Boating Blunders; Boaters 'Fess Up to Their Biggest Mistakes in a Recent Survey by Progressive, One of the Country's Leading Boat Insurance Groups

Most boaters will tell you a good day is a day out onthe water. Unless, of course, they got stranded in a storm becausethey didn't check the weather report first; almost sank their boatbecause they forgot to put in the bottom plug; lost their denturesoverboard; or dropped an anchor on their foot! If you're a boater andany of these situations sound familiar, you're not alone, according toan online survey of more than a thousand boaters conducted by theProgressive Group of Insurance Companies. Progressive, a leading boatinsurer and the number one seller of personal watercraft insurance inthe country, surveyed boaters to find out their most common, humorous,and sometime painful misadventures at sea. The survey also askedboaters about their insurance coverage because, after all, if you'regoing to have boating blunders, you want to make sure you have theright coverage.

The survey revealed more than a few embarrassing slip-ups. Twelvepercent of boaters say they've slid into the water when launchingtheir boat because they didn't realize how slippery the ramp was.Boaters also got unexpectedly wet when they tried to jump from theirboat to the dock but wound up in the water instead (7 percent).

The most common mistakes boaters made while at the helm of theirboats include running aground as well as getting a line caught in thepropeller (both 15 percent). Twelve percent of boaters admit theycouldn't restart their boats because they accidentally left the killswitch on.

Fortunately, some of the most painful mistakes are also the leastcommon. Two percent of boaters say they've dropped an anchor on theirfoot, and one percent of boaters admit they've run over someone's footbecause they were not paying attention when driving their trailer outof the water. But one mistake that can cause a fair amount ofdiscomfort affected almost half of all boaters: 40 percent of boaterssay they've gotten a bad sunburn while out on their boats.

Losing items overboard isn't necessarily painful, unless, ofcourse, you're like the 2 percent of boaters who have lost weddingrings! The most common items lost overboard are hats (52 percent);sunglasses (46 percent); fishing gear (39 percent) and towels (23percent). When asked to provide write-in answers for items lostoverboard, one boater said he'd lost teeth and another said he'd losta hearing aid.

"We've all made mistakes with our boats and, as our survey shows,some of them can be pretty amusing," said Scott Hall, boat productmanager, Progressive. "But boating mistakes can also be costly. That'swhy it's so important to make sure you have the right boat insurance."

Hall said the survey found a quarter of boaters (24 percent) donot have boat insurance. Of those who do, close to half (42 percent)simply add their boat onto their homeowners policy. "Boaters whochoose this insurance option are missing out on a lot of specializedcoverages that are only available through specialty boat insurers likeProgressive," said Hall. "As our survey showed, mistakes and mishapsare fairly common, but having the right insurance coverage can help."

Examples of specialized boat coverages not available through ahomeowners policy include personal effects and fishing equipmentcoverage; coverage for fuel spill clean-up and wreckage removal; andTotal Loss Replacement, in which Progressive will buy a customer abrand new boat if their boat needs to be replaced due to damage ortheft within the first five model years. The survey found that, ofboaters who had to replace their boat due to damage or theft, 37percent said their insurance did not adequately cover the cost toreplace the boat.

Hall said Progressive conducted the survey as a lighthearted wayto point out that while boating is a lot of fun, boaters should beaware of the risks and act accordingly, both by being careful and bymaking sure they're protected in the event of a mishap.

Speaking of fun...several boaters surveyed said the strangestthing they'd ever done on their boat was to take off all theirclothes. You didn't think you were the only one who did that - didyou?

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since1937, ranks third in the nation for auto insurance and number one formotorcycle insurance based on premiums written and provides driverswith competitive rates and 24/7 in-person and online service. Theproducts and services of the Progressive Direct Group of InsuranceCompanies are marketed directly to consumers by phone at1-800-PROGRESSIVE and online at www.progressivedirect.com through theProgressive Direct(SM) brand. The products and services of the DriveGroup of Progressive Insurance Companies are offered by more than30,000 independent insurance agencies and online atwww.driveinsurance.com through the Drive(R) Insurance from Progressivebrand. The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the MayfieldVillage, Ohio-based holding company, are publicly traded at(NYSE:PGR). More information can be found at www.progressive.com.

Scott Hall, boat product manager, Progressive, is available forinterview.

Additional survey results available upon request.