto accidents, it’s essential to purchase boat insurance to protect you, your boat, and passengers when a boating accident occurs. If you own a boat or you are considering buying one, below is a rundown of the benefits you will accrue when you secure your boat with insurance from Johnsen Insurance.

Protection of your boat

Given how expensive your boat is, it’s pivotal to secure it with insurance in case of an accident. The good thing about boat insurance is that it protects your boat both inside and out of the water. Collision coverage covers your boat from physical damage when it collides with another boat or stationary project. On the other hand, comprehensive coverage protects your boat against non-collision perils, including fire, theft, vandalism, falling objects, and some natural calamities.

Liability protection

Considering that boating accidents can occur, you need liability coverage for accidents that you are deemed liable for. Boating accidents can be costly. They can result in property damage, bodily injuries, and even legal suits. To that end, you need liability coverage to pay for accident-related expenses that can cripple you financially. 

Medical benefits coverage

Since boating accidents can result in injuries, you need boat insurance to cover medical costs for you and your passengers. Without boat insurance or health insurance, you will have to incur out-of-pocket medical bills when you sustain watercraft-related injuries.

Emergency assistance 

Can you imagine your boat breaking down miles away from the shore with no help in sight? While you can call professional hiring services, it can be expensive. Fortunately, with an emergency assistance add-on on your boat insurance, you get services like towing, gas delivery, and other services to get you out of the water safe. 

Boat insurance in Baraboo, WI

Are you ready to get started with boat insurance? Please contact Johnsen Insurance for an affordable and personalized boat insurance quote. 

Three things your boat insurance policy should cover

If you take out a boat insurance policy in Baraboo, WI, you must understand what your policy covers. At Johnsen Insurance, we offer boat insurance policies to boat owners to protect them against liabilities and to protect the investment they make in their watercraft.

The following are three things your boat insurance policy should cover. 

Protection against physical damage to your vessel

Your boat insurance policy should protect the value of your vessel. Boat owners need to invest a good sum of money in purchasing a boat. For this reason, carrying boat insurance is important to ensure that boat repairs will be covered in the event of an accident.

Protection against liability lawsuits

Operating a boat poses some liability risks for boat owners. You could face a lawsuit if your boat causes damages to the property of another party. Lawsuits can be costly for boat owners when it comes to legal costs and the amount of any possible settlement. 

A boat insurance policy should include liability coverage to protect the policyholder against lawsuit damages. This gives boat owners financial security.

Protection against medical bills resulting from accidents

Another possible expense, a boat insurance policy should cover medical bills. If a boating accident results in physical injury, the resulting medical bills can be quite expensive.

One of the most important types of coverage on any boat insurance policy is bodily injury coverage. You should make sure your policy includes a good amount of coverage for medical payments to protect yourself and others out on the water. 

Ready to compare boat insurance policy options in Baraboo, WI? Let us know. We’re here to answer all your questions. Call us or visit our website at Johnsen Insurance