boat insurance

[Dreamer]

I have a 26 ft. searay that was in winter storage at a marina. During the storage my boats gas tank leaked and about 80 gallons of gasoline filled the hell and cabin of my boat. Gas has soaked into the carpeting and wood floor of the cabin. The entire boat reeks of gasoline. The insurance company sent an assessor to look at the damage and send them a report. As it stands now, the assessor says the boat is not a loss and recommends the carpeting be replaced. My concern is that I have been told by many boat "experts" that the boat willl never be safe again, that the smell of gasoline will never go away and it poses a hazard, as you can imagine. Do I have to settle for less than the condition the boat was in before the gas leak?

 

[boater2]

I would suggest getting estimates from boat repair shops to repair the boat to usable condition. If gasoline saturated the plywood floor, the floor must be replaced. Hull integrity may also be questionable depending on the effects of the gasoline on the fiberglass. The insurance company's assessor can't be an expert on boats or he would realize that repairing or replacing the boat is cheaper than waiting for it to blow up and kill someone....