Towing a skier, a wakeboarder or a tube behind a boat is most of what Lake Powell is for. It is also the activity most likely to produce a serious injury claim against the boat owner.
Towed water sports are expressly addressed by many watercraft policies, and not always included.
Three things about towing people behind a boat.
A person on a rope at speed is exposed in ways a passenger is not, and the injuries when it goes wrong are severe. The claim is made against the operator and the owner of the vessel. Underlying watercraft limits are frequently modest relative to what that costs.
Watercraft policies vary: some include liability for towed activities, some exclude them, and some require a dedicated observer or impose conditions. It is a clause to read rather than assume, and it is the difference between cover and none.
If the watercraft policy excludes towed sports, an umbrella above it generally does too, because it sits above cover rather than replacing it. Both layers have to contemplate the activity before anybody gets on the rope.
The activity, not just the vessel.
Included, excluded or conditional. It varies widely.
Conditions frequently attach to both.
It has to be, with qualifying underlying limits.
Tell us what the boat is used for and who operates it.
