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Salvage and wreck removal

Boat insurance term, area: Hull

Salvage means lifting or pulling free a boat that has sunk, gone aground or lost all steerage. Wreck removal means taking away and disposing of whatever is left afterwards. Both can cost more than the boat was worth: a crane, a dive team and a pontoon in a crowded basin add up fast, and a port authority can order the berth cleared without asking the owner first. Hull policies treat that bill in very different ways, and the difference only becomes visible once the invoice arrives.

What to check: Two questions for your own policy. Is salvage, wreck removal and disposal insured on top of the sum insured, or does the same amount have to pay for both the boat and the clean-up? And does the cover apply only once an authority orders the removal, or also when the owner arranges it?

Related topics

• Salvage and wreck removal costs
• Does salvage need an official order to be paid?

More terms