| Pacific Marine Resources Marine Surveying & Consulting |
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Golfito, Costa Rica Rick Kreps, SAMSŪ AMSŪ Principal Marine Surveyor & Consultant Services Worldwide |
You may have been surprised and quite possibly shocked at the increase in your yacht insurance policy this time around. You may have been among the unfortunate to have been denied coverage from the insurance company that you have been a faithful and risk free insured client for many years. As a practicing Marine Surveyor, I cannot profess to be an expert on marine insurance and this article is not intended to address the subject. There is some basic and rather relevant information that all of us need to be aware of. The marine insurance market over the last ten years or so has been relatively accessible and forgiving from the underwriting point of view. Well, "times are a changing", now most underwriters are getting tough about the amount of risk they will assume. Many companies are refusing to write boat and yacht policies in "high risk" weather areas, because of the obvious related potential losses. For policy renewal with your existing company or, in order to obtain a policy through a new provider, you may have been asked to provide a current marine survey, specific to the condition and value of your vessel. Hopefully, the following discussion will help avoid a potentially painful process.General information; When you speak to your agent / broker, obviously you need to ask if a survey will be required. If you have a recent survey (within the last two years), your vessel is less than ten years old and you have addressed all of the recommendations from the previous survey, you may not be required to obtain a new report. If you are required to furnish a new survey, be sure to ask if your report needs to include the underwater hull structure and appendages. As you know, haul outs are time consuming and expensive. Avoid them if you can. The insurance survey is performed to gather information to justify or determine the whether or not the vessel is an acceptable risk. The emphasis will be in the structural and safety for the intended use. They will also wish to know the vessel's current market value. 
General appearance;Neat, clean and orderly. First impressions speak volumes on how one maintains their boat. Try to remove all clutter, excessive amount of gear and equipment, from lockers, lazarettes and weather decks. Wash your boat prior to the field inspection, properly secure the boat with the appropriate docking lines and fender placements, coil all lines and make all shore side connections complete. Clean all of your bilge sumps and spaces. Have your ships papers ready for review, your U.S.C.G. documentation and or state registration. The permanent installation of your documentation number and the hull identification number must be confirmed. Attend the survey if at all possible. It's your vessel, and you know it best. Your surveyor may have questions concerning the operation of certain systems and or supportive equipment. Most surveyors welcome the input from the owner/s. If your surveyor of choice insists on conducting the survey without you...find someone else. Machinery; Make sure your engine/s will "cold start" with the batteries isolated and or combined. All belts, fluids, filters and related hoses should be in serviceable condition and topped off. Remove all rust from the engine/s, clean and recoat with an approved engine paint. Be sure that your fuel system shut off valves, operate without hesitation. If your engine space requires blowers, be sure they are also functional. This is extremely important for gasoline powered boats. Check your packing gland/s at the shaft/s and rudder/s for proper adjustment. Steering cables and hydraulics should be properly adjusted, pressurized and free of any leaks. 
Thru hulls and pumps;Exercise all sea valves, check the hose connections and replace all stainless steel hose clamps as required. Install double clamps below the waterline where appropriate. If your vessel is bonded, clean all connections. Make sure all bilge pumps are in working order, are properly sized for the volume of potential water ingress and the related float switches function per design. Empty your holding tank and flush with fresh water. Check, clean and secure any and all anti-siphon loops and venting. Electrical; This is one of the most important areas to be reviewed. More losses are attributed electrical fire and shock than any other system malfunction. Make sure your batteries are correctly sized, secured, connected and ventilated. If possible, organize, label and bundle all AC/DC wiring. Remove the "household" type connections and replace with marine grade products. All switches should be tested for function. The AC/DC main and auxiliary panels may need to be examined from the back. Installing a latch and hinge system on the main panel is recommended. Reverse polarity and ground fault circuit protection will be of concern. Shore power connections both onboard and at the dock must be free of any evidence of electrical damage or short, secured and of the correct amperage / voltage for the intended application. 
Galley;If your galley stove/oven uses propane or CNG all tanks, tank compartments, valves, hoses and related connections must conform to strict guidelines. Be sure to have a propane shut off solenoid installed if applicable. Electric stoves, ovens and refrigeration are rather straight forward. Safety equipment; Personal flotation devices (PFD's), man-overboard throwables, distress signals (flares), sound producing devices, fire extinguishers, ventilation, backfire flame control, navigation lights, discharge oil and garbage placards will be examined and must be readily available. Be sure to have all sized, charged, mounted and available. Primary and if available, secondary anchoring systems should be adequate enough to hold the vessel safely in place and ready for deployment. Sailing equipment; Of most importance, are the spars, to include mast/s and boom/s, how they are stepped, tensioned, supported and whether they are in proper column. Standing rigging must be free of excessive corrosion, rust, properly connected and of course intact. It is generally recommended that standing rigging should be replaced after 12 years of use. There are certain exceptions to be considered and you should consult with tour surveyor and or rigger in order to determine condition. Winches, line leads, reefing and spinnaker equipment are examined for operation, although do not receive the scrutiny that comes with a survey for pre-purchase. Electronics; It's simple, if you have them installed; the unit is expected to function. Remove old dysfunctional electronics. There is absolutely nothing wrong with navigating with a good chart, depth sounder and a properly adjusted compass. To have an array of electronics and knowing how to use them can add a substantial value to your vessel. Make sure all model and serial numbers are up to date, listed and kept in a safe place off of the boat. The marine surveyor you hire has to keep all things in perspective. He / she are working not only for you, the vessel and the safety of those persons aboard, but also we are the eyes and ears of the underwriter. Ask questions and be prepared. Having a condition and value survey completed for insurance, does not have to equate with going to visit your proctologist. Understanding the needs and requirements of your insurance company of choice is of paramount concern. Hopefully, I have given some useful information to help you thru the process. Do not hesitate to contact the surveyor of choice for any questions and or concerns. Rick Kreps A.M.S. Principle Surveyor Rick Kreps Marine Surveying and Consulting Florida Keys and Golfito, Costa Rica |
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Copyright Đ 2008/2010 Pacific Marine Resources, Golfito Costa Rica - marinesurvey.kreps@gmail.com Installed March 10, 2008, Last Update July 14, 2010 Hosted and Maintained by Don Robertson |