Marine Damage & Insurance Claim Survey in Southeastern Florida

Post-incident documentation for owners and claim stakeholders — Treasure Coast to Miami Beach — Veteran Yacht Services, Stuart, FL.

If your boat or yacht took a hit — grounding, collision, storm, fire, or something in that family — you may need a marine damage and insurance claim survey, not a routine underwriting survey. Same if you’re an adjuster or another claim stakeholder sending that work to a local credentialed marine surveyor.

After a hurricane, we do boat damage surveys for owners and insurers in Martin and St. Lucie counties, including Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach and Hobe Sound.

Veteran Yacht Services lists Insurance Claim / Damage Surveys as its own offering, alongside pre-purchase, insurance, and appraisal work. This page is about objective documentation after a loss — not a promise that a claim gets paid, approved, or settled at any particular number.

Need an underwriting survey to bind or renew coverage instead? That’s a different product. See our insurance marine survey page.

Ready to talk about a post-incident survey? Request a damage / claim survey quote, call 269-998-6767, or email john@veteranyachtservices.com.

What to Do After Your Boat Is Damaged: An Owner’s Checklist

Storm, collision, grounding, fire or sinking: the first hours matter. This checklist is general guidance. It is not legal advice, and it doesn’t replace what your policy or your adjuster tells you. When the two differ, follow your carrier.

1. Make sure people are safe first.
Nobody needs to go aboard a boat that is unstable, sinking, burning, or in a slip that isn’t safe to walk. A boat can be replaced. Call emergency services if anyone is hurt or in danger.

2. Call your insurance carrier or agent and get a claim number.
Ask who your adjuster is and what they want from you before anything is moved, cleaned or repaired. Write down names, dates and what you were told.

3. Photograph and video everything before it changes.
Take wide shots of the boat and where it sits, then close-ups of every damaged area, the waterline, the bilge, the engine space, electronics, and any lines, cleats or pilings involved. Note the date and time. If the boat was moved by a towing or salvage company, ask them for their paperwork.

4. Take reasonable steps to prevent more damage, if your carrier agrees.
Your policy may expect you to protect the boat from further loss, such as covering an opening or keeping water out. Ask the carrier what is reasonable and keep receipts for anything you spend. Don’t start permanent repairs before the damage is documented.

5. After a sinking or flooding, don’t try to start engines or power up systems.
Engines and electrical systems that have been underwater can be damaged further if they’re started or energized. Ask your carrier and a qualified marine technician before anyone tries.

6. Keep the damaged parts.
Don’t throw away anything that was removed: parts, wiring, hardware. The carrier or surveyor may need to see them.

7. Gather your paperwork.
Policy, registration or documentation, any earlier survey report, maintenance records, and recent photos of the boat in good condition all help show what changed.

8. Get repair quotes, and let the survey check them.
As part of a damage survey, we review the repair quotes. Every damaged item should be on the report, and nothing unrelated to the incident should be added.

9. Schedule the damage survey.
Call 269-998-6767 or request a damage or claim survey. Have ready: vessel type and length, where the boat is now, a short description of what happened, your claim number and adjuster contact, and any written request you’ve been given. We’re based in Stuart, FL, in Martin County, and survey along the Treasure Coast, including Palm City, Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach and Port St. Lucie, and south through Palm Beach County, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

What Is a Marine Damage / Insurance Claim Survey?

A marine damage / insurance claim survey is professional survey work focused on documenting vessel damage in a claim or post-incident setting. It is not a buyer’s pre-purchase inspection, and it is not an underwriting insurance survey used to decide whether a vessel is a reasonable risk for coverage. Veteran Yacht Services lists Insurance Claim / Damage Surveys among its services.

Purpose — documentation after a loss

The job is objective findings for the claim conversation: what was accessible, what damage was observed, and how that is written up. It also includes a review of repair quotes for the damaged vessel. We look at whether the damaged items are actually on the quote, and whether items have been added that were not part of the incident and were not caused by it. The point is a clean record of the damage — not padding the repair list with unrelated work.

That review is documentation. It is not a promise of payment, approval, or a settlement amount. What happens with the claim sits between the owner and the carrier. The surveyor does not guarantee a result.

