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Typical Areas Included in a Damage Survey and Outputs

  Below is a comprehensive Checklist for this type of survey. The  extent of what is included in a survey will vary based on the  circumstances and  vessel which is the subject of the survey.  

  • Incident description (owner’s statement, witness accounts, log entries)
  • Location, access, lifting/haul-out requirements
  • Environmental conditions during incident (wind, tide, grounding chart datum, collision speed, etc.)
  • Photographic documentation (overall, mid-range, close-ups, serial numbers)
  • Verification of vessel identity (HIN/CIN, builder’s plate, engine serials)


 For Sailing & Motor Yachts

  • FRP/Composite hull: delamination, core shear, water ingress, osmotic blistering, laminate buckling
  • Aluminium hull: deformation, denting, plate buckling, cracking (HAZ areas), weld discontinuities, galvanic attack
  • Steel hull: plating deformation, denting, wrinkling, coating failures, corrosion, weld condition
  • Timber hull: plank separation, fastener corrosion, frame distortion, rot
  • Keel/hull interface (grounding compression, matrix failure)
  • Keel bolts, backing plates, keel stub integrity
  • Internal structural members (floors, bulkheads, frames, longitudinal stiffeners)
  • Longitudinal alignment after collision or grounding (sightlines, bonding failure)
  • Transom structure (especially after stern impact or heavy weather slamming)


  • Deck core integrity (impact, compression, water intrusion)
  • Coachroof, cockpit, coamings—cracks, distortion
  • Windows/portlights (frame separation, glass crazing, seal failure)
  • Pulpit, stanchions, guardrails—damage from lateral loads
  • Chainplates and anchorage reinforcement areas
  • Mast step area and deck reinforcement block (for sailing yachts)


  Sailing Yachts

  • Keel (fin, bulb, stub) deformation, cracks, grounding scars
  • Rudder stock, blade condition, delamination, water ingress
  • Prop shaft alignment, stern tube, P-bracket/bearings
  • Sail-drive leg condition (impact marks, seal leakage)

Motor Yachts

  • Propellers (blade bends, tip cavitation damage, impact marks)
  • Shafts (run-out, coupling condition)
  • Struts/P-brackets, shaft bearings
  • Rudders, quadrants, linkages
  • Trim tabs, stabilizer fins (hydraulic ram damage, hinge plates)


  • Structural bulkheads (tabbing, adhesive bonding separation)
  • Interior joinery distortion indicating hull movement
  • Sole boards, stringers, bilge compartments
  • Tank supports, partitions, mounting brackets
  • Water ingress paths and contamination of materials (foam cores, insulation)


Engines / Gearboxes

  • Engine alignment post-impact
  • Engine mounts (shear, compression, detachment)
  • Turbocharger, intercooler, seawater pump, exhaust system
  • Oil, coolant, and exhaust leaks attributable to shock loading
  • Vibration assessment after shaft or prop impact

Drive Systems

  • Propeller strike assessment
  • Gearbox casing cracks, flange deformation
  • Stern gear alignment, flexible couplings
  • Saildrive/sterndrive bellows, seals, and housings (possible water intrusion)

Auxiliary Machinery

  • Generator mounts & casings
  • Hydraulic systems (pipes, manifolds, rams, stabilizers)


  • Distribution panels, breakers, fuses (short-circuit from flooding or impact)
  • Battery banks (movement, thermal damage, electrolyte leakage)
  • Wiring harness damage, chafe, arcing
  • Navigation electronics, radar, AIS, autopilot, depth sounder transducers
  • Lightning-strike evaluation (full continuity and equipment test)


  • Tiller/quadrant integrity
  • Cables, rods, hydraulic rams
  • Emergency steering arrangements
  • Autopilot drive units and mounts
  • Feedback sensors alignment


  • Mast (compression buckling, cracks, corrosion pitting, electrical burn marks)
  • Boom/gooseneck, vang, spreaders
  • Standing rigging (wire deformation, terminal damage, toggles, chainplates)
  • Running rigging (blocks, clutches, winch bases)
  • Sail condition if incident involved dismasting or high-load event


  • Fuel tanks (deformation, weld seams, baffles, leaks)
  • Fuel lines, filters, water separators (impact or contamination)
  • Freshwater system damage (tanks, pumps, pipework)
  • Black/grey water tanks and hoses (rupture, contamination from flooding)


  • Cylinder locker integrity
  • Regulators, hoses, solenoids (mechanical damage or flooding)
  • Pressure testing after collision or fire incident


  • Burn patterns, smoke contamination
  • FRP rresin heat degradation
  • Aluminium strength loss due to heat
  • Electrical insulation loss
  • Cabin soft furnishings contamination
  • Air-quality/safety determination before re-entry


  • Source tracing (through-hull failure, shaft seal failure, breach)
  • Condition of watertight bulkheads & compartments
  • Impact on stability, reserve buoyancy, free surface effects
  • Testing of all seacocks and through-hulls
  • Bilge pump operational testing


  • Condition/functionality after incident
  • Liferafts, EPIRBs, firefighting equipment, alarms
  • Handrails, guardrails, padeyes and jacklines


  • Moisture meter (FRP hull)
  • Percussion sounding
  • Thermal imaging / infrared scanning
  • Ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTM) for metal hulls
  • Run-out measurement (shafts)
  • Bore-scope internal cavity inspection
  • Electrical continuity/insulation resistance testing


  • Extent of damage
  • Direct structural and secondary consequential damage
  • Required repairs, methods, materials, and specifications
  • Recommendations aligned with ISO, ABYC, manufacturer data, and good practice
  • Assessment of seaworthiness post-incident
  • Estimated cost of repair (if requested by insurer)
  • Statements for insurer on cause, extent, and probable sequence of events


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