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A marine surveyor’s perspective on navigating the stressful and confusing path from accident to resolution in a marine loss incident.
As a marine surveyor, I’ve seen countless damages—from a minor scrape against a dock to vessels burnt down to the waterline. One of the most stressful scenarios for any yacht owner is dealing with unexpected damage: maybe your boat was mishandled by a charter guest, involved in a marina collision, or even damaged by the very company hired to manage it. The good news? With the right strategies and professionals on board, you can navigate these rough waters and get back on course.
Below, I’ll share a step-by-step approach for how to get you back to where you were before the incident happened, and why hiring a marine surveyor for a damage survey is so critical to safeguarding both your boat and your wallet.
Keep Calm and Don’t Burn Bridges
When a boating accident happens—especially if it involves a charter party or a management company—it’s easy to feel frustrated or even furious. However:
Maintain Professional Relationships: Yelling, making threats, or refusing to cooperate can stall an already lengthy process. Charter companies, marinas, and insurance agents often have a network of repair facilities and resources you need.
Foster Goodwill: Everyone wants to avoid further complications. Keep lines of communication open and aim for a resolution rather than revenge.
Key takeaway: Good standing with all involved parties—marinas, management teams, insurance agents—will make your life easier.
Report the Incident Promptly
Once you’ve collected yourself and ensured everyone’s safety, the next critical step is to report the incident. Boating accidents may involve legal obligations as well as insurance requirements.
Notify Authorities: In the U.S., federal law (33 CFR 173.55) requires filing a report with the Coast Guard if property damage exceeds $2,000 or if there’s injury, death, or a missing person. Some states have even stricter rules, so check local regulations.
You must report serious incidents within 48 hours, and other accidents within 10 days.
Inform Your Insurance Company: Your policy likely demands immediate notice. Contact your insurance agent directly first (as opposed to just calling the carrier), as they will be able to guide you through the claim filing process correctly, and prevent you from making mistakes that could complicate things. Provide the date, time, location, and details of the accident—but stick to the facts; LESS IS MORE. Don’t speculate on fault or causes.
Document Everything: Take photos of the damage, the surroundings, and any other vessels involved. Write down weather conditions, speed, and a timeline of events. Record the GPS coordinates of the event. Gather witness contact info.
Why This Matters: Prompt reporting ensures you stay compliant with the law and your insurance policy. Gathering witness contact info, and other incident details helps your marine surveyor have the details he needs to create an accurate marine loss incident report or marine damage survey, which in turn will help with your insurance claim.
Protect Your Yacht’s Value
Yachts are significant investments, so preserving their worth is crucial:
Preserve Evidence: Avoid any repairs other than to safeguard your yacht (e.g. stopping water ingress from a holed hull or broken hatch, or replacing a damaged battery to maintain bilge pump operability). In other words, do only what is necessary to prevent further damage to your vessel, but nothing beyond that.
Save Receipts: Keep invoices for emergency repairs or towing. They may be reimbursable.
Maintain a Paper Trail: Create a dedicated folder (digital or physical) for surveys, repair quotes, invoices, and any communications related to the incident.
Hire a Marine Surveyor for a Damage Survey
The most important action to protect your interests—and your yacht’s value—is hiring a marine surveyor to conduct a damage survey or create a marine loss incident report:
Insurance Requirements: Insurers require a detailed, expert damage assessment to process your claim effectively. While an adjuster reviews the basics, they often lack the specialized marine expertise a surveyor brings. A marine surveyor knows exactly where to uncover hidden damage, and documents it using the precise language and format insurers and repair technicians expect. This ensures your claim is clear, compelling, and fully supported for maximum coverage and quality repairs.
Bridge the Gap: Some surveyors, such as Clayton Marine Surveys, are also licensed insurance adjusters which gives them specialized knowledge and experience that most surveyors lack. This perspective lets them communicate effectively with your insurance company, speeding up the claims process, while delivering an unbiased, objective report that strengthens your case.
Comprehensive Damage Assessment: A thorough damage survey examines all affected systems, e.g.: hull, engines, electrical systems, rigging (if a sailboat), and more. Their expert knowledge allows them to find things the layman will likely miss.
Foundational Document: The survey report forms the basis of your repair estimates and claim negotiations. Without it, insurance companies might refuse certain coverage because the link between cause and damage isn’t properly established.
Tip: Look for a surveyor who regularly works with damages. They should be familiar with the insurance adjusting process, and be part of associations such as IAMI.
