How to Prepare Your Boat for an Insurance or Condition Survey

Call or email your insurer (or lender) and get the answers in writing:

• Full C&V survey or a shorter inspection?
• Which credentials do they accept (SAMS, NAMS or either)?
• Does the boat need to be hauled out for this survey?
• How old can a survey be? BoatUS points out that a survey is a snapshot of one day, so old reports carry little weight.
• When are the results due, and how long will you have to fix recommendations?
• While you have the agent on the phone, check the policy itself. An insurance agent interviewed by Mercury points out that some policies cover only the hull, so confirm the boat, motor and trailer are all listed. Ask whether it pays actual cash value (depreciated value, which can leave you owing on a loan after a total loss), agreed value (a set amount backed by an invoice or appraisal) or, from a few insurers for a limited time, replacement value. The survey's value figure is often what an agreed value is based on, so this is the moment to sort it out.

Look for a member of SAMS (Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors) or NAMS (National Association of Marine Surveyors). Both have referral directories. For its own insurance program, BoatUS accepts surveys from SAMS members with the AMS designation (yacht and small craft) or NAMS members with the CMS designation (yacht and small craft). Other insurers have their own rules, so check.

Pick someone who is independent. BoatUS notes that surveys by people tied to a boatyard, marina or broker are generally not accepted for insurance because of the conflict of interest. Ask for a sample report and the fee up front; most surveyors charge by boat length and expect payment on the day. A 2018 BoatUS article put typical prices at about $20 to $22 per foot, but get current quotes. Do not choose on price alone.

A thorough C&V survey usually includes a look below the waterline: hull bottom, running gear, rudders, through-hulls and anodes. BoatUS notes that older boats and boats built of wood, steel or aluminum may need to be hauled to be surveyed properly.

• Boat kept in the water: book a short haul with your yard and confirm the date with the surveyor. Allow for tide and weather.
• Trailer boat: have it on the trailer, hitched or chocked, in a place where the surveyor can walk all the way around and get underneath with a light.

Put these in one folder (paper or digital) for the surveyor:

• Title, state registration or Coast Guard documentation
• The Hull Identification Number (HIN) and engine, drive and generator serial numbers
• Maintenance records and receipts: oil changes, impellers, risers, bellows, rigging, bottom jobs
• Invoices for upgrades (electronics, new engine, new canvas): they support the value. After a repower or a big upgrade on an agreed value policy, Mercury's insurance tips say to get a written appraisal and ask the agent to update the agreed value
• A gear inventory: lay out rods, reels, electronics and other loose gear and shoot a short video or photos, then email it to yourself. Ask whether that gear is covered by the boat policy or would fall on your homeowner's policy
• Your previous survey, with a note or receipt showing how you fixed each recommendation
• Fire extinguisher inspection tags and EPIRB or PLB registration, if you have them

A well-organized service history helps the surveyor and the underwriter see a boat that has been cared for.

Surveyors need to reach the engine, bilge, batteries, wiring, steering, fuel system and every hatch. BoatUS surveyor Mark Corke's advice is simple: do not expect the surveyor to empty lockers of anchors, sails and boxes of spares.

• Empty the lockers that hide the hull, through-hulls and wiring.
• Make sure every hatch and access panel opens (no stuck screws or painted-over covers).
• Charge the batteries, top up fuel enough for a short run and leave the keys.
• Have shore power available if the boat has AC systems.

Hoses and clamps are a classic finding, and for good reason: the BoatUS insurance files include sinkings, fuel spills and exhaust leaks caused by failed clamps.

• Look at every clamp, especially the underside where water collects. Use the mirror. Any rust, kinks or broken bands means replace it.
• Run a magnet over clamps: if the screw or band is magnetic, it is not all stainless. BoatUS recommends clamps made entirely of 316 stainless.
• Give each clamp a gentle tug. Tighten by hand with a nut driver; you do not need to crank them.
• Squeeze hoses: cracked, hard, soft or swollen hoses should be replaced with the correct type (fuel, exhaust or water hose).

Many surveyors expect two clamps on hoses connected below the waterline, where the fitting is long enough to take them. If you are unsure, ask your surveyor or a marine technician.

Open and close every seacock. Handles should move without a hammer, and you should be able to reach each one quickly in an emergency. Look for green or pink crusty bronze, weeping around the fitting and plastic fittings in places that call for bronze or marine-rated composite. Household gate valves below the waterline are a common finding. See the seacocks guide for how to free a stiff valve. If a through-hull below the waterline is cracked or leaking, do not try to fix it in the water: that is a haul-out job for a pro.

An oily, dirty bilge hides leaks and looks like neglect. Pump it dry, clean it with a bilge cleaner and soak up oil with absorbent pads (dispose of them properly; never pump oily water overboard). Then:

• Lift each float switch to make sure the pump runs.
• Check that the bilge pump switch at the helm works in manual and automatic.
• On gasoline inboards and sterndrives, make sure the bilge blower runs and you can feel air at the outlet.

Surveyors list missing or out-of-date Coast Guard required equipment. Before the survey, check:

• Fire extinguishers: the right number and type for your boat, gauges in the green, not expired, mounted where you can reach them. Disposable extinguishers must come out of service 12 years after the manufacture date stamped on the bottle, even if the gauge reads green, and rechargeable ones need their yearly service tag (see the fire extinguisher guide).
• Visual distress signals: flares within their expiration date, if your boat needs them.
• Life jackets: one wearable for each person, in good shape, plus a throwable if required.
• Sound signal, navigation lights and registration numbers.
• CO alarms in boats with enclosed cabins: working and within their service life.

A free Vessel Safety Check from the Coast Guard Auxiliary or US Power Squadrons is a good dress rehearsal.

With the battery switch off, look for:

• Battery terminals uncovered or loose, and batteries not strapped down
• Household wire, wire nuts, electrical tape splices or exposed connections
• Fuses or breakers missing, or wires wrapped around terminals instead of crimped
• Burned or discolored shore power inlets and cords

Fix simple items: cover terminals, secure batteries, replace corroded ring terminals with heat-shrink connectors. Leave AC wiring, inverters, chargers and battery banks to an ABYC-certified marine electrician.

Check fuel hoses for cracks and markings, clamps at every connection, tank straps and the fill and vent fittings. There should be no fuel smell anywhere. If there is, stop and have a technician find the leak before survey day. On boats with propane, the tank should be in a vented locker, with a working solenoid and a gas detector. See the propane guide.

Wipe down the engine so leaks are easy to spot (and so the surveyor can see there are none). Check oil and coolant levels, belts and exhaust hoses, and know when risers and manifolds were last replaced on inboards and sterndrives. Most surveyors only inspect the engine externally and check temperature, RPM and charging during a short run. If the engine is a big part of the boat's value, the insurer may also accept or ask for a separate engine survey by a technician for that brand.

Arrive early, unlock everything and stay available to answer questions. Surveyors generally welcome the owner but work faster if you do not hover. Ask how they would rank what they find, and take notes and photos as you go.

Most reports split recommendations by priority: safety items that must be fixed before coverage or right away, and lesser items to plan for. Fix the urgent ones first. Send your insurer proof (receipts and photos) by the deadline they give you, and keep a copy of the report and your fixes with your boat records. If something in the report is unclear, call the surveyor: most are happy to explain.