GJW Direct review
Updated September 28, 2026 · AssureCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Our verdict
GJW Direct is a broker built around boat and marine insurance, so it suits people who want one specialist marine book and can pay monthly. Premiums start at £75, which sits above the €8.37 site median for business insurance, and your contract sits with Ripe Insurance Services Limited.
Key facts
- Best for
- Boat and marine cover with monthly payments, arranged by a specialist broker.
- Provider type
- Broker (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Premium from
- £75 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Excess from
- £0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Monthly payments
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Industries
- boat and marine insurance (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Ripe Insurance Services Limited
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1826 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Official website
- gjwdirect.com
Personal insurance
- Premium from
- £75 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Provider type
- Broker (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Monthly payments
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Excess from
- £0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Cover limit
- Up to £20k personal accident cover; legal protection up to £100k (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Claims channels
- Phone, Email, Post, Online-portal (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Age range
- no age limit for users of craft (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Ripe Insurance Services Limited
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1826 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Monthly
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- Trustpilot
Pros and cons
Pros
- A broker whose book is boat and marine insurance, trading in that field since 1826
- Claims can be started by phone, email and post
- Monthly payments are available, so a monthly schedule can spread the cost of cover from £75
- An excess starting at £0 on yacht and sailing boat cover
Cons
- Support runs on chat and help centre only, so policy questions do not travel on the claims routes
- The book is boat and marine insurance, so a wider set of business risks is not what this firm is set up for
- Monthly payments mean £75 is the start of the cost, not the whole of it
Who it suits
- Boat owners who want a single specialist broker rather than an open market search
- Craft users of any age, since no age limit for users of craft
- Anyone who prefers a monthly payment schedule over one annual bill
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for people who want the risk carrier itself: Hiscox UK is an insurer, not a broker
- Not for weighing the market first: EverQuote is a comparison site, so start there before settling on a marine broker
Safety and regulation
GJW Direct is a broker, not the insurer that carries the risk, so cover is arranged with an underwriter on the marine market. In the UK the firm is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, listed under 313411. That reference is the one to check first if you want to see that the permission covers the craft you insure.
Who runs it
The contract is with Ripe Insurance Services Limited, a firm based in the UK that has been arranging marine cover since 1826. Policy questions go through chat and help centre, while claims run on their own routes. The Financial Conduct Authority reference 313411 tells you which regulated entity you are dealing with, and it is the same reference a bank or broker would check.
How GJW Direct compares
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.7
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 8.6- 9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 9.3Max Life Insurance
9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 9.3
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.6- 9.1 vs 8.4
- 9.1 vs 8.2
Fit 2 Trip
Protegetuviaje
Allianz Travel Insurance Hong Kong
Tune Protect Thailand
Starr Travelead
Fubon Life Hong Kong
Universal Assistance
e-Insure Taiwan
Bao Minh
AXA BE
Where GJW Direct is available
- Available
- United Kingdom
- Licence in United Kingdom
- Financial Conduct Authority (313411), checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does cover cost at the cheapest end?+
Small boat cover starts at £75. That sits above the €8.37 site median for business insurance, so expect to pay more than a typical entry price for a business policy. The final premium depends on the craft, the waters it is used on and the level of cover you choose.
Is GJW Direct the insurer or the broker?+
GJW Direct is a broker, not the insurer. Your policy is arranged with an underwriter and the contract is with Ripe Insurance Services Limited. If you would rather deal with the company that carries the risk, Hiscox UK is an insurer and writes its own policies.
Is it regulated in the UK?+
Yes. GJW Direct appears with the Financial Conduct Authority under the reference 313411, so you can check the firm's permission before you buy. Because it is a broker, that permission covers arranging marine cover on behalf of an underwriter.
Can I pay monthly?+
Monthly payments are available, and the payment model is listed as monthly. That spreads a premium starting at £75 across the year instead of one lump sum. Check the total you will pay over the full term before you commit, because a monthly schedule keeps running to the end of the policy.
What is the excess on a claim?+
The excess on yacht and sailing boat cover starts at £0, the lowest point of the scale. Higher tiers of cover and some craft carry more, so read the excess on your own quote rather than relying on the starting figure alone.
How do I make a claim?+
Claims can be started by phone, email and post, which gives you more routes than the general support lines. Use the claim route for anything that has happened to the boat, and have your policy number and the details of the incident together before you make contact.
What does it actually insure?+
Its book is boat and marine insurance, so policies centre on boats and the water they sit on. Yacht and sailing boat cover adds personal accident cover and legal protection at the levels set out in the policy terms, and small boat cover carries no age limit for users of craft.
Sources
- gjwdirect.com/how-to-claim checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Claims channels
“Email: gjwclaims@crawco.co.uk Phone: 0800 668 1114 Post: GJW Claims c/o Crawford and Company, The Hallmark Building, 106 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 5JE”
- gjwdirect.com/small-boat-insurance checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Age range, Premium from
“Our policy does not impose any age restrictions for any user”
- gjwdirect.com/yacht-sailing-boat-insurance checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Cover limit, Excess from
“Up to £20k Personal Accident cover ... Legal protection - up to £100k for legal expenses”
- ripe-gjw.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/search checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Pricing model, Monthly payments
“if you choose to pay for your insurance policy with us on a monthly basis, your credit agreement will be provided by Premium Credit Ltd”
- gjwdirect.com/about checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Provider type, Founded, Industries
“We act as an agent of the insurer under a delegated authority agreement”
- gjwdirect.com/contact checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Chat to our team for real-time help”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Cover types, Indemnity limit.