Real Claim Stories - Damaged by an unknown vessel while berthed

Marina collision ▪ Unknown third party ▪ No policy excess ▪ 5-star customer review

A boat was damaged by another vessel while safely berthed in a marina, but the person responsible couldn’t be identified. This real claim shows what happened when the owner turned to their own Hull insurance and why the policy excess mattered.

What happened?

While the customer’s boat was stationary and safely moored in a marina, it was damaged by another vessel. The impact caused damage to the swim platform, transom and pushpit.

Unfortunately, the third party responsible did not come forward and could not be identified. The customer contacted the marina to see whether they could establish which vessel had caused the damage, but despite their efforts, the responsible party could not be traced.

With no third party to pursue, the customer contacted Pantaenius and made a claim under their own Hull policy.

How did the customer contact us?

The customer called us on 10 April 2026 to report the damage and spoke directly with our claims team.

A claim form was sent to the customer the same day so that we could begin assessing the claim without delay.

How did we help?

Discussed the circumstances of the incident and the damage with the customer.
Confirmed that the claim could be handled under the customer’s Hull policy despite the responsible third party being unknown.
Advised the customer that their policy excess would not apply, as the damage had been caused by a third party while the boat was berthed.
Reviewed the repair estimate covering damage to the swim platform, transom and pushpit.
Considered the proposed replacement of the pushpit and established that a satisfactory repair appeared possible at a lower cost.
Gave the customer the option of proceeding with the pushpit repair or contributing the difference if they preferred a replacement.
Reimbursed the customer following completion of the repairs and receipt of the final invoice.

What was the outcome?

With the responsible third party unable to be identified, this claim demonstrated the importance of having your own Hull insurance in place. Although the customer had done nothing to cause the damage, there was nobody else to pursue for the repair costs. The customer was able to rely on their Pantaenius Hull policy to have the damage put right.

Once the work was complete and the final invoice had been provided, the claim was settled on 26 May 2026, just over six weeks after it was first reported.

The customer subsequently left us a 5-star Google review:

Very happy with the way my claim was handled. All my emails were answered immediately, and the repairs were approved without any quibbles. Reimbursement of the cost of the repairs was also made very quickly.

Is there a key lesson for other boat owners?

It’s easy to think about boat insurance in terms of the things that might go wrong while you’re sailing – a grounding, a collision or simply making a mistake. And if you’re an experienced and careful sailor, you might feel that the chances of needing to make a claim are relatively small.

But not every accident is within your control.

In this case, our customer’s boat was safely berthed in the marina when it was damaged by another vessel. The customer wasn’t responsible for the accident, so you might expect the cost of the damage to be recovered from the person responsible or their insurer. But what happens when that person can’t be identified?

With no third party to pursue, the customer needed to rely on their own Hull insurance to put things right. And that raises another important consideration: the policy excess.

Having your boat damaged through no fault of your own is frustrating enough, without then finding yourself having to contribute towards the cost of the repairs.

However, under the customer’s Pantaenius Hull policy, no excess applied because the damage had been caused by a third party while the boat was berthed. This meant the agreed repair costs could be settled without the customer having to pay an excess for damage they hadn't caused.

The lesson? When considering insurance, don’t just think about the risks you can control. Think about the ones you can’t.

Over 50 years

of experience guarantee an exclusive service approach and the most efficient claims management when you need it most.

110,000 customers

already place their trust in us and make Pantaenius the leading yacht insurance provider in Europe.

35,000 specialists

in our network help us deliver true local service and support you with advice and expertise all over the world.

Request a quote

Report a claim

Get in touch