Aren't boat and car insurances pretty much the same?
A: They're different. With boat insurance, you'll buy a policy with an agreed value (an amount you and your insurance company agree your boat is worth) or an actual-cash-value policy (what your boat's "book value" is at the time of the incident). With an agreed-value policy, you'll receive the agreed-upon amount if your boat is totaled. An actual-cash-value policy may give you less than you anticipated.
If you're in a car accident, in most cases you simply call your insurance company and drive your car to an authorized shop. A few days later, you pick it up, sign a document, and you're on your way. Boat claims are different because of the vast differences in boats, the lack of standardized repair parts, and the challenges of making sometimes-complex repairs using a much smaller pool of repairers. Boat repairs also are often significantly more expensive than owners expect