Boat grounding or impact: first steps, surveyor and insurance

After an accidental grounding or impact, protect people first and assess whether there is an emergency. Insurance notification, photographs and repair estimates come afterwards. Refloating does not establish that the boat is safe to continue its voyage.

This guide addresses accidental contact with the seabed, an object, a quay or another vessel. It does not concern a planned haul-out or provide instructions for refloating a boat yourself. Its primary focus is leisure boating in Spain.

If the incident is happening now

If people or the vessel are in danger, request help without waiting for insurer approval. In Spain, contact Salvamento Marítimo on VHF channel 16; 112 and 900 202 202 are also available. Give your position, vessel identification, people on board and nature of the danger. Follow the service's distress-call guidance.

Your broker and surveyor do not replace the emergency services. Do not delay calling to take photographs or put someone at risk by sending them into the water to inspect the hull. Outside Spain, use the relevant local rescue arrangements.

First actions after a grounding or collision

Separate safety, technical assessment and claim documentation. The actual response depends on the boat's condition and professional instructions.

Priority	What to organise	What to avoid
People	Check their condition, use lifejackets and seek help when in danger	Putting inspection or photographs ahead of safety
Vessel	Observe water ingress, list, smoke and other changes from a safe place	Assuming a light impact cannot cause hidden damage
Assistance	Explain position and condition; follow the instructions received	Forcing refloating manoeuvres or improvising a tow
Insurance	Notify with available information and provide updates	Waiting for the final repair estimate to report the incident
Evidence	Preserve records and document when safe	Deleting data or discarding parts without a record

There is no universal instruction to start, stop or reverse the engine that fits every situation. Propulsion, cooling and stability may be affected. Obtain advice appropriate to the circumstances rather than trying to resume the voyage at any cost.

Grounding or impact can cause water ingress, as Salvamento Marítimo warns. Limit any intervention to what you can do safely and competently. No visible water at first is not a structural assessment.

What to tell your boat insurer

Notify the insurer promptly through the claims channels specified in your policy and inform your broker. Request acknowledgement and a claim reference. You do not need the total cost or a definitive explanation of the cause before reporting the facts.

As far as available, provide:

• Vessel name, registration, identification and policy number.

• Date, time, position and a short account of the incident.

• People affected, visible damage and the boat's current condition.

• Authority involvement, assistance received and intended destination.

• Details of other boats, property, witnesses and potential claimants.

• Emergency measures taken and a contact who can arrange access.

For guidance with the claim, see Nautilux's marine claims service. This is not a rescue channel and does not replace the notification required under your policy.

Where applicable, Spain's Maritime Navigation Act addresses notification and loss mitigation in Articles 426 and 427. Check your contract and applicable regime; do not use a statutory deadline as a reason to postpone a notification you can make sooner.

Towage, refloating and repairs are different decisions

Requesting assistance does not mean every expense is insured. Assistance, towage and salvage can raise different contractual issues; the RYA explains the distinction between salvage and towage.

Without delaying emergency help, coordinate with the insurer as circumstances allow. Where there is time, identify the provider, request the service terms and retain instructions, reports and invoices. Do not assume every service is free or automatically reimbursed by the policy.

For non-urgent work, agree inspection, dismantling, estimates and authorisation in writing before work begins. Reasonable action to prevent further loss is different from permanent repairs or improvements. Record why urgent measures were necessary when it is safe to do so.

When does the marine surveyor attend after a grounding?

There is no universal attendance time. The insurer arranges inspection according to severity, location, availability, access and technical needs. Ask who is coordinating the surveyor and what may be done before attendance, especially before cleaning, dismantling or moving damaged components.

The surveyor may examine damage, possible causes and repair scope within the appointment. Attendance alone is not acceptance of cover, approval of the entire estimate or permission to sail. The repairer undertakes repairs; insurance cover and technical safety require their respective assessments.

The MAIB's safety lessons on grounding damage emphasise professional examination of components such as keel and rudder. A haul-out and specialist checks may be needed, rather than simply looking from the deck.

Our used boat survey and valuation guide explains the different purposes and limits of inspections. An earlier pre-purchase survey does not replace an assessment of damage from the current incident.

Which cover needs checking?

Item	What to check in the policy
Damage to your own boat	Insured risks, cause, deductible, value and exclusions
Damage to another boat or a quay	Liability, limits and applicable conditions
Assistance, towage or salvage	The cover purchased, scope, conditions and specific limits
Inspection, lifting and repairs	Necessity, coordination and treatment of each expense

Spain's compulsory pleasure craft liability insurance is not insurance for damage to your own boat. Nor does the label “all risks” remove deductibles, exclusions, usage restrictions or navigation limits.

Before an incident, check whether your boat insurance clearly distinguishes own damage, liability and assistance. After a loss, the response depends on the facts and contract, not simply the product's marketing name.

Records worth retaining

When safe, retain overview and detail photographs, original plotter records and communications. Record what you observed and what you could not check; do not fill gaps with assumptions.

Keep itemised estimates, invoices, reports, assistance records and removed components where safe and practical. If disposal is necessary for safety or required by an authority, document why. Provide the facts to authorities and your insurer; avoid agreeing compensation or signing waivers without advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I continue sailing once the boat is afloat again?

Do not assume it is safe. Obtain professional assessment before resuming the voyage, as damage may be hidden. If danger remains, follow the emergency services' instructions.

Must I wait for the surveyor before preventing more water entering?

Do not delay help or urgent, safe measures while waiting for a visit. Report what happened and record your actions where possible.

Will insurance pay all towing expenses?

This requires examination of the policy, circumstances and service provided. Assistance, salvage and repairs are not interchangeable categories.

Does the yard's acceptance of an estimate confirm insurance cover?

No. Instructing the yard and obtaining the insurer's agreement are different matters. Confirm the agreed scope in writing before non-urgent repairs.

Prepare the insurance before going afloat again

Keep emergency and insurance contacts on board, accessible offline as well. Once the incident is resolved, request a review of your boat insurance and its cover against your intended use and cruising area. A new policy does not retrospectively insure damage that has already occurred.

Documentary review: 26 September 2026. General information, not rescue instructions or individual legal advice. Emergency response rests with the skipper and competent services; cover depends on the facts, applicable regime and policy.