Different from underwriting insurance / C&V surveys

An insurance / C&V survey helps an insurer assess whether the vessel poses a reasonable risk, looking at structural components and general safety for the vessel’s intended purpose. That’s underwriting work for binding or renewing coverage. Damage and claim work starts after an incident. Full contrast: insurance marine survey in Florida.

Different from pre-purchase

A pre-purchase survey is a detailed condition and performance inspection before you buy. Different question, different product. Details: pre-purchase marine survey in Florida.

Different from a USPAP-compliant fair market appraisal

A USPAP-compliant fair market appraisal documents value for financing, estate settlements, legal cases, and donations. USPAP is the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. That work is value documentation, not post-incident damage documentation. See our USPAP-compliant yacht appraisal in Florida page. If fair market value documentation is what you actually need, ask us before you book.

When Do Owners Typically Need a Damage Survey?

After an incident that damages the vessel — grounding, collision, a storm or hurricane, and fire are the usual examples — owners and claim stakeholders often need a damage/claim survey rather than a routine underwriting survey. Carrier and process requirements aren’t the same from file to file. Confirm with the adjuster or carrier what they need, then schedule the right product.

Post-incident timing

Call sooner rather than changing the scene more than you have to. Follow your carrier or adjuster’s guidance on what to touch, move, or repair before documentation, and ask us what we need for survey access. This isn’t legal advice about spoliation — it’s practical intake so the survey can actually be done.

Adjuster and insurer referrals

Intake can include the claim contacts and whatever documentation was requested. Bring vessel basics, location, a short description of the incident, and any written request you’ve been given. We don’t publish a blanket list of carrier partnerships. We do the survey work when the assignment fits.

How a Claims Survey Works for Owners, Adjusters and Insurers

A damage survey has one job: to make an objective record of what was damaged, what was accessible to inspect, and whether the repair quotes match the damage. The steps are the same no matter who orders it. What changes is who requests the damage survey.

The steps

Intake. You call or send the request. We need the vessel type and length, location, what happened, and who else is involved (owner, adjuster, carrier, yard).
Access. We agree with you on when and where we can see the boat, and who arranges keys, yard access and any haul-out. Haul-out isn’t automatic; we confirm it at booking.
Inspection. We go through accessible areas, bow to stern: hull and deck structures, and plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems as far as they can be reached. No destructive testing. If something has to come apart to be assessed, we may recommend a qualified marine technician.
Repair-quote review. We compare the quotes against the damage we documented: damaged items should be on the report, and items not caused by the incident shouldn’t be.
Written report. You get a written report of the findings. The report goes to whoever hires us.

If you’re the owner

Call your carrier first and get a claim number. Then call us. Bring your photos, your policy information and any request the adjuster has sent you. Our report documents findings. It doesn’t decide whether the claim is paid; that stays between you and your carrier.

If you’re an adjuster

Send the assignment with the claim contacts, the vessel location and what documentation you need. We’re a local marine surveying company in Stuart, FL, covering the Treasure Coast through Miami. Tell us at intake what format and scope the file needs, and we’ll confirm it before the survey.

If you’re an insurer

A damage survey gives you what it gives the owner: an objective record of the damage and a check that the repair list matches it. We don’t advocate for either side. John’s damage and claim training includes Chapman School coursework in Fundamentals of the Damage and Claims Survey and Advanced Damage and Claim Survey, plus IAAI Marine Fire Investigation training for fire losses.

What a claims survey is not

It’s not an underwriting survey for binding or renewing coverage (that’s an insurance survey), it’s not a buyer’s pre-purchase survey, and it’s not a fair market value appraisal. If the carrier also needs a documented value, ask; that may be a separate assignment.

Request a damage or claim survey or call 269-998-6767.

Damage Survey vs. Insurance Survey vs. Pre-Purchase vs. Appraisal

Damage / claim is post-incident documentation. Insurance / C&V helps the insurer assess whether the vessel is a reasonable risk for its intended purpose (insurance page). Pre-purchase is condition and performance before you buy (pre-purchase page). A USPAP-compliant fair market appraisal is fair market value for financing, estate, legal, and donation needs (USPAP-compliant yacht appraisal page).

