Practical guide
Boat Insurance Claim Documentation After Sinking or Salvage
What owners, adjusters, agents, and surveyors need documented after a boat sinks, grounds, floods, or needs marine salvage.
Photos before, during, and after recovery
Capture the vessel position, water level, dock or marina access, hull condition, interior flooding, engines, batteries, fuel concerns, pump activity, and post-recovery condition.
Location and access details
Record the marina name, dock address, canal, GPS pin, bridge or ramp constraints, lift condition, tide/current concerns, and whether the boat can be safely moved.
Recovery scope and mitigation notes
Document what work was performed: pump-out, dewatering, line handling, lift bag support, tow coordination, haul-out, storage, drying, or disposal planning.
Communication trail
Keep texts, emails, photos, videos, claim number, policyholder name, adjuster contact, surveyor contact, marina messages, invoices, and timestamps.
What we do not decide
Coverage, liability, cause of loss, and claim value are handled by the insurer, policy terms, and qualified survey or repair professionals. Recovery documentation supports the file but does not replace those decisions.