When a boat is damaged, the argument is rarely about whether there is damage: it is about why it happened, what the repair costs and who pays. The insurer may put it down to wear or poor maintenance. The owner, to a collision or a storm. The gap between the two versions can be the value of the boat.
My job is to read the boat: the type of hull fracture, the state of the engine and drive, grounding or scraping marks, the electronics' logs and the maintenance records. And to turn all of that into a report that can be defended.
Cases I take
- Collision damage, grounding, storm damage in port or at sea and fire.
- Engine and drive failures: cause, whether it was an accidental failure or poor maintenance and who is liable.
- Disputes with the insurer over the assessment of damage and the contradictory appraisal procedure.
- Detecting insurance fraud: damage that predates or is unrelated to the declared incident.
- Hidden defects in second-hand boat purchases and construction defects.
- Valuation for sales, inheritance, divorce or total loss.
What I need from you
- Navigation permit or registration certificate and the certificate of seaworthiness.
- Insurance policy, incident report and correspondence with the insurer.
- Invoices for maintenance, winter storage, haul-outs and previous repairs.
- Photos of the damage and, if available, GPS, sounder or chartplotter data from that day.
- Reports from the port or yacht club and, in collisions, details of the other boat.
- Access to the boat, ideally out of the water, for inspection.
What the law says
- Maritime Navigation Act 14/2014: collision (art. 339), salvage (art. 357) and marine insurance (art. 406). Compulsory insurance for recreational boats is governed by the Insurance Contract Act.
- Insurance Contract Act 50/1980, art. 38: contradictory appraisal where there is no agreement with the insurer.
- Royal Decree 607/1999: compulsory third-party insurance for motor-driven recreational craft (jet skis included) and for unpowered craft over six metres long (art. 2).
- Royal Decree 1434/1999 on surveys and inspections and Royal Decree 339/2021 on safety equipment: what the boat had to carry and have checked.
- Royal Decree 98/2016: safety and construction requirements for boats and jet skis. Arts. 1484 and 1490 of the Civil Code: hidden defects in a sale.
What you get
Report produced with the Perito Tacho Method (MPT®): ten phases common to every speciality, with the defensibility index and the stress test.
- The technical cause of the damage or failure, with photos and readings.
- Whether the damage matches the declared incident, point by point.
- Repair assessment: materials, labour, haul-out and time.
- The boat's value before and after the incident, with comparables and their source.
- Every conclusion tied to its evidence, in a report compliant with UNE 197001.
- Ratification and defence of the report in the courtroom.
Qualification: Court Expert in Recreational Boat Valuation and Damage Assessment (300 h) awarded by ASPEJURE, passed with distinction in October 2026. The certificate will be shown here shortly.
Speciality listed on the rolls of court experts throughout Spain.
Frequently asked questions
The insurer says the engine failure is due to poor maintenance. How do I prove otherwise?
With the engine and with the paperwork. The type of failure says a lot: a part that breaks from fatigue or a defect does not leave the same marks as one that fails for lack of oil or cooling. If the maintenance invoices are also up to date, the insurer's version loses weight. My report puts both together.
Does the boat have to come out of the water to be inspected?
To see the hull below the waterline, the drive or the propeller, almost always yes. If the damage is on deck, inside or in the electronics, the boat can often stay afloat. I tell you what is needed before the visit so you do not pay for an unnecessary haul-out.
What if I disagree with the insurer's expert valuation?
You can appoint your own expert, as art. 38 of the Insurance Contract Act provides. If the two experts cannot agree, a third is appointed. My report serves that step and the trial if it comes to that.
Tell me about your case
Free first consultation and a fixed written quote. I reply within 24-48 working hours.
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