Have you checked the agreement, insurance and payment instructions?

13. Have the actual contract and important promises been reviewed together?

Read the agreement you will sign, including its special conditions and addenda. MYBA confirms that its 2025 revision introduced an entire-agreement provision; Hill Dickinson’s April 7, 2026 analysis also explains that unexpected disruption does not automatically qualify as force majeure. (superyachtnews.com)

• A — 0: We have not received the complete draft.
• B — 1: We have been told it is a standard contract and have not reviewed the relevant provisions.
• C — 2: We have read it, but cancellation, breakdown, owner non-delivery, refunds or a material sales promise remains unresolved.
• D — 3: The authorised decision-maker has reviewed the complete agreement and exposure summary, obtained qualified advice where needed, and resolved material differences between the contract and the proposal.

Evidence to keep: A clause-referenced issue register covering cancellation by either party, delayed delivery, breakdown, force majeure, complaints and notice deadlines, payment handling, dispute provisions and essential promises. Do not assume a refund, replacement yacht or rescheduled week is automatic.

14. Is insurance an informed decision rather than an assumption?

Insurance responds to policy wording, eligibility and limits—not simply to disappointment or a change of plans. NAIC explains that travel policies have exclusions and that cancel-for-any-reason benefits have conditions. MHG’s yacht-charter guidance likewise makes reimbursement subject to covered reasons and plan terms. (content.naic.org)

• A — 0: We assume the yacht’s insurance or a credit card covers the trip.
• B — 1: We have a brochure or quote but have not checked eligibility and limits.
• C — 2: We have reviewed cover, but the insured amount, purchase deadline, exclusions or uninsured exposure remains unclear.
• D — 3: An appropriately licensed adviser has clarified the relevant options and deadlines; the principal has recorded what to insure and what exposure to retain, including any deliberate decision not to buy cover.

Evidence to keep: A coverage decision note addressing US residency or state eligibility, who is insured, trip-cost limits, cancellation and interruption, medical evacuation where relevant, exclusions and purchase timing. If purchase follows the deposit, record the deadline and responsible person before committing.

15. Have the recipient and banking instructions been independently checked?

Do not rely on an email thread alone. The FBI recommends verifying payment requests and changes using a separate contact route, including a phone number obtained independently rather than supplied in the suspicious message. (fbi.gov)

• A — 0: We are ready to transfer using emailed instructions without another check.
• B — 1: We have checked the logo, signature or sender’s address only.
• C — 2: We have contacted the supplier, but used contact details from the payment message or left a beneficiary discrepancy unresolved.
• D — 3: The payer has reconciled the expected recipient with the agreement and invoice, confirmed instructions through an independently established channel, resolved discrepancies and recorded the required internal approval.

Evidence to keep: A verification log recording who checked, when, the independently sourced contact route and the outcome. Recheck changed instructions before payment. A callback is a fraud-control step, not a guarantee against loss.