Onboard art collections can be worth more than the superyacht itself. Successfully caring for prestigious objects presents interior crew at all levels with unique challenges. Risks are categorised by environmental damage, human intervention, moving and handling things, and falling foul of legal pitfalls with particular cultural objects.

Fine art and decorative objects are not always thought about in a maritime environment. Marine and fine art insurance have traditionally been very separate areas. However, nowadays, in light of yachts getting bigger with more space for beautiful objects, it is essential to consider the impact of art onboard.

Crew and Captains and the rest of the industry need to understand the implications of bringing unique cultural heritage items out to sea. Numerous disasters have occurred which could have been avoided, and the crew must undergo the burden of having these pieces in their care, often when they don’t know what they are. Likewise, the owner risks damaging their valuable investments – of what is probably the only appreciating asset onboard!

Understanding the basics of insurance and what is or is not covered is very helpful. Learning where fine art insurance and hull and marine insurance intersect is essential. Insurance is about managing risks and understanding the risks.

This course will tackle fine art insurance, including causes of loss, types of cover, specialist art policies (inclusions/exclusions), the importance of inventory and valuations, claims, preventative conservation, consignments, transport and storage policies, title insurance, art lending and collections management.

By the end of this course, you will have learned essential terms to help you communicate with colleagues and insurers. You will understand what perils cannot be covered. You will also have some tips for reducing risk.

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Course Author

ArtOnSuperyachts

Art On Superyachts is dedicated to the protection and preservation of fine art in international waters. We aim to help Crew and Captains with the burden of priceless objects under their care. We are a training company and consultancy assisting with onboard art collections. Our founder Pandora Mather-Lees, an Oxford-educated art historian has over 20 years of experience in the commercial art sector. She has worked with galleries, museums, auctions houses, art-related platforms, logistics, education and professional art organisations.

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