“Of damages observed in the hundreds of boats we surveyed in the BVI, dismasting was the most common followed by cases of hull penetrations and extensive damage to railings, bimini and dodger frames and arch systems,” explains Todd Duff, a BVI-based marine surveyor. Buying a salvaged or a hurricane damaged vessel is something that people consider when looking for bargains, says Jose Menoyo, surveyor at Sea Services, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. “Sometimes the damages far outweigh a boat’s potential value when repaired, if you consider the cost of the repairs and the inevitable loss of value compared to a boat that has not been wrecked.”