Storm Recovery Center
For sailboat owners along the East Coast, the Gulf and the Caribbean whose boats were damaged, driven aground or sunk by a hurricane, tropical storm or unnamed storm. We’re sorry you’re dealing with this. Here’s what to do, in order, with checklists you can tick off as you go, the phone numbers you’ll need, and help from fellow sailors.
Start here: the first 48 hours Who to call
⏱️ First 48 hoursSafety, photos, insurer, securing the boat
☎️ Who to callCoast Guard, spills, towing, FEMA, SBA
⚓ My boat sankYour legal duties, raising it, what’s next
🏝️ My boat is agroundOn a beach, in the mangroves, on a road
🔧 Hull & rig damageHoles, keel, rudder, mast and rigging
⚡ Engine & electrics got wetAct within hours to save the engine
📋 Insurance claimDocumenting, adjusters, total loss
🚢 Salvage contractsRead this before you sign anything
💵 Uninsured? Money helpFEMA, SBA, taxes, removal programs
⚠️ Scams to avoidFake salvors, lowball buyers, upfront fees
🗂️ My claim trackerKeep names, numbers and dates in one place
🤝 Get help hereSurveyors, repair pros, volunteers
⏱️ The first 48 hours
Do these in order. Your progress is saved on this device, so you can come back to it.
First 48 hours
- Make sure everyone is safe and accounted for. Don’t go aboard if the boat is unstable, partly sunk, or near downed lines.
- If fuel or oil is leaking, call the National Response Center (1-800-424-8802) and tell your marina or the harbormaster.
- If your boat sank or is drifting in a channel or fairway, tell the Coast Guard (VHF 16, or the local sector’s phone number). See My boat sank.
- Take photos and video before anything is moved: the whole boat from every side, the waterline, damage up close, the HIN on the transom, the surroundings, and any other boats or docks involved.
- Call your insurance company and open a claim. Write down the claim number and your adjuster’s name (use the claim tracker).
- Ask your insurer before you hire salvage or sign any contract. Why this matters.
- Prevent further damage you safely can: pump out water, cover broken hatches and ports with tarps, close seacocks, take down torn sails and canvas. Insurers expect “reasonable steps” and usually pay for them. Keep every receipt.
- If the engine or electrics were underwater, the clock is running. See Engine & electrics got wet.
- Remove valuables and loose gear you can safely carry (electronics, outboard, dinghy, papers, sails) and store them somewhere secure. Looting is common after storms.
- Turn off the battery switches, and unplug shore power at the pedestal if it’s safe to reach.
- Find your paperwork: registration or USCG documentation, insurance policy, purchase records, equipment receipts, and your maintenance records or Boat Log Book.
- Tell your marina or mooring field. Ask what they need from you and about deadlines to move the boat.
☎️ Who to call
| Who | Contact | When |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 911 VHF channel 16 | Anyone hurt, missing or in danger. VHF 16 reaches the Coast Guard on the water. |
| National Response Center (U.S. Coast Guard) | 1-800-424-8802 nrc.uscg.mil | Fuel, oil or chemical sheen on the water from any boat, including yours. Staffed 24 hours. If it’s your boat leaking, you’re required to report it. |
| U.S. Coast Guard sector | Your local sector’s phone number, or VHF 16 | Your boat sank or is drifting in or near a channel or fairway, or is a hazard to navigation. In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that’s Sector San Juan. |
| Your insurance company | The claims number on your policy | As soon as you can, before hiring salvage or making repairs. BoatUS-insured members: BoatUS Claims 800-937-1937. |
| BoatUS / TowBoatUS dispatch | 800-391-4869 | 24-hour dispatch for towing and soft ungroundings. |
| Sea Tow | 800-473-2869 (800-4-SEATOW) | Towing, ungrounding and salvage in Sea Tow areas. |
| FEMA | 1-800-621-3362 DisasterAssistance.gov | In federally declared disaster areas, especially if you live aboard and the boat is your primary residence. See money help. |
| U.S. Small Business Administration | 800-659-2955 | Low-interest disaster loans. Usually not for pleasure boats, but possible for live-aboards, working boats, or a boat that’s your only way to reach your home. |
| Your state wildlife or natural resources agency | e.g. Florida FWC, Puerto Rico DRNA, USVI DPNR | Derelict and abandoned vessel rules, removal deadlines, and turn-in programs where they exist. |
| Local help line | 211 | Shelter, food, local recovery programs and volunteer groups in most of the U.S. |
Numbers were checked in October 2026. Outside the U.S. (Bahamas, BVI and other islands), contact that country’s maritime authority and your insurer. Your insurer’s catastrophe team often knows the local salvors and rules.
