Guide
How a survey affects cover, not just price
Updated
A survey is usually treated as a pricing input and is often a condition of cover. The difference matters after a claim.
Survey age
Insurers commonly require a survey within a set number of years, varying with the vessel's age. Let it lapse and cover can be suspended or restricted, sometimes without an obvious notification.
Diary the expiry as you would an insurance renewal, because in practice it is one.
Recommendations
A survey report distinguishes findings that must be rectified from ones that should be monitored. Insurers frequently make the first category a condition, with a deadline.
Keep the evidence of completion and send it in. A rectified fault with no paperwork is, at claim, an unrectified fault.
Choosing a surveyor
Marine surveyors' associations maintain membership and accreditation, and are a reasonable starting point for finding someone qualified in your vessel type.
Ask specifically about experience with your construction and size. A surveyor excellent on GRP powerboats is not automatically the right person for a steel hull.
Use the report
Beyond insurance, a survey is the best maintenance plan you will get and the strongest document in any later sale.
Owners who work through the recommendations rather than filing the report get both a better boat and an easier renewal.