My poor boat- insurance question

[rturbett]

I guess it is time to get my new hulls started...
I received a call last night that my boat was in a car accident! An elderly man (and former shark sailor) lost control of his car. He grazed a few trailered boats before he broadsided mine. The starboard hull is split perpendicular across the bottom.
This boat was made for racing. It is already at class weight.(plus a little)
To repair this would add a ton of weight, making the boat useless.
My question is how do you put a value to the time spent building the boat.
(I rebuilt it just year ago) These hulls won the shark nationals multiple times, so it has history as well, making totaling it uncomfortable. ( I have equated it to owning Babe Ruth's baseball bat)
Also, there is no one making fiberglass/wood combo boats, so It is not exactly replaceable. You can't just go by one at wal-mart.

Any advice or experiences would be appreciated.
Condolences too!

At least no one was hurt, and this problem pales in comparison to what others are going through lately.

[jimslade]

Find a good appraiser and wait for the check.

[gonzo]

Get a survey buy someone with experience in racing boats. I've done many of them. What you need to show is the market value of your boat before and after the accident. Insurance usually covers the cost to bring property to "pre-accident condition" (use these key words). Don't ever say it is a "total loss". That is for the adjustor to decide. You provide a description of the damage, with photos preferably, and an estimate of repair. Also provide a loss of value after the repair.