Hull & Machinery (H&M) Insurance

Category: insurance

Property insurance covering physical damage to a commercial marine vessel's structure and onboard machinery.

H&M insurance protects the ship itself—the steel hull, the propulsion engines, and the steering machinery. It is the maritime equivalent of aviation hull insurance, shielding the shipowner from financial ruin if the vessel runs aground or suffers a catastrophic engine room fire.

Common Examples

• The shipping company invoked their Hull & Machinery policy to fund the drydock repairs after the cargo ship struck an underwater reef.
• Machinery breakdown is a standard inclusion in an H&M policy, recognizing that engine failure at sea poses an immediate threat to the ship.