5.1 The period until World War I
Perils insured against was defined in NMIP 1871 § 44 and included bad weather, rough seas, collision, ice, fire, theft, war and piracy. This continued the cover offered by the mutual insurance companies established in the period from 1837 onwards. The marine insurance corporations existing at the time were more restrictive in their coverage of hull insurance.(1) Towsen pp. 16–17. However, even if the risk of war was part of the general cover, the individual policy could exclude this risk through a special clause “Fri for Krigsmolest” (free from war risk).(2) NMIP 1871 § 20.
NMIP 1881 introduced the all-risk cover, i.e. that the insurance covered all perils that were not excluded, in § 42 sub clause 1, and no. 2 emphasized that the cover included war and intervention by state power. However, the insurance could also be limited to war risk (§ 50), or to marine risk (§ 51), or else the clause “fri fra krigsmolest” in § 52 could be inserted. This regulation was continued into NMIP 1894(3) NMIP 1894 § 42 no. 2 and §§ 50–52. and 1907,(4) NMIP 1907 § 22 sub clause 1 and sub clause 2 and § 30 and § 31. and it appears that it functioned adequately for the Norwegian commercial fleet where sailing for a neutral nation, even if sailing in areas with military conflicts.(5) Towsen p. 26.