Whether you are insuring a recreational or a commercial vessel, you will be required to provide an insurance survey. The purpose of the survey report is to help the insurer understand the exact condition of your boat in order to give a fair policy. The question almost every boat owner asks is this: how long does a boat survey last for insurance in Palm Beach? There is no definitive answer to this question because there are several factors that impact the duration.
Type, size, and complexity of the vessel
It is obvious that larger and more complex vessels typically require more time to survey. This is because they have more areas and systems to inspect. Different types of vessels also have unique features and systems that may require specialized knowledge and equipment for inspection. For the purposes of insurance, your insurance provider will provide a much longer list of items that have to be inspected in a marine survey when you own a complex vessel. As you may have guessed, the best person to answer the question of how long does a boat survey last for insurance is your marine surveyor. Based on the list provided by your insurer, a surveyor will be able to estimate how long the survey will last.
Accessibility
The insurer will provide a list of items that will have to be inspected. The point you need to understand is that some parts of the vessel may be difficult to access such as the bilge or certain compartments. In this case, the surveyor may need to use specialized equipment or remove parts of the vessel to access these areas. This added work may cause the survey to take longer.
Condition of the vessel
The overall condition of the vessel can affect the length of the survey. For example, if a vessel is well-maintained and has no major issues, the survey may be shorter. However, if there are significant defects or issues to address, the survey may take longer. Insurance brokers will provide a longer list of areas to be inspected when your vessel is poorly maintained or in bad condition.
Experience and qualifications of the surveyor
Last but not least, the experience and qualifications of the surveyor will determine how long a boat survey for insurance lass. The more experienced surveyors will be able to complete the survey faster. This is because they have more experience surveying vessels that are similar to yours. The less experienced surveyors, on the other hand, may end up taking longer to complete the inspection because they will have to spend more time doing research and at times relying on trial and error.