Marina insurance: Navigating the risks of a changing world

A sector facing mounting pressure

A convergence of growing vessel sizes, a changing climate and aging infrastructure is placing increasing pressure on marina operators. The need to protect against the risk of claims while offering clients facilities that are both sustainable and resilient has never been more urgent.

Across the sector, developers are rising to meet demand, building larger marinas in luxury destinations to service a growing superyacht fleet, incorporating resort-style amenities or positioning facilities as anchors of waterfront regeneration projects.

The infrastructure gap: old world challenges, global implications

While facilities in the United States, the Middle East and Asia tend to be younger and more modern than their European counterparts, no marina is immune to the potential for business disruption caused by an accident, whether it originates from a vessel or the landside. The distinction matters, carrying important differences in terms of potential liability for operators.

Across parts of Europe, the state of marina conditions sometimes reflects ownership structures where limited access to capital makes it difficult to maintain and upgrade facilities to modern standards, including the upkeep and extension of the breakwaters that protect moorings and berths. As vessel sizes continue to grow, with deeper draft, marinas are under increasing pressure to service them safely and to expand capacity. We at Willis have witnessed that many family-owned marinas are now being acquired and consolidated by international marina groups.

Constraints on dredging in European Union countries, driven by more stringent environmental regulations, continue to make fairway and berth deepening a complex challenge for owners.

This said, forward-looking operators are already taking action. Investment programs are underway across the sector, encompassing upgrades to operational equipment and infrastructure as well as enhancements to pontoons and quay walls, a clear signal that the industry is committed to meeting the demands of the next generation of vessels.

Closing the coverage gap: a new worldwide solution

The evolving nature of marina risk, and the need for greater education around liability and business interruption, led Willis Marine to develop a new global marina facility. Launched in late of 2025, the facility is among the first global marina insurance solutions to offer worldwide coverage.

Where some policies traditionally provided cover for vessels up to 30 meters long, this is now considered relatively modest for the modern superyacht. Data from ICOMIA indicates that 20% of the Asia-Pacific superyacht fleet is over 50 meters, compared with a global average of 16%. The trajectory is clear, and the insurance market must keep pace.

Understanding the risks: liability, business interruption and beyond

It is crucial that the modern marina policy meets the risks of material damage (both owned and third party) and business disruption, both from climate-related events and from incident-based liability. Standard non-marine wordings may include exclusions on yachts above a certain size, and property clauses that fail to cover piers, docks or floating platforms.

A key concern is the absence of Business Interruption (BI) cover. Where property damage arises due to a third party's negligence, liability may ultimately rest with the responsible party's insurer through the recovery process. However, where marina insurance arrangements are fragmented across multiple policies, disputes can arise regarding responsibility for handling the claim. This can lead to delays, uncertainty and gaps in coverage, leaving marinas exposed to potentially significant financial losses and operational disruption.

Blockage of berth is also a key coverage requirement and is a feature that may not be provided under certain non-marine specialist wordings. Where a yacht grounds in a marina and restricts access to other users, this risk may not be covered under standard policies, meaning that BI losses, or the costs of removing the obstruction, would ultimately have to be met by the marina from its own funds.

The potential for significant uninsured losses can arise where a vessel owner damages marina infrastructure while maneuvering or berthing. "Vessel impact" damage to piers, pontoons and associated structures is not always covered under standard policies, leaving marina operators either to fund repairs themselves or pursue recovery through what can often be a lengthy and uncertain claims process against the vessel owner's Protection & Indemnity (P&I) insurers.

Fire remains one of the most widely available insurance covers in the market; however, marina operators should ensure both their own fire protection measures and emergency response capabilities are maintained to a high standard. Equally important is the adequacy of insurance carried by vessels using the marina. A fire originating on a single vessel can rapidly spread to neighboring yachts and cause extensive damage to piers, jetties, pontoons and other marina infrastructure. In such circumstances, the responsible vessel's insurance may be insufficient to meet the full value of the resulting claims, potentially leaving the marina exposed to uninsured losses or reliant on a lengthy recovery process.

Climate risk: moving from reactive to proactive

And yet, some of these exposures are impacted by and fall under natural catastrophe (NatCat) terms, as rising water levels increase the likelihood of property damage from localized flooding.

Even where facilities are modern and well-maintained, the potential operational impact of climate change cannot be overlooked. Data from Willis' latest NatCat Update finds that natural catastrophes caused more than $100 billion in insured losses in 2025; the sixth consecutive year above that threshold, yet a decrease of $40 billion when compared with 2024. Notably, these losses occurred without a single hurricane making landfall in the United States, underscoring the continued severity and persistence of natural catastrophe risk, and the higher 'risk floor' now evident from the growth in total losses. These events resulted in the destruction of physical assets such as factories and power grids, disruption of critical supply chains, business closures and halted production across entire sectors.

Our Willis NatCat report highlights that these risks are driving a fundamental shift, from a more traditional, reactive, post-loss function to a proactive, advisory process. This approach prioritizes business continuity planning and proactive risk mitigation, contributing to climate resilience assessments during the planning and design stages, with the goal of minimizing impact before it occurs and strengthening overall resilience.

Building the resilient marina of the future

Engineers and designers are increasingly advocating for the development of resilient marinas. Facilities where operators have deliberately considered measures to reduce vulnerabilities and mitigate the potential long term adverse effects of climate change and severe weather events will benefit from taking a proactive approach to risk management.

We believe that by establishing a clearer understanding of potential vulnerabilities and developing feasible risk reduction measures, it is possible to reduce costs and liability over the long term, and to maintain the provision of affordable insurance. The path to resilience is achievable, and with the right coverage, the right expertise and a proactive approach to risk, we can help marina operators navigate what lies ahead with confidence.