Specialty insurance, explained.

A separate insurance contract that covers loss of, or damage to, the hull of a vessel arising from war, strikes, riots, civil commotion, terrorism, and similar perils that are excluded from standard marine hull policies. War risk cover is normally placed alongside the underlying hull policy and is required by lenders, charterers, and many flag administrations.

The JWC Listed Areas list identifies waters where the risk of war and adjacent perils is materially elevated. Vessels entering a Listed Area typically trigger a notice requirement under the war risk policy and an Additional War Premium (AWP) negotiated with underwriters. See the JWC Listed Areas Tracker for the current list and explanatory context.

Breach of warranty cover protects mortgagees and other interested parties when an insured vessel trades into an excluded zone in breach of policy warranties. It is typically placed by lenders rather than vessel owners and operates as a backstop where the underlying hull or war policy may otherwise be voided.

Cargo war risk is usually written via the Institute War Clauses (Cargo) endorsement, which is added to the underlying cargo policy. Many shippers assume war and SR&CC perils are covered by default — they are not. Coverage often switches on at the loading port and off at the discharge port, with specific gaps during inland transit segments.

Trade disruption insurance covers business income loss arising from a defined disruption to a trade route — closure of a strait, port shutdown, sanctions imposition, or similar event — even where there is no direct physical damage. It complements but does not replace cargo war risk or contingent business interruption coverage.

Almost no standard private yacht policy includes war risk. A war rider — properly structured and placed — fills that gap for owners planning passages through elevated-risk cruising grounds. The rider attaches to the underlying yacht policy and is placed through specialist wholesale markets.

Yes. Charter yachts crossing into elevated-risk grounds (parts of the East Med, the Caribbean during certain windows, the Red Sea) are routinely covered via war risk extensions. The structure differs from owner-only policies because of charter party obligations and crew exposure.

Political risk insurance covers economic and policy actions by governments — expropriation, currency inconvertibility, contract frustration, breach of sovereign obligation. Political violence insurance covers physical damage to assets caused by war, terrorism, strikes, riots, civil commotion, and insurrection. The two are commonly placed together but are distinct contracts.

Multinational employers, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals with travel patterns or asset footprints in elevated-risk jurisdictions. K&R policies provide ransom reimbursement, expense cover, and — critically — access to a response consultancy that handles the actual incident.

Generic cyber policies often exclude or sub-limit losses arising from operational technology failures (ECDIS, GPS, cargo systems, terminal operating systems), pollution, and physical damage. A purpose-built cyber-for-shipping policy aligns the wording with the operational realities of vessels and terminals.

We operate as a US-licensed retail and surplus lines broker for political risk, trade credit, contingent BI, executive K&R, cyber for shipping, and adjacent admitted specialty lines. Marine and yacht war risk placements are routed through established Lloyd's wholesale partners — the client relationship sits with us; the wholesale leg connects directly to syndicate underwriters.

Most marine war risk submissions can be quoted within 48–72 hours where the submission detail is complete. Political risk, trade credit, and structured placements typically take 1–3 weeks depending on territory, syndicate appetite, and underwriting requirements.

Standard brokerage commission is built into the quoted premium and disclosed at binding. Fee-based engagements are available for advisory work, structured programs, and clients who prefer fee-for-service arrangements.