Estimate your boat insurance needs with our Boat Insurance Calculator. Calculate the right levels of cover to protect your marine craft and your financial livelihood.
Calculator results are estimates only and not quotes. Actual quotes will be provided by licensed brokers after you submit an enquiry.
Boat Insurance – Sum Insured Calculator
Add up the replacement cost of your hull, motors, trailer and onboard gear so you don’t underinsure.
Work through the steps and we’ll total your items into a clear summary for a quote request.
Step 1 of 6
1) Vessel details & GST mode
Enter your boat basics, choose how totals should display, then add the hull/base vessel value.
Commercial policies often set sums insured ex-GST if you can claim input tax credits.
Shown on your summary only.
Do not include motors, trailer or loose gear here. Enter the amount ex-GST.
Next: add your motor(s) (or skip if not applicable).
2) Motor(s)
List each outboard/inboard separately (type/HP + replacement value). Use the GST toggle if your number includes GST.
3) Trailer (optional)
If you have a trailer, add it here as a separate replacement value.
Covers/bimini/canopy, electronics/audio, tender/dinghy, watersports or fishing gear, custom fittings.
6) Results
Calculate your recommended sum insured and review the breakdown.
When you’re ready, calculate your total sum insured.
Heads-up: Personal effects, racing cover, mechanical breakdown, and liability are separate considerations and may not be part of the boat's sum insured. Ask us about optional covers.
Calculator outputs are estimates only and do not constitute quotes. Actual quotes will be provided by a licensed broker after you submit an enquiry.
How to use our Boat Insurance Calculator
Our Boat Insurance Calculator helps you estimate an appropriate boat insurance sum insured by adding up the replacement cost of your hull (base vessel), motor(s), trailer and onboard gear. This is important because underinsuring can leave you out of pocket after a theft, fire, storm or total loss, while overinsuring may increase premiums without improving your claim outcome. The result is an organised breakdown you can use when requesting a boat insurance quote or reviewing an existing marine insurance policy.
How to complete the calculator (in order) for the best result:
1. Boat type: Select the option that best matches your craft (for example runabout, cruiser, yacht/sailing, PWC/jet ski). This helps describe the risk and the kind of equipment you may need to include.
2. Make, model and year: Enter identifying details so your summary is clear and easy to validate later.
3. Hull or base vessel value (replacement): Enter the replacement cost of the hull only. Do not include motors, the trailer or loose gear in this field.
4. Motor(s): Add each outboard or inboard separately (description such as type/HP and its replacement value). This avoids missing twin engines or auxiliary motors.
5. Trailer (optional): Add your trailer replacement value if you want it included in the total.
6. Onboard equipment: Add items like navigation electronics, radios, anchors, sails and rigging, and safety gear. List meaningful items individually for accuracy.
7. Accessories and personal or recreational gear: Add covers, audio, tender/dinghy, fishing or watersports gear and custom fittings.
8. GST treatment: Choose whether totals should be shown including GST (typical for personal use) or excluding GST (often relevant if GST-registered and able to claim input tax credits).
9. Financier (optional): Add lender details to appear on your summary.
How to interpret the results:
1. Recommended sum insured: This is the total of the values you entered, giving a practical starting point for your boat insurance sum insured.
2. Itemised summary and JSON summary: Use the breakdown to sense-check values, update for recent upgrades, and share consistent information when seeking quotes.
Important: This calculator provides estimates only and does not constitute a quote or personal advice. It does not assess every insurance need (for example liability, personal effects, racing cover, mechanical breakdown). Consider your objectives, financial situation and needs, and read the relevant product disclosure information before deciding.
Understanding the excitement of being a first-time boat buyer is essential. There’s something truly exhilarating about the idea of cruising on open waters, enjoying sunsets, and creating lasting memories with friends and family. However, alongside this excitement comes the reality of making a significant investment. - read more
Pre-approved boat financing is an initial green light from a lender indicating that you are eligible to borrow up to a certain amount of money for the purchase of a boat. This process involves a preliminary assessment of your creditworthiness, usually before you start shopping for your new vessel. - read more
If you're in the market for buying a boat, then it's crucial to familiarize yourself with preapproved boat finance. Unlike typical boat loans where you apply for financing after you've decided on a boat, preapproval allows you to secure finance before you start shopping. This gives you peace of mind and greater control over the buying process, ensuring no surprises or delays arise along the way. - read more
Imagine this: it's a perfect sunny day on the Gold Coast, the wind is gentle, and the ocean is calling. You're dreaming of steering your very own boat into the horizon. But before you can embark on your nautical adventure, you need to navigate through the often choppy waters of boat loan applications. - read more
Boat loan repayments are shaped by more than the boat's purchase price. This guide explains how loan amount, interest rate, term, fees, repayment frequency and balloon payments can affect repayment estimates in Australia. - read more
Refinancing a boat loan is one option that may be available to borrowers who are looking to review their existing loan arrangements. Depending on the lender and the loan product, refinancing may involve changing the interest rate, repayment term or other loan features. Understanding how the refinancing process works can help you compare the options available. - read more
Australia's winter boat show season has left many buyers with brochures, dealer follow-ups and a clearer sense of the vessel they want. The latest finance market signals now point to the next challenge: making sure the loan structure is as carefully chosen as the boat itself. - read more
With the 2026 Sydney Boat Show now complete, many Australian buyers are moving from browsing mode into decision mode. The event brought a broad mix of trailer boats, fishing craft, family cruisers, personal watercraft, electronics and accessories into one place, giving would-be owners a valuable chance to compare models and speak with dealers. The next step, however, is less glamorous and more important: turning enthusiasm into a sustainable finance plan. - read more
Australia’s major boat show calendar is again putting boating dreams in front of thousands of would-be buyers, with new launches, dealer promotions and late-model used vessels all competing for attention. For households considering a first boat or an upgrade, the excitement is understandable. The more important story, however, is financial discipline: the best-looking deal on the stand is not always the lowest-cost ownership outcome over the life of a loan. - read more
The 2026 Sydney Boat Show is shaping up as a timely checkpoint for Australians thinking about a first boat, an upgrade or a move into a more capable family, fishing or cruising vessel. Returning to Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park from 30 July to 2 August, the event is expected to bring together more than 120 local and international exhibitors, hundreds of boats and thousands of marine products across boating, fishing, watersports and outdoor lifestyle categories. - read more
Australian boat buyers have a fresh snapshot of the lending market, with Canstar's boat loan comparison data updated on 15 July 2026. The update shows indicative unsecured boat loan offers for a $20,000 loan over three years, with some listed comparison rates starting from 5.95% for applicants who meet strong credit criteria. - read more
Sydney's biggest boating showcase is preparing to return to Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park from 30 July to 2 August 2026, with the Boating Industry Association confirming a broad line-up of more than 120 local and international exhibitors. For prospective buyers, the timing is important: major shows can create excitement, but they can also compress purchase decisions into a busy few days. - read more
