What should I do first if my boat has partially or fully sunk?

Make sure everyone is safe first: if anyone is in danger, call the Coast Guard on VHF channel 16 or 911. Then call your insurance company, which may arrange for the boat to be raised, and report any fuel or oil in the water to the National Response Center. Do not try to start the engines. Once the boat is raised, call us at (213) 693-0224 to drain and pickle the engines; we fit urgent work in as soon as we can, Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 6 PM.

Do you provide written estimates for insurance claims?

Yes. Once the boat is raised, we inspect it, document the damage with photos and write a detailed restoration estimate (damage found, repair scope, labor and parts) that you can send to your insurer. We are a repair shop, not a marine surveyor or insurance adjuster: the claim stays between you and your insurer, and your insurer decides what it covers.

What does a sinking damage inspection include?

We inspect the engines, drivetrain, electrical system, fuel system and onboard equipment, and note any visible hull damage for a marine surveyor and boatyard to assess. Water damage, corrosion risks and safety concerns are documented with photos to set the restoration scope.

Can a sunk boat be safely restored?

In many cases, yes. It depends on how long the boat was under water, whether it was salt or fresh water, and which parts were submerged. Our estimate shows what restoration would cost; whether to repair the boat or write it off is decided between you and your insurer.

How long does it take to receive a restoration estimate?

We send the written estimate as soon as we can after the inspection and tell you when to expect it. Boats with flooded engines or electrical systems may need more diagnostic time first.

Will you meet the recovery company, surveyor or insurance adjuster at the boat?

Yes. We are glad to meet the recovery company, your surveyor or the insurance adjuster at the boat and share our findings, photos and estimate. Your insurance company runs the claim and decides what it covers.

Can an estimate help me decide whether to repair or sell the boat as-is?

Absolutely. A professional restoration estimate gives you a clear cost breakdown, helping you decide whether repair, resale, or insurance settlement is the most practical option.

Breeze Marine technician inspecting the engine room of a recovered vessel

Breeze Marine technician inspecting the engine room of a recovered vessel (2)

Restoration Estimates After a Sinking

Time is the enemy after a sinking. Once the boat is raised, we preserve the engine ("pickling") to limit corrosion, then check the engine, electrical and other systems. We document the damage with photos and give you a written estimate to send to your insurer; the claim stays between you and your insurer.

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$150 /hr

Labor estimate Quoted after inspection

Book sends us a ticket; nothing is charged online. Before any work you get a written estimate for labor, parts and the trip fee, and nothing is done without your OK.

Trip fee By distance, one way: $30 in San Pedro, $50 in Long Beach

San Pedro$30
Wilmington, Terminal Island$40
Long Beach: Shoreline, Rainbow Harbor$50
Long Beach Marina, Alamitos Bay$60
Redondo Beach$60
Seal Beach, Huntington Harbour$75
Marina del Rey$85
Newport Beach$110

Farther away: $25 plus $2.50 a mile, one way from our San Pedro shop. No trip fee when the boat comes to our shop, or for plan members. The work of a visit is at least $150; the trip fee is on top.

Registered in California: Breeze Marine Boat Service LLC, San Pedro
Where we work: At your slip from Marina del Rey to Newport Beach, or in our San Pedro shop
Questions first: (213) 693-0224 or submit a ticket

About this service

After a Sinking

Saving What
Can Be Saved.

Saltwater is hard on everything it touches. Once a vessel is raised, the clock starts ticking. We preserve the engine as soon as we can and give you the hard numbers you and your insurer need to decide: restore it, or write it off?

Rust Starts Within Hours

Once a submerged engine is exposed to air, rust starts within hours. We "pickle" the engine—draining the water and filling it with oil and diesel—to protect the internal parts before rust sets in.

Wire Wicking

Saltwater wicks up inside copper wires like a straw, corroding connections feet away from the water line. We assess the electrical harness for saltwater damage to see if a total rewire is necessary.

Repair or Write-Off?

Sometimes repair costs more than the boat is worth. Our itemized estimate gives you and your insurer the numbers; the decision to write the boat off is yours and your insurer's.

Restoration Protocol.

From raised boat to written estimate.

Stabilize (Pickle)

We remove the water from the cylinders and crankcase first, then fill the engine with a diesel/oil mix to stop flash rust.

De-Water & Dry

Once the boat is pumped out, we remove soaked cushions and carpet to halt mold growth and ventilate the boat to dry it out.

Assess Systems

We test the starter, alternator, and ECM and check the fuel tanks for water intrusion. Hull and structural damage, and the cause of the sinking, are for a marine surveyor to assess.

The Estimate

You get a detailed written repair estimate covering mechanical rebuild, electrical replacement and cosmetic restoration, with photos of the damage.

The Harsh Reality.

Expert analysis of salt damage.

Milky engine oil on a dipstick showing water intrusion

Corroded electrical panel on a boat after sinking

Pickling a submerged marine engine to prevent corrosion

Assessment Scope.

We check every system affected by submersion.

Propulsion Crankcase & Transmission

Electrical Batteries, Inverters, Wire

Interior Mold, Foam, Wood Rot

Common Questions

Is it worth fixing?

If the water reached the dashboard and electronics, repairs often cost more than the boat is worth. If it was only the bilge and engine room, the boat can often be repaired. Our estimate gives you the numbers.

What is "Pickling"?

Pickling a boat engine is the process of displacing water with oil. We drain the water-contaminated oil, fill the engine with diesel and oil, and crank it with the spark plugs or injectors out (without starting) to coat internal surfaces.

Don't Wait.

Call us at (213) 693-0224: we fit urgent repairs in as soon as we can, Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 6 PM.

Book a Damage Assessment

After Your Boat Has Been Raised

Once your vessel has been raised, the clock is running on the engine and the wiring. Our part starts at that point: pickling to stop flash rust in the engine, then drying and a system-by-system assessment of propulsion, electrical and interior damage. Raising the boat is done by a specialist recovery company, not by us.

To move quickly, have the vessel's location ready, tell us how long it was submerged and how high the water reached, and share your insurance claim details if you have them. The water line matters: if water reached the dashboard and electronics, repairs often cost more than the boat is worth, while damage limited to the bilge and engine room can often be repaired. Either way, you receive a detailed written estimate covering mechanical rebuild, electrical replacement and cosmetic restoration, which you can send to your insurer.