06/08/2026
The boat is never really the point
We’re carrying out more probate valuations this year than in any year we can remember. The standard we apply is the same as it is on every instruction we accept, what changes is the situation we’re walking into, because on the other end of it is a family dealing with a loss.
They don’t want to talk about tonnage or hull plating. They want to know what the vessel is worth so the estate can be settled and they can get on with grieving. So we try to make ourselves as small a part of the process as we possibly can.
We take our instructions from the executor or the solicitor and We arrange access with the marina. We find the registry entry, the build record and the old sale details ourselves , we don’t ask a grieving household to go hunting through paperwork on our behalf. We attend once, and nobody has to be present unless they want to be.
Where someone is still living aboard, we remember that we’re standing in their home during one of the most difficult times in their lives, and we behave accordingly. Quietly, briefly, and at a time that suits them.
What they receive is clear and written in plain English, an honest opinion of what the vessel was worth on the day of death. No jargon to decipher, no report that needs explaining.
Most families have already been told the boat is worthless, or that it’s it’s worth a small fortune, usually by somebody with a vested interest in the result . Giving them a straight, kindly delivered figure is simply part of doing the job properly.
