The helm of a boat is the area where the steering wheel is located. Typically accompanied by a series of controls, the helm is where the captain operates the boat.

The stern of the boat refers to the rear of the boat. Most boats will have seating, a swim platform, a ladder, and an engine located in the stern.

The hull is the bottom part of the boat that sits partially in the water. On a pontoon boat, the hull is made of pontoons and a frame on which the sides and floor sit. With a V hull boat, the hull is made of fiberglass and is in the shape of a V.

You will want to read your insurance policy carefully. Although most Personal Watercraft insurance policies provide coverage whether you are operating the personal watercraft yourself or you loan it to someone else. However, the facts and circumstances of each case must be evaluated based upon the applicable laws and policy language, in most cases, regardless of who is operating it, you would be covered for the following benfits :

• Damage to another craft or dock
• Bodily injury or death to another person due to your negligence
• The negligence of another driver while using your PWC
• Towed water skiers or wake boarders who become injured while using your craft
• Physical damage to the hull, machinery and equipment
• Injury caused by an uninsured watercraft operator

It is important that your read your policy because some coverages are optional and must be selected for you to have those benefits.

If you own several Personal Watercraft’s, then you will need to be insured for all that you may have, however that may not require its own policy, as some boat insurance policies can be built to cover personal watercraft as well. Check with your agent to review your options.

Generally policies include deductibles for property damage, theft and medical payments. Most policies include liability limits, which vary by state. Liability coverage typically provides financial protection in case you are liable as a result of a covered accident.

When you review insurance plan options for your Personal Watercraft you will see that most Personal Watercraft Insurance policies will cover these three areas:

• Bodily injury
• Property damage
• Medical payments

Insurance companies consider many different factors when developing and pricing a boat insurance policy. A few of these include:

The age of the boat
Its length, value and condition
Its maximum speed
Its condition of ownership (is it owned by a single individual or does it have two or more owners)
Boat type
Boat use (commercial vs. private)
Is it used as a primary residence (this includes both houseboats and traditional boats)

Most boat insurance plans are based on either the boat’s agreed value or current actual cash value. Agreed value plans are more expensive, but they provide continual coverage for the boat at its value when the insurance policy is written. Actual cash value plans are considerably less expensive, but their coverage decreases as the value of the boat depreciates.

Winter is a great time for both hunting and viewing waterfowl. Early morning and dusk are the best times to see animals along the shore. On the water there are a wide variety of ducks, swans and geese. On larger bodies of water you can even sometimes find diving ducks. Bring a guide listing different waterfowl, binoculars and a spotting scope.

If you are located in an area that experiences cold winters your boat insurance policy may have a clause that outlines the winter lay-up period. The winter lay-up period accounts for the fact that during the cold winter months, many boats are not being used. This often creates a discount on your boat insurance premium. However, if you want to use your boat during the traditional winter months, it is a good idea to contact your insurance company or carefully review your boat insurance policy to make sure that there is no lapse in your insurance coverage.

In today’s economy, many industries and companies are forecasting financial losses. Some have entered 2013 with the goal of maintaining enough profit to keep their company or industry functioning. It is difficult to find an industry with a trend toward positive growth and expansion. The boating industry, however, continues to be a profitable and growing industry.

Two-thirds of the world is covered in water. Experts in the boating industry have taken note of that fact and used it to help create profitable and successful maritime companies. Whether they sell boats, offer boat insurance or services, or are the manufacturers of powerful outboard motors, companies within the boating industry continue to enjoy profitability and positive growth. Over the next five years, the boating industry is anticipated to exceed 8.5% growth and grow to a profitability of as much as $30.63 billion by 2017. The demand for boating and marine equipment is high and experts do not see that demand slowing any time soon.

Some increases in boat sales can be attributed to storm damage and boat insurance holders receiving replacements, but industry growth has been seen in all aspects of the boating industry and is not contained to just one country or region. The boating industry anticipates growth across all nations around the globe. In terms of equipment shipments, the United States is expected to be the leader in boating industry purchases. Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France closely follow it. The European market is anticipating a higher rate of growth than other markets around the world thanks to its current boating market expansion.

The Asian continent is by no means exempt from this anticipated growth. The continued economic development in Asian countries such as China, Korea, and India are expected to spill over into the boating industry in the next few years, which will provide the boating market with an even bigger economic boost.

Which category of boats and marine equipment are in demand, you ask? In the European market, the demand for luxury watercraft has increased greatly over recent years. This has provided an excellent increase in the profitability of European boat makers. The demand for recreational boats and boating equipment has been on the increase around the world. Private boaters are using their disposable income to bolster the sales of inboard and outboard motors, inboard boats, outboard boats, stern drive boats, and personal watercraft. This trend can be seen throughout the world and is by no means confined to a single country or locality.

For 2013, projected sales and profits in the boat industry are looking excellent. If you decide to do your part to fuel the boating industry by purchasing a boat this year, make sure that you have boat insurance coverage on it from day one.

Anything the Coast Guard can do to improve response times saves lives, reduces injury, and mitigates damages during a disaster or other crisis. The Coast Guard is committed to reducing loss of life and injuries as well as serving as a front line defense against illegal drugs entering the United States.

Recreational boaters benefit from the knowledge and skills of the Coast Guard and its fleet, sometimes even famous celebrities out on the water.

In September of 2012, Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe made headlines around the world after he got lost kayaking near New York’s Long Island. The U.S. Coast Guard picked Crowe and an unidentified friend up from the shore, rescuing the pair as darkness fell and they’d been on the water over four hours.

Never follow directly behind another watercraft, jump boat wakes, or attempt to spray other boaters, swimmers or beach goers. Falls can and will happen, especially during the learning process. Should you start to fall, don’t be tempted to hang on. It’s safer to get clear of the watercraft. Re-board only with the engine off, with the driver boarding first and then passengers.

Though a PWC might be able to operate in shallow conditions, avoid environmentally sensitive areas. While PWC might not have any rudder or propeller extending below the hull bottom, the extreme pressure of water exiting the jet pump can still do damage in shallow conditions. Riding in shallow waters can also cause damage to your craft because the suction of the pump can draw in sand, rocks and other debris in waters less than 3 feet deep.