Fine hairline cracks run through the navy blue gelcoat of a Comfortina 38 like delicate roots through the ground. Very carefully, as if Nils Leutloff, 53, could feel the origin of the damage, he feels his way over the damaged area along the decorative strip on the water pass. Although he has long had a hunch as to how the gelcoat damage could have occurred, he now has to investigate it in detail.
Special case boat: damage often complex
Nils Leutloff is a boat expert. A well-known yacht insurer commissioned him to assess the facts of the case and clarify the question: Could the damage have been caused by an orca attack? An obvious assumption. The Comfortina 38 that Leutloff is inspecting is the "Meu", the training ship of the Lübeck Yacht Club. Skipper Clara Weimar and crew had just crossed the Bay of Biscay on their way to the Caribbean when orcas attacked them, causing severe damage to the rudder.
She has been back in Travemünde since October 2024 and is parked in a hall at the Böbs shipyard. Leutloff inspects the damage to determine the extent and coordinate the necessary repairs with everyone involved. This is important because, in contrast to the standardised automotive sector, shipyards calculate their repair costs in consultation with the expert. The reason: damage to boats is often complex and the materials are varied.
Important general knowledge only through experience
The qualified boat builder has been working as an independent surveyor for around seven years. Damage assessments make up a significant proportion of his commissions, but his day-to-day work also includes purchase advice. Before Leutloff became a freelance surveyor, he worked as a project manager at Airbus and later for around ten years for a renowned surveyor and consultancy firm specialising in yachts. He gradually became more independent and internalised the concept of "claim handling" - the way in which an insurance claim is organised and processed.
Appraisers in three days - is that possible?
Opinions differ as to what experience an expert witness needs to enter the profession. As with consultants, journalists or therapists, the term "expert witness" is not protected. There is no special professional training or state licence. This means that, in principle, anyone who wants to work in the field - regardless of whether they have previous experience or not - can do so and prepare expert reports.
For clients, this means that it is up to them to separate the wheat from the chaff. Added to this is the fact that for some years now, training courses have been offered that can be completed after just three days as a certified surveyor.
Criticism of fast-track procedures
This offer adds fuel to the fire of critics. These include the Association of Recreational Craft and Shipbuilding Experts (VBS). The fast-track training programme does not meet the high demands of the profession, neither in terms of the necessary specialist knowledge nor in terms of professional experience, the association writes on its website.
It goes on to say: "Organisations that advertise that they can train a prospective expert in three days are exactly the wrong way to protect the market from black sheep and in no way serve as a quality feature in the selection of experts."
Fast-track training: "Most participants with previous experience"
One of several institutions offering three-day courses to attract participants is the Bildungszentrum für nautischen Sachverstand (BNSV) based in Oberthulba-Reith, north of Würzburg. According to the company's website, participants learn the important basics of preparing expertises, valuations and purchase advice in three days.
Marcel Fuchs, Head of Training at the BNSV, is aware of the criticism of the fast-track procedure. "It's clear: anyone who was a baker in the bakery last week won't be working as an expert next week," he says. At the same time, Fuchs emphasises that experience shows that most course participants come to the courses with relevant previous knowledge - for example as boat builders or engine technicians. However, such previous experience is not a prerequisite for participation.
More on the subject of appraisers:
The courses are more about enabling interested parties to enter the industry and gradually imparting the necessary appraiser skills, says Fuchs. Participants need to bring the technical expertise with them. During the three days, the focus is on teaching the structural organisation of the profession and the legal foundations. This can certainly be taught in three days, says Fuchs.
Start small after getting started
Following the basic course, graduates are recommended to start small - for example, with purchase assistance for simpler boats. Further steps must then follow, such as further training and exchanges with experts at network meetings, which the training centre also organises. At the same time, Fuchs warns against overestimating: "It would be foolhardy to go to the Balearic Islands without any prior knowledge and assess the consequences of grounding a 60-foot yacht."
Open activity for beginners
The trainer counters the associations' criticism with a different perspective. According to Fuchs, the expert community is currently very closed - it is difficult to get started. He is in favour of being open to new approaches: "You can wait a long time for experts with experience to fall from the sky. We are looking for ways to build up expertise."
It remains to be seen whether this approach will lead to an opening up of the industry in the long term. Especially as the agony of choice will continue to lie with the clients, who will have to judge for themselves whether an appraiser is actually an expert. But how can this be determined?
These quality features provide orientation:
1. "Public appointment and swearing-in"
- The title "expert" is protected and requires specialised training and experience. It is regarded as a seal of quality and the highest qualification in Germany.
- Examination at the Chamber of Crafts or Chamber of Industry and Commerce required for public appointment.
- Experts must prove their independence and continuous further training.
- Courts and authorities favour publicly appointed and sworn experts due to their trustworthiness.
2. association membership
- Admission to associations requires the fulfilment of certain criteria, such as examinations and regular further training.
- Member appraisals are regularly reviewed and a code of conduct exists.
- However, the associations' requirements for members vary greatly. Some associations require extensive testing and experience, while others only accept minor requirements such as a three-day seminar.
3. attention with certificates
- A certificate only shows that someone has attended an event and does not mean that the person is an expert.
This does not mean that only those who are publicly appointed or belong to a recognised association do a good job. "Of course, experts who don't belong to an association can also provide good services," says Hauke Weber from the Kiel Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Not every appraisal or purchase recommendation has to stand up in court either. However, these characteristics help clients to form an informed opinion. And ultimately, they are the ones who bear the risk in the end.
Top priority? Professional qualification
When asked by YACHT what criteria the yacht insurer Pantaenius uses to select its surveyors, the company replied that professional qualifications are its top priority. The company's network covers the wide range of specialisations required, says Holger Flindt, Head of the Claims Department at Pantaenius. "Such qualifications are not acquired through training alone, but above all through many years of professional experience."
In addition, further training is essential - for example on the technical quality of expert reports or on legal aspects. According to Flindt, a trustworthy and reliable boat surveyor is characterised not only by their objectivity, but above all by their ability to realistically estimate costs.
Tips for choosing an expert
1. "Self-appointed"
By definition, an expert is someone who demonstrates special expertise in a specialised field. Whether this is the case with a self-proclaimed expert can only be assessed on the basis of what they say about themselves and what others say about them. If you are looking for an appraiser or expert - both mean the same thing - you should ask for references
2. association membership
For example, in the German Boat and Shipbuilders' Association or the Association of Recreational Craft and Shipbuilding Experts. The associations guarantee:
- Entrance examination/check of professional qualification
- Compulsory further training
- Regular spot checks of members' expert opinions
- Professional exchange between members
3. appointment and swearing-in by the chamber
- Occupation-specific training required (e.g. boat builder, shipbuilding engineer)
- Professional experience as an expert valuer
- Examination before the chamber
