Wherever you are in Florida, we come to you. A licensed Homeland public adjuster comes to your property within hours — no need to visit an office. Serving Florida property owners since 2006, in English and Spanish. New Jersey: statewide.
Boat & Yacht Insurance Claims: Storm, Sinking, Fire and Theft
Hull policies are not homeowners policies. Agreed value, hurricane plans, warranties and choice-of-law clauses decide marine claims, and the insurer’s surveyor is the first to put a number on the boat. Homeland puts your side of the claim together, with an independent marine surveyor from our network.
If you need help with a boat or yacht insurance claim in Florida or New Jersey, Homeland Public Adjusters handles exactly this kind of claim. Homeland is a licensed public adjusting firm (Florida W818638; New Jersey 3003982360) with 20 years in the industry (since 2006) and a network of experts in Florida and New Jersey ready to take on any loss. In Florida we come to you within hours, wherever you are. Call (305) 783-3777 (Florida) or (732) 517-3777 (New Jersey), 24/7, English or Spanish.
Reviewed by Yeni Martinez, Licensed Public Adjuster, Florida (License P103370) and New Jersey (License 3003714097) · Homeland Public Adjusters · Last reviewed: November 2026
What a Boat or Yacht Policy Covers
A boat insurance claim usually runs on a hull and machinery policy written on an agreed value or an actual cash value basis, often with salvage and wreck removal, emergency towing, personal effects and a hurricane haul-out benefit. There is no single standard yacht form: carriers use their own wording, so the claim starts with your declarations and every endorsement.
| Term | What it means | Where claims go wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Agreed value | The insurer pays the agreed amount on a total loss, less the deductible | Policies that say “stated value” may pay the lesser of that amount or actual cash value |
| Named-storm deductible | Often a percentage of the hull value for named-storm losses | Applied to losses that were not caused by the named storm |
| Hurricane plan | Where and how the boat will be secured, often signed with the application | Denials when the boat was not where the plan said |
| Navigation limits and warranties | Where the boat may go, and promises such as a licensed captain aboard | A breach used to deny an unrelated loss |
| Salvage and wreck removal | Raising, towing and removing a sunken or stranded boat, often with a separate limit | Charges that exceed the sublimit; storage fees that pile up |
| Wear and tear, latent defects | Usually excluded; sudden accidental damage is covered | “Sank at the dock” claims blamed on maintenance |
Florida Law on Marine Claims: Why the Policy’s Fine Print Matters More
Florida classifies insurance on vessels and hulls as wet marine insurance (Fla. Stat. §624.607), and most of the insurance-contract protections in Part II of chapter 627 do not apply to it, except two (Fla. Stat. §627.401(3)). One of those two helps owners: a breach of a warranty or condition in a wet marine policy does not void the policy or defeat a loss unless the breach increased the hazard by means within the insured’s control (Fla. Stat. §627.409(2)).
- Choice-of-law clauses: the U.S. Supreme Court held in Great Lakes Insurance SE v. Raiders Retreat Realty (2024) that choice-of-law clauses in maritime contracts are presumptively enforceable, so a policy that picks another state’s law can change the rules for a Florida boat.
- Captain warranties: in Travelers v. Ocean Reef Charters (11th Cir. 2021), a yacht lost in Hurricane Irma, the court applied Florida’s increased-hazard rule to a captain warranty.
- Hurricane plans: in Great Lakes v. Gray Group (5th Cir. 2023), a hurricane plan in the owner’s questionnaire was treated as part of the policy, and the denial stood.
- Utmost good faith: marine insurance requires full disclosure on the application (HIH Marine Services v. Fraser, 11th Cir. 2000). If the insurer questions your application, talk to a maritime attorney before anything else.
Boat Storm Checklist: The First 72 Hours (Printable)
- Photos and video of the boat where it ended up, before anyone moves it
- Stop further damage: dewater, cover, secure; keep every receipt
- Salvor and towing agreements: read before signing, and photograph the paperwork
- Hull ID number, registration or documentation, and the lienholder’s contact
- The hurricane plan you filed and what was actually done
- Marina or storage contract (who had to move or secure the boat)
- Maintenance records and the most recent survey
- Electronics, engines and personal effects list
- Every message from the insurer and its surveyor
How Homeland Works a Boat Claim
- Read the policy first. Valuation basis, deductibles, salvage and wreck-removal limits, warranties, navigation limits and the choice-of-law clause.
- Bring an independent surveyor. A marine surveyor from our network attends the insurer’s survey. Surveyors carry trade credentials rather than a government license (The Log), so experience matters.
- Repair or total loss. A yard estimate compared with the agreed value, salvage and the buy-back offer, before anyone accepts a number.
- Present and negotiate. The proof of loss, the survey and the repair estimate go in together; if the policy has an appraisal clause, it is an option for the amount.
Boat Insurance Claim Denied? Maritime Lawyer or Public Adjuster: Who to Call First
Before you hire a boat insurance claim lawyer, read the denial for its reason. Valuation, scope, salvage and “wear and tear” disputes are documentation work; warranty, application and choice-of-law disputes are legal questions.
- Value, repair scope, salvage, wear and tear: call Homeland first.
- Warranty, misrepresentation or choice-of-law denials: a maritime attorney, and we work alongside them on the claim file.