⚓ My boat sank
A sunk boat is still yours, and so is the responsibility for it. Under federal law (33 U.S.C. § 409), the owner of a boat sunk in a navigable channel must mark it with a buoy or beacon by day and a light at night, report it to the local Coast Guard district, and start removing it promptly. A boat that isn’t removed can be treated as abandoned. Many states also fine owners of derelict boats and can bill you for removal.
Sunk boat checklist
- Report any fuel or oil sheen to the National Response Center (1-800-424-8802).
- If it’s in or near a channel, tell the Coast Guard and ask what marking they need. Your salvor or insurer can often arrange the buoy and light.
- Note the exact position (GPS coordinates), water depth, and how the boat is lying. Photograph whatever shows above water.
- Open a claim with your insurer and ask how they want the raise handled. Most policies cover wreck removal, sometimes with a separate limit.
- Get the salvage terms in writing before work starts (see salvage contracts).
- Once it’s raised: the engine needs attention within hours (see engine & electrics).
- Pump and rinse everything with fresh water, especially after salt water. Remove cushions, mattresses, carpet and wet insulation; they won’t recover and they grow mold.
- Get a marine survey to decide between repairing it and declaring a total loss (see insurance).
- If the boat is a total loss and uninsured, ask your state agency about removal help or a vessel turn-in program before it’s declared derelict.
🏝️ My boat is aground
Storm surge leaves boats on beaches, in the mangroves, on seawalls, in yards and on roads. The way it comes off decides how much more damage it takes, so slow down here.
Grounded boat checklist
- Don’t try to drag or power it off. That often tears the keel, rudder or hull far worse than the grounding did.
- Check for holes and cracks before any refloat. A hull that’s holed below the waterline can sink as soon as it floats.
- Photograph how it’s lying and what it’s resting on, before anyone moves it.
- Remove fuel, batteries and heavy gear if it’s safe. A lighter boat is easier to move and less of a pollution risk.
- On someone else’s land, contact the owner. You’ll need their permission for cranes or trucks, and the access route matters.
- In seagrass, mangroves, coral or a protected area (e.g. a marine sanctuary or state park), use a professional salvor. Dragging a boat across seagrass or coral can bring large fines and restoration bills.
- Tell your insurer and agree the method and price before work starts: crane, airbags, dredging or waiting for a high tide.
- After it’s off: inspect the keel-to-hull joint and keel bolts, the rudder and rudder stock, and the bottom (see hull & rig damage).
🔧 Hull, keel, rudder & rig damage
Hull & deck
- Stop water getting in first: temporary patches, plugs, tarps, or hauling out. Keep the bilge pumps running.
- Look for cracks around stanchion bases, chainplates, cleats and the hull-to-deck joint. Dock and piling impacts often crack them.
- Blisters, delamination or soft spots? A surveyor’s moisture meter and tap test will find wet core you can’t see.
- More: Hull repair · find a surveyor
Keel & rudder
- After any grounding, check the keel-to-hull joint for a gap or “smile” and look inside at the keel bolts and floors for cracks or weeping.
- Check that the rudder turns freely, the stock isn’t bent, and the bearings and skeg aren’t damaged.
- Don’t sail a boat that hit hard until the keel has been checked out of the water.
