Why Survey?

[markpj23]

A discussion in another thread prompted me to ask this question....

Common logic says that if you're about to sink many thousands into a boat then you should pay to have a pre-purchase survey done. However, my personal experience with surveyors has led me to the following questions:

a) With all the legal disclaimers and "I'm taking your money but won't be responsible for things I missed" clauses in the survey contract, what am I really paying for? An afternoon talking to a guy who likes to get paid to look at boats?

b) I reviewed two different surveys for the boat I purchased... they are like night & day. Both were done by "certified" surveyors. I was present for one of these and actually pointed out things that the surveyor had missed. So.. again, what am I really paying for? An afternoon spent with a guy who likes to talk boats?

c) If you have a solid background in boats, and are reasonably well-educated regarding the BIG problem issues to watch for (like delamination), then why not skip the surveyor and do it yourself? Chances are the legal disclaimers would leave you high & dry anyway should you discover a major problem later on...

For these same reasons I've stopped paying for home inspections - I remodel them and move on to the next - because I am confident that I can do as good an inspection as almost anyone I can hire. True, my house won't sink - except maybe in Florida - but the idea is the same.

So what's your opinion? With all the "I'll take your money but no responsibility" clauses used by today's surveyors, does it make sense to hire one IF you know your way around boats? And if not, why not get one of your experienced friends to look at the boat with you?