If you’re not sure which product fits, contact Veteran Yacht Services and describe the situation. For a plain-language overview of survey types, see our types of marine surveys guide.

Credentials That Matter for Damage and Claim Work

Damage and claim work draws on a specific stack, not a generic survey credential. For damage and claim survey work, relevant training includes Chapman School coursework in Fundamentals of Damage and Claims Survey and Advanced Damage and Claim Survey, plus IAAI Marine Fire Investigation training, a former Firefighter/Paramedic background, and company NFPA membership alongside SAMS and ABYC. John P. DeGoede IV also holds a USCG Master license and teaches the Chapman Yacht & Small Craft Surveying course. More on credentials: marine surveyor accreditation.

What the Inspection and Report Process Looks Like

Damage and claim survey work uses the same high-level inspection habits we publish for our survey work: a thorough review of accessible areas; hull and deck structures and systems as far as they can be reached; no destructive testing and no dismantling of fixed compartments as normal scope; and a possible recommendation for a qualified marine technician if something has to come apart. For a claim or damage assignment, confirm at booking what access, haul-out, photos, and claim-file coordination look like for this incident. We don’t publish a fixed claim-survey package, and we don’t advertise an inspection that always includes cause determination.

Accessible areas, non-destructive scope

The exam runs through accessible areas, bow to stern: hull and deck structures, plus plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems as far as they are accessible. No destructive testing. We don’t take systems or compartments apart as normal scope. If something needs to come apart, we may recommend a qualified marine technician.

Standards context

Findings are read against widely used marine standards and the regulatory context that goes with them, including guidance associated with ABYC, NFPA, and relevant federal vessel regulations (CFR Title 33 and 46, as discussed on our educational pages). See marine survey regulations.

Logistics

Who arranges haul-out, yard access, keys, and the rest should be confirmed when you book. Don’t assume a standard package that is always included. Bring any adjuster or carrier documentation request you’ve been given so intake is clean.

How we approach cost

Don’t choose this work mainly because it is the cheapest price. Experienced SAMS and/or NAMS members charge a reasonable fee and deliver comprehensive findings. Pricing for your vessel and this incident is a custom quote. We don’t publish a per-foot rate. Request a quote.

Why Choose Veteran Yacht Services for Damage and Claim Surveys

Veteran Yacht Services is a veteran-owned marine surveying company based in Stuart, FL, serving Southeastern Florida. We are SAMS, ABYC, and NFPA members. For damage and claim work specifically, John’s Chapman damage and claims coursework, IAAI Marine Fire Investigation training, and firefighter/paramedic background sit on the core surveying credential stack. The work is documentation — not claims-advocacy hype.

Credentials and standards

Relevant coursework and background (not a claim-outcome credential):

Veteran-owned and operated
SAMS — Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (members)
ABYC — American Boat & Yacht Council
NFPA — National Fire Protection Association
Chapman Fundamentals of the Damage and Claims Survey; Chapman Advanced Damage and Claim Survey
IAAI Marine Fire Investigation (32-hour); Preparation for the Marine Fire Scene; Scientific Method for Fire and Explosion Investigation; Lightning Fundamentals; Florida ATC fire-investigation CE (expert qualifications, hypothesis development, arson prosecution, wildland fire)
Marine Council of Miami / SAMS CLE: Marine Surveyors & the Law
ABYC Sur/Tech, Marine Electrical Advisor, outboard service, seacocks and thru-hulls, outboard/sterndrive corrosion; diesel maintenance and troubleshooting
ASA course CE: ME185 Appraisal 101 for marine surveyors, attorneys, underwriters, and adjusters; ME186 Yacht Appraising for the Marine Survey; ME208 Marine Survey. John also holds the Accredited Senior Appraiser, Machinery & Technical Specialties, Marine Surveys – Yachts (ASA) designation with the American Society of Appraisers.
Former Firefighter/Paramedic; United States Marine Corps veteran; lifelong boater and sailor
USCG 100-ton Master License, with Sailing and Towing endorsements
Instructor, Chapman School of Seamanship — Yacht and Small Craft Surveying

ABYC Marine Electrical Advisor
ABYC Advanced Principles of Outboard Service; ABYC Seacocks & Thru-Hull Fittings; ABYC Outboard and Sterndrive Corrosion
Boaters University: Diesel Maintenance & Troubleshooting

Service area

Based in Stuart, we serve Southeastern Florida, including Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Jensen Beach, Stuart, Palm City, Hobe Sound, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami Beach. Corridor context: small craft and yacht surveying.