- More: Keel & keel bolts
Mast & rigging
- A storm can shock-load the rig even if the mast is still up. Check for kinked or broken strands, bent turnbuckles, cracked swage fittings, and chainplates pulled or leaking.
- If the boat was knocked down or lost its mast, have the whole rig inspected before you trust it again.
- Downed rig in the water: cut it free only if it’s holing the hull and only when safe. Otherwise secure it; it’s often salvageable.
- More: Rigging
Sails, canvas & interior
- Take down shredded sails and canvas before the next blow finishes them off. Rinse, dry and store anything worth saving.
- Dry the interior fast. Fans, dehumidifiers and open hatches (in dry weather) keep mold from taking hold within days.
- Photograph damaged gear before you throw it away; the insurer will want to see it.
⚡ Engine & electrics got wet
Hours matter. An engine that sat in water, especially salt water, corrodes fast once it’s exposed to air. A diesel or outboard that’s “pickled” within a day or so can often be saved; one left for a week usually can’t. Don’t try to start it: water in the cylinders can bend a connecting rod.
Flooded engine & electrics checklist
- Ask your insurer to authorize an emergency engine pickle. It’s cheaper than an engine, and they know it.
- Get a mechanic to flush it with fresh water, drain the oil, transmission fluid and fuel, and refill (often several oil changes) to push the water out.
- If no mechanic can come in time: remove the injectors or spark plugs, turn the engine by hand to push water out, and fill the cylinders with diesel, kerosene or fogging oil (your manual or mechanic can confirm what to use).
- Outboards: rinse with fresh water, drain the carburetor or fuel system, pull the plugs and spray fogging oil into the cylinders.
- Disconnect the batteries. Flooded batteries, chargers and inverters are a fire risk; don’t reconnect them until they’ve been checked.
- Rinse electronics and wiring connectors with fresh water and dry them. Expect submerged instruments, chargers and panels to need replacing; photograph them for the claim.
- Have shore-power wiring, the inlet, and the galvanic isolator or isolation transformer checked before plugging back in.
- More: Engine maintenance · Electrical
📋 Your insurance claim
Insurance claim checklist
- Report the claim as soon as you can, and note the claim number and adjuster’s contact details.
- Read your policy’s hurricane or named-storm section: deductibles (often a percentage of the insured value), any hurricane plan you agreed to, and the salvage and wreck-removal limits.
- Send photos and video, the boat’s documentation, and receipts for equipment and upgrades.
- Keep receipts for everything you spend protecting the boat after the storm (pumps, tarps, haul-out, the engine pickle).
- Make a list of damaged and missing equipment with rough values. Your Boat Log Book or old photos help.
- Be at the survey if you can, and ask for a copy of the surveyor’s report.
- Ask whether your policy is agreed value (pays the stated amount if it’s a total loss) or actual cash value (pays the boat’s depreciated market value).
- Get repair estimates in writing. You can usually choose your own yard; ask your adjuster first.
- Total loss? Ask whether you can buy the boat back (keep the salvage) and what that does to your payout.
- Put every phone call and promise in writing: an email that says “as we discussed today…” creates a record.
If you disagree with the adjuster: ask for the reason in writing, get your own independent survey and repair quotes, and use the policy’s appraisal process. If that fails, your state’s department of insurance takes complaints. See also our sailboat insurance guide.
🚢 Salvage contracts: read before you sign
After a big storm, salvors are busy and owners are desperate. Most salvors are honest professionals, but the contract you sign decides what you’ll owe, and some forms let the salvor claim a share of your boat’s value.
- Call your insurer first. BoatUS and other insurers warn that signing a salvage or wreck-removal contract without the insurer’s OK can put your coverage at risk.
- Fixed-price or time-and-materials contracts state what you’ll pay (per hour, per foot, or a lump sum). They’re easier to understand and budget for.
- “No cure, no pay” or open-form salvage contracts let the salvor claim an award based on the value of what they saved, which can be a large share of your boat’s value and may be settled later by arbitration. Understand that before you sign.
