After an incident on the cut.

Make people safe.

Keep yourself and others away from danger. Do not enter the water or put yourself at risk to recover belongings or take photographs.

Do not investigate gas, fuel, electrical or carbon monoxide hazards yourself. Move away from the hazard and seek emergency or appropriately qualified help as needed.

Use your existing certificate.

Find the insurer, broker or claims handler and claims contact in your insurance certificate, policy schedule or wording. Use its official website if you need to check those contact details.

Tell it what happened promptly and follow the policy's notification requirements. Ask what evidence it needs and what to do before non-emergency repairs or disposal of damaged items. Only the insurer can determine whether the policy responds.

Our provider directory is for researching providers. It does not identify who handles your existing policy, and visiting it does not notify a claim.

An evidence checklist.

• When and where

  Note the date, time, waterway and location, such as a lock name or bridge number. Say when something is uncertain rather than guessing.

• What happened

  Write a factual account while it is fresh. Keep any incident or emergency-service reference and the details of the authorities you contacted.

• Photographs and records

  When safe, photograph the scene and damage. Keep original images, relevant correspondence and receipts for emergency costs.

• Policy and boat details

  Have your policy number, certificate and boat identity ready for the claims handler. Send evidence through its approved channel, not to Inland Boat.

• Other people involved

  Keep any lawfully obtained witness or other-party details secure and share them with the claims handler only as needed.