How to Request a Quote

Use the contact form, or
Call 269-998-6767, or
Email john@veteranyachtservices.com

Helpful details when you reach out: vessel type and LOA, location, a short incident description (grounding, collision, storm, fire, or other), whether an adjuster or carrier is already involved, and any documentation request you were given. Veteran Yacht Services does not promise claim payment outcomes. We document findings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a marine damage / insurance claim survey?

Professional survey work documenting vessel damage in a claim or post-incident context. It is distinct from underwriting insurance surveys and from buyer pre-purchase surveys.

How is it different from an insurance underwriting (C&V) survey?

Underwriting C&V helps the insurer assess reasonable risk for coverage (insurance survey page). Damage and claim work is after a loss. Different product.

Do you guarantee my claim will be paid?

No. We provide documentation. Outcomes are between the owner and the carrier.

Do you review repair quotes?

Yes, as part of the damage documentation. We review repair quotes to see that damaged items are listed, and that items unrelated to the incident have not been added.

How does fire / marine fire investigation training fit damage survey work?

Fire-related incidents are one reason owners and claim stakeholders request a damage survey. John’s IAAI Marine Fire Investigation coursework and related fire CE support careful, accessible-area documentation after those losses. Training context is not a cause-determination guarantee and not a claim-outcome promise.

Is the inspection destructive?

No. Accessible areas only, and no destructive testing as normal scope. We may recommend a qualified marine technician if disassembly is needed.

Where do you survey?

Southeastern Florida, including Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Jensen Beach, Stuart, Palm City, Hobe Sound, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami Beach. Home base: Stuart, FL.

Who does boat damage surveys after a hurricane in Martin County?

We do. Veteran Yacht Services is based in Stuart, FL, and we do boat damage surveys for owners and insurers after hurricanes and storms in Martin and St. Lucie counties, including Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach and Hobe Sound. John P. DeGoede IV does the surveys himself. The survey documents the damage for the owner or the insurance claim and includes a review of the repair quotes. The survey is documentation, not a promise that a claim gets paid. Call 269-998-6767.

What should I do first after my boat is damaged in a storm?

Make sure everyone is safe, then call your insurance carrier or agent and get a claim number. Photograph and video the damage before anything is moved or repaired, keep any damaged parts, and ask your adjuster what you may do to prevent more damage. Then schedule a damage survey. Veteran Yacht Services is based in Stuart, FL and does damage surveys along the Treasure Coast, including Palm City and Hobe Sound.

What should I do after my boat sinks or floods?

Get people clear and safe, call your carrier for a claim number, and photograph the boat before it is moved. Don’t try to start engines or power up electrical systems that were underwater; ask your carrier and a qualified marine technician first. Keep removed parts and receipts, then schedule a damage survey.

Who orders a marine damage survey, the owner or the insurance company?

Either one. Owners call after a loss, and adjusters and insurers send assignments to a local surveyor. The survey steps are the same: intake, access, a non-destructive inspection of accessible areas, a review of repair quotes, and a written report of findings.

How does a claims survey work?

It starts with intake: vessel type and length, location, what happened, and the claim contacts. Then access is confirmed, including who arranges keys, the yard and any haul-out. The surveyor inspects accessible areas without destructive testing, reviews the repair quotes against the documented damage, and writes up the findings.

Do you do damage surveys in Stuart, Palm City and Hobe Sound?

Yes. Veteran Yacht Services is based in Stuart, FL and does damage and claim surveys along the Treasure Coast, including Stuart, Palm City, Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach and Port St. Lucie, and south through Palm Beach County to Miami. Call 269-998-6767.

Wondering what it costs? See what drives marine survey cost, or read what a marine survey inspection covers.

Need a post-incident survey? Request a damage / claim survey quote, call 269-998-6767, or email john@veteranyachtservices.com.

Need documented value for the same boat? See appraisals.