Claims
Power surges versus electrical failure
| Type | What happens | Usual treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Surge or spike | Chargers, inverters, electronics destroyed at once | Sudden accidental damage, generally arguable as covered |
| Reversed polarity or lost neutral | Equipment damage and a genuine shock hazard | Sudden; the dock's fault may be recoverable |
| Stray current corrosion | Anodes, shafts, props and saildrive legs eaten over weeks | Gradual; usually excluded as corrosion |
| Galvanic corrosion via the earth conductor | Underwater metal wastes away | Gradual and generally excluded |
| Fire from a failed connector | Burnt inlet, cable or distribution panel | Fire cover responds; cause investigation follows |
Evidence of a shore power surge
- Multiple unrelated devices failing at the same moment, which is the signature of a surge.
- Marina records or other berth-holders reporting the same event on the same night.
- Physical evidence at the inlet, the lead or the distribution panel — scorching, melted insulation, discoloured pins.
- A marine electrician's report attributing the damage to an external supply fault rather than to a vessel fault.
- Any switchboard or pedestal fault record from the marina operator.
Marina installation liability
Where the fault was in the marina's supply, there may be a recovery against the marina operator, and your insurer will usually pursue that rather than leaving it to you. Report the incident to the marina in writing the same day, ask them to record and preserve the fault, and give your insurer their response. Berth licences frequently try to exclude the operator's liability, which is a matter for the insurer's recovery team rather than something to negotiate yourself.
Electrical protection and maintenance
- Fit a galvanic isolator or an isolation transformer, and keep the invoice.
- Inspect the shore lead and inlet regularly; discoloured or pitted pins mean replace, not clean.
- Check anodes far more often than you think necessary if the boat lives on shore power, and photograph them.
- Unplug when the boat is unattended for long periods and there is no need for the connection.
- Record the marina, the pedestal number and the date range the boat has been connected.
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.
Related guides
- Boat Insurance Claims Australia: Incidents and Disputes
- Lightning and Marine Electronics Claims
- Marina Fire Insurance Claims
- Saildrive Failure Insurance Claims
- Marina Berth Boat Insurance Australia
- Product Disclosure Statement Guide for Boat Insurance
General information onlyThe information on sailboatinsurance.com.au is general educational information only. It may be wrong, incomplete or out of date, and you should not rely on it as a substitute for the current policy documents or professional advice. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs and is not personal financial product advice. Insurance cover depends on the actual policy wording, Product Disclosure Statement, certificate of insurance, endorsements, exclusions, limits, sub-limits and underwriting decisions that apply to your vessel. Always read the current policy documents before buying, renewing or changing cover. For legal, financial or insurance advice about your own circumstances, consider speaking with an appropriately licensed professional.