Coordinate with Your Surveyor, Insurance Adjuster, and Technicians
After you have your survey, proper coordination helps everything run more efficiently:
Draft a Repair Plan: The surveyor’s report outlines recommended actions. Share this to collaborate with your insurance agent to approve the scope of work before any repairs begin. This helps confirm coverage and budget expectations upfront.
Choose Reputable Contractors: Look for a yard with experience handling yachts in your size and value range. Ask about which repair contractors they allow on their premises and any extra requirements. Make sure that all technicians you hire are ABYC certified.
Monitor the Work: Visit the yard (or request regular updates) to stay informed about progress. Ideally you will want your surveyor to pay a visit at least once during the repairs process as their expertise is crucial for confirming things are being repaired correctly.
Stay Involved and Avoid Unauthorized Changes: Keep everyone—yard, surveyor, insurer—on the same page via weekly check-ins, photos, or updated invoices. Never authorize additional modifications or upgrades without first consulting your surveyor and insurance adjuster, or you risk having claims denied.
Get a Post-Repairs Survey
One often-overlooked yet absolutely essential step in the repair process is obtaining a post-repairs survey. While most insurers won’t cover the cost of this second survey, consider it a small out-of-pocket investment that delivers immense value—both immediately and in the long term. This step ensures that repairs have been completed correctly and that no hidden damage has been missed, protecting your yacht’s value, insurability, and your peace of mind.
Repair Quality and Claim Coverage: A post-repairs survey acts as a quality control check. Poor workmanship or overlooked issues might not reveal themselves until you’re back on the water. By then, your insurance claim is likely closed, leaving you solely responsible for any additional fixes. Worse, if your insurer decides not to renew your policy, your next provider will likely demand a post-repair survey. Skip it, and you could be left uninsured, and any lingering issues could render your yacht uninsurable.
Avoid Ethical and Legal Pitfalls: Beyond immediate practical benefits, a post-repairs survey is crucial for transparency when it comes time to sell your vessel. Future buyers and their surveyors will scrutinize your yacht with a fine-tooth comb, and they will uncover any past damage or subpar repairs. Failing to disclose this history can kill a deal outright—buyers don’t like surprises, especially knowingly hidden ones. Moreover, an ethical broker will likely drop you as a client if they discover you’ve withheld critical information about the yacht’s history, as their reputation is on the line too. A post-repairs survey provides documented proof that damages were addressed professionally, giving you a solid foundation for negotiations and demonstrating your integrity as a seller. In a market where trust is paramount, this transparency will be the difference between a smooth sale and an aborted deal.
Key Takeaway: For the relatively small cost of a post-repairs survey, you can verify the quality of the repairs, maintain coverage, and protect your future resale prospects. It’s a crucial step in safeguarding both your yacht’s value and your own integrity.
Understand the Long, Tedious Road to Repairs
Even minor yacht damage repair involves many moving parts, and the owner often becomes the middleman. Marine insurance claims are not like auto or residential claims that are paid out in a lump sum to the client. Claims are typically paid out in increments to the appropriate parties:
Insurance Agents: They have to review and approve everything before it is done. This often requires coordination with multiple departments within the carrier or parent companies, with your surveyor, and sometimes with repair contractors. If you find a knowledgeable surveyor who works well with your adjuster, the process is smoother.
Repair Technicians: Specialists in engines, hulls, fiberglass, electronics, rigging—each operates on their own timetable. Furthermore, order of operations is crucial. Careful coordination is key to avoiding unnecessary delays.
Marina or Boatyard Schedules: Hauling out your yacht for repairs may require waiting days, weeks, or even months. High season can be especially busy.
Bottom Line: Accept that this process takes time. Meticulous coordination and follow-up calls can be tiresome, but they pay off in ensuring quality repairs and avoiding costly scheduling mistakes.
Safety Review and Prevention
Finally, take steps to make your next voyage safer:
Safety Gear: Check your flares, horn, life raft, EPIRB, life jackets, fire detector, CO monitor, and fire extinguishers regularly. Upgrade any units that are older or seem sub-par or damaged.
Ongoing Training: Consider advanced seamanship courses. Ensure any other operators of your vessel are well trained and qualified.
Routine Maintenance: Adhere to a strict maintenance schedule for all systems. A well-maintained boat is less prone to accidents, retains more value, and more likely to pass survey inspections.
Helpful links:
Coast Guard CFRs regarding marine accidents: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/chapter-I/subchapter-S/part-173
Accident Reporting Forms: https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/accident-reporting.php
USCG Contact info: https://www.uscg.mil/contact/
Emergency Repair tips:
ABYC Certified Technician Directory: https://abycinc.org/membership/member-directory/
Training and education:
Weather and Planning:
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