- Get it in writing: the price or how it’s calculated, what’s included (raising, towing, hauling, storage), and who pays for storage once the boat is ashore. Storage fees add up fast.
- Ask for the company name, license and insurance. A salvor who’s on board without permission is not entitled to strip or move your boat.
- A Good Samaritan or friend who helps for free is great, but a botched DIY refloat can turn a repairable boat into a total loss. Ask your insurer.
💵 Uninsured or underinsured? Where money help comes from
FEMA
FEMA generally doesn’t pay for recreational boats. If your boat was your primary residence (you live aboard), FEMA may be able to help in a federally declared disaster area. Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362, and say you live aboard.
SBA disaster loans
SBA loans usually exclude pleasure boats. They may cover a boat that’s your home, a boat used in your business (e.g. charter or fishing), or a boat and dock that are your only way to reach your home on an island. Call 800-659-2955.
Tax casualty loss
Uninsured losses to personal property, including a boat, in a federally declared disaster may be deductible as a casualty loss (and from tax year 2026, losses in some state-declared disasters may also qualify). You may be able to claim it on the previous year’s return for a faster refund. Ask a tax professional; see the IRS’s disaster tax relief page.
Wreck removal programs
Some states run derelict-vessel removal or vessel turn-in programs that remove at-risk or wrecked boats for owners who can’t afford it, before fines start. Ask your state wildlife or natural resources agency, and ask before the boat is declared derelict.
Friends & community
Rebuilding? A Refit Registry lets friends, family and followers buy the parts you need directly from the store. Sailboats USA never handles the money. Your yacht or sailing club may also have a members’ relief fund; find yours in Club Sites.
⚠️ Scams and traps after a storm
- “Salvors” who board without permission and then demand payment, or strip electronics and engines. Photograph your boat, remove valuables, and report trespass and theft to the police.
- Large upfront payments for repairs, especially in cash or by wire. Pay against written estimates and finished work, and check licenses, insurance and reviews (try our vendor directory).
- Lowball “we buy storm boats” offers before you know what your insurer will pay. Don’t sell or sign over title until the claim is settled; your insurer may own the salvage.
- Fake adjusters or FEMA inspectors. Real ones show ID, and FEMA never charges to apply or inspect. Don’t give bank details to someone who calls or knocks unexpectedly.
- Flood-damaged boats sold later without disclosure. If you’re buying after a storm season, get a survey and check the hull ID’s history.
🗂️ My claim tracker
Keep the names, numbers and dates you’ll be asked for again and again in one place. This stays on this device only; nothing is sent to Sailboats USA. Print it or copy it into an email to yourself as a backup.
🤝 Get help from Sailboats USA
Find a marine surveyorDamage surveys for your insurer, or a second opinion.
Get repair quotesPost the job on The Heeling List and local Pros reply with quotes. Free.
Marine vendor directoryYards, riggers, mechanics and canvas shops, with owner reviews.
Ask for a handLearn the Ropes connects owners with volunteers for clean-up and repairs on personal boats.
Ask fellow sailorsPost your situation in Discussions and get advice from owners who’ve been through it.
Sailboat insurance guidePolicy types, hurricane clauses, and what to look for next time.
Sailing weatherForecasts and storm tracking before the next one.
Your clubMany yacht and sailing clubs organize work parties and help members after storms.
Official sources
- National Hurricane Center: forecasts and advisories
- National Response Center: report spills (1-800-424-8802)
- DisasterAssistance.gov: FEMA applications
- SBA disaster assistance
- IRS tax relief in disaster situations
- BoatUS: hurricane resources and the 24-hour TowBoatUS dispatch (800-391-4869)
This page is general information to help you get organized, not legal, insurance, tax or engineering advice. Rules differ by state, territory and country, and your policy decides what’s covered. Check with your insurer, a licensed surveyor and the agencies above. Phone numbers and programs were reviewed in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.