Marine Survey 101

[Danosimp3]

Awsome. Thank you. I'm doing a total refit and have learned what not to do when I install batteries, A/C power, and porpane. Too many hours of grinding to let her burn to the waterline.

[Icarus]

Inner liner on Benetaus and incredible shonky keelbolt fastening arrangement...interesting when these yachts touch the bottom..the keel actually lifts, breaks and sepperates the inner liner from the hull, a nightmare to fix.
Some had the keelbolts stuck straight to the hull with ordinary washers under the nuts...no reinforcing grid to take the load..I wonder if the newer models have a proper arrangement these days?
Just a thought, if I build a yacht like that I'd get sued...
We had a case in Australia where a 45' B actually lost her ballast keel, turned turtle and killed a person...years later the coronial enquire found that these yachts are not suitable for exposed ocean sailing..!!
Happy boating

[benjiwoodboat]

Thanks - good info there.

[sparau]

thank you - great info.

[Irish rambler]

Along with everyone else on here I thank you for taking the time and effort to post such an excellent article.
I recently paid Euro 600 for a survey here in the south of France. I wanted to be very straight with a prospective buyer as I've put the boat up for sale. I will use your article when I buy our next boat.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Wow! Lots of good info. Thanks!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Irish rambler

Along with everyone else on here I thank you for taking the time and effort to post such an excellent article.
I recently paid Euro 600 for a survey here in the south of France. I wanted to be very straight with a prospective buyer as I've put the boat up for sale. I will use your article when I buy our next boat.

Am surprised that more people do not do that (get a survey done as part of the sales effort) - when you are talking 50k, 100k and upwards that is only around 1% down to fractions of a percent.......an extra month of mooring fees would cover the cost - even before getting to the negotiations (knocking money off the asking price ).

Of course to acheive a sale helpful if the boat is not priced into lalaland - but boat doesn't even need to be A1, the attraction for less than perfect is likely that no surprises in own survey (if the buyer even bothers).....and faults can already be priced in to the asking price - so no surprises to be haggled over later.

[SimonV]

That was excellent....Dont stop now teach us some more please.

[POH]

Great stuff BP - love the photos with commentary - keep it up!

Maybe a different thread, but I'm sure over time you have developed a sense of which boats are built/designed problematically and which aren't (extension of your 'boats I won't survey' to 'boats that I know where to look when I survey cause they all have the same problems').

That might even make some builders take notice!

[JoePa]

Fantastic effort BoatPoker. Thanks for taking the time and sharing.

[J_m]

Great article & pictures --should be a must read for anyone before springing for a survey. And the sarcasm makes it a fun read too! I bet the brokers love you!

[enovillo]

Thanks boatpoker, great article.

And here's some more endorsement of boatpoker's quality of work. About four years ago I was about to buy my first "big" boat (33-footer) and needed a surveyor, but didn't know any. A quick search online landed me on boatpoker's web page. I figured if he's taking the time to put together that wealth of knowledge, he must be good. So I hired him. Additional confirmation of my wise choice of surveyor came when I saw the broker's face upon telling him boatpoker was going to survey the boat

Anyway, I sold that boat last fall and saw the survey that the buyer had done by a different surveyor. The contrast between the two surveys was eye-opening.

I'll be buying another "big" boat this summer, this one meant for cruising for a few years with the family. "Who're you gonna call? Boatpoker!"

[benjiwoodboat]

That's an interesting point. But I wouldn't want a survey that a seller or broker has had time to edit!

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Am surprised that more people do not do that (get a survey done as part of the sales effort) - when you are talking 50k, 100k and upwards that is only around 1% down to fractions of a percent.......an extra month of mooring fees would cover the cost - even before getting to the negotiations (knocking money off the asking price ).

[TomandAnitas34]

Boat poker, I think I hate you ! I was so sure that the big expences were over, then WHAM, Turnbuckles all the way extended and extra shackles, just where you said they'd be..... AAAAUUUGGGHHH !!!!! Back to the Bank..... mumble mumble....

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by benjiwoodboat

That's an interesting point. But I wouldn't want a survey that a seller or broker has had time to edit!

Fair point - but even if no one is trying to pull a fast one the buyer can't rely on the survey anyway.

The plus for me is that if it does turn out that something obvious was missed (deleted? or simply intentionally glossed over) - either by your own inspection(s) or from a later survey then makes it pretty obvious that the Vendor / Broker is up to no good. (for me) would be a no brainer on canning the deal as I would not trust them to have not hidden other things I had not spotted (and might not until after purchase ).

To my mind the big plus (to a Buyer) of having sight of a recent Survey is being able to get a very good heads up on what needs doing (for everyone and / or just for you - no boat is ever perfect) and to go away and price the work up with no time pressure, nor even to make an offer........... so you can price the work needed into your offer (advantage to a Vendor is that will be less haggling later / less chance of someone pulling out of a sale) - before parting with own cash for a survey.

But as you say, doesn't exclude the risk of a Vendor / Broker pulling a fast one - but if so inclined, they would be anyway (even if that simply hoping your surveyor not spotting or buyer not fully understanding the results - especially the costs)......but with a pre Sale Survey they've just given you a large red flag / smoking gun .

For a Vendor, could turn a "maybe" Buyer who might not feel comfortable in risking the cost of a survey & haulout into an actual buyer....knock a month or 2 off the sale time and the survey pays for itself, knocking less than 1/2% off the sale price is (IMO) not so useful a marketing strategy.

FWIW, I consider even "old" surveys to be very valuable (especially a few of them over several years) as gives a heads up on what work has been done (and what not) and the sorts of things that have been occuring.....and lets you check the quality of the work done.

Anyway, all very much an "each to there own" thing .