- Injuries, or damage your boat did to others: those are liability claims; a public adjuster does not handle them.
If it becomes a legal fight, we work alongside your attorney: the documentation, scope and estimate we build carry straight into the case. How Homeland supports law firms. For a side-by-side, see property damage lawyer or public adjuster: who to call.
Start a Boat or Yacht Claim
A licensed Homeland public adjuster reviews the policy and the damage and calls you back, in English or Spanish.
Damage happening right now? Call (305) 783-3777 · New Jersey (732) 517-3777, 24/7.
Boat and Yacht Claim Questions
Is my boat covered by my homeowners policy?
Only in a limited way: homeowners forms usually cap watercraft at a small amount and limit the perils. A boat of any real value needs its own boat or yacht policy.
Who pays if the marina’s dock failed and my boat sank?
Your own hull policy pays your claim under its terms. Whether the marina is responsible is a separate liability question against the marina’s insurer; your insurer may pursue it after paying you.
Do I need a marine surveyor or a public adjuster?
Often both, and they do different jobs: the surveyor documents the damage and value; the public adjuster reads the policy, assembles the claim and negotiates it. Homeland brings the surveyor from our network.
Can a public adjuster handle a yacht claim in Florida and New Jersey?
Yes. Florida’s public adjuster definition covers claims for loss or damage covered by an insurance contract, and New Jersey’s rules expressly include ocean and inland marine policies (N.J.A.C. 11:1-37.2).
The insurer says I misstated something on the application.
Talk to a maritime attorney first. Marine insurance applies a strict duty of disclosure, and that is a legal question.
My boat was stolen. What do I need?
A police report the same day, the hull ID, title or documentation, photos, and the trailer and engine serial numbers. Florida led the nation in watercraft thefts in 2022, with 891 (NICB, via Carrier Management).
¿Y si el bote estaba en un tráiler en la casa?
Then both policies may matter: the boat policy for the boat and trailer, and possibly the homeowners policy for damage the boat caused to the house. Send us both declarations pages.
What Property Owners Are Asking in the Forum
Threads answered by a licensed public adjuster. Reply with your own experience, or post a question of your own.
Am I covered for this?
Nelson Avila, PA: It depends on your policy's wording: what perils it covers, what it excludes, your deductibles and any sublimits or endorsements.
Reply ›Insurers & PoliciesHow do I file a claim, and can my premium go up?
Nelson Avila, PA: Start by calling a licensed public adjuster before you file, so the claim is documented, valued and presented right from day one.
Reply ›Claims & SettlementsDo I need a public adjuster or a lawyer?
Nelson Avila, PA: It depends on where your claim is. A licensed public adjuster works for you to document, value and negotiate the claim with your insurer.
Reply ›Related Pages
Sources
- Fla. Stat. §624.607: marine insurance defined
- Fla. Stat. §627.401: scope of Part II
- Fla. Stat. §627.409: warranties and the increased-hazard rule
- U.S. Supreme Court docket 22-500: Great Lakes Ins. SE v. Raiders Retreat Realty (decided Feb. 21, 2024)
- 11th Cir.: Travelers v. Ocean Reef Charters (2021)
- N.J.A.C. 11:1-37.2: New Jersey public adjuster definitions
THIS IS A SOLICITATION FOR BUSINESS. IF YOU HAVE HAD A CLAIM FOR AN INSURED PROPERTY LOSS OR DAMAGE AND YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH THE PAYMENT BY YOUR INSURER, YOU MAY DISREGARD THIS ADVERTISEMENT.
Who This Is For
Homeland handles this kind of claim for:
Verify Homeland
Check us before you hire anyone. Every license below links to its public record on the Florida Department of Financial Services licensee search.
- Serves all of Florida: Yes — every city and county. A licensed Homeland public adjuster comes to your property — no need to visit an office. Call (305) 783-3777, 24/7.
- Homeland Public Adjusters Corporation: Florida public adjusting firm license W818638 · New Jersey public adjuster firm license 3003982360
- Yeni Martinez, President: Florida public adjuster license P103370 (licensed since 2007) · New Jersey 3003714097 · designated primary adjuster
- Alberto Enriquez: Senior licensed public adjuster, Florida P112658
- Yisel Dieguez: Licensed public adjuster and Xactimate estimator, Florida W873884 · New Jersey 3003714335
- Nelson Avila: Florida adjuster license G332385 · Florida Certified Contractor CRC1331322 · property insurance appraiser and umpire
- Complaints and reputation: 5.0★ on Google · BBB A+ rating
- Since 2006: Homeland Public Adjusters, Corp. was incorporated in Florida on December 11, 2006. Our President, Yeni Martinez, has held Florida public adjuster license P103370 since 2007. When Florida began requiring adjusting firms to hold their own firm license (a 2021 law, Senate Bill 1598; DFS began licensing adjusting firms in November 2021), Homeland was issued firm license W818638 on January 11, 2022. Each adjuster’s appointment with Homeland appears on that adjuster’s own DFS record.
- English and Spanish. Office: 8004 NW 154th Street, Suite 609, Miami Lakes, FL 33016 (visits by appointment). Florida (305) 783-3777 · New Jersey (732) 517-3777, 24/7.