Claims
Safe recovery of a damaged rig
- Secure the crew first; a rig alongside in a seaway is dangerous and can hole the hull.
- Cut away only what is necessary — the rig is evidence and it has salvage value.
- If recovery is safe, bring the spar, terminals and failed components aboard or mark the position.
- Photograph the failure point before anything is cut or moved.
- Notify the insurer immediately; abandonment of the rig may need their agreement.
Evidence from failed rigging components
Rig age and inspection records
- Standing-rigging age, and whether it exceeded any condition on the certificate
- Date and findings of the last professional rig inspection
- Whether the vessel was racing, and whether racing was covered
- Chainplate condition and any prior repairs
- Whether the rig was tuned appropriately and loads were within design
- Conditions at the time, and whether they were exceptional or ordinary
Dismasting repair and replacement costs
The mast is rarely the whole bill. A dismasting typically takes standing and running rigging, sails, the boom, deck hardware, instruments at the masthead and sometimes the deck itself. Check your sum insured against that total rather than against the spar alone.
Racing sails and rigging claims
If the rig came down while racing, two further questions arise: whether racing was covered at all, and whether sails and spars are excluded during racing specifically. Both are common carve-outs, and both are best resolved before the season rather than after the incident.
Read the wording before you need it
Almost every disputed marine claim turns on a definition, an exclusion or a condition the owner had never read. The PDS guide explains which sections decide claims.
Frequently asked questions
Is dismasting covered by boat insurance?
Usually, as sudden accidental damage — unless the rigging exceeded an age condition on the policy, the failure is attributed to fatigue or corrosion, or the vessel was racing without racing cover.
Does old rigging void a dismasting claim?
It can, where the policy imposes a maximum rigging age or an inspection requirement and that condition was not met. This is the most common way a sail claim fails in Australia.
Related guides
- Standing Rigging Age: Insurance Replacement Conditions
- Sailing Yacht Insurance Australia
- Club Racing Yacht Insurance Australia
- Boat Insurance Exclusions Explained
- Boat Insurance Sum Insured: Choosing Your Vessel Value
- How to Make a Boat Insurance Claim
- Boat Insurance Claims Australia: Incidents and Disputes