Need Surveyor in San Francisco for Initial Evaluation

[Cheechako]

Wet deck core could be an issue with ANY boat you look at. I'm not sure why people have focused on that with your cabinet question. But it IS good to keep in mind. I doubt if the rotten cabinet ply is an issue to reject the boat on. My experience is that wet deck cores will not necessary make the decks feel spongy at all. A surveyor will tap lightly all over the deck, usually with a small hard hammer . His trained ear can tell a very slightly dull thud from a stronger ring. It's a bit of an art for sure, . I've never seen a rubber mallet used, not sure how you would hear the difference with that, but as I said... it's an art! So to each his own. At least that boat doesnt have teak decks, which if screwed on, almost always result in wet core. Good Luck!

[Rex Delay]

Find out from the Broker who the previous potential buyer was and get contact info. Offer to buy their survey from them at 1/2 what they paid. He gets some of his money back and you save yours. Win win. He may have walked for some reason you have yet to discover.

[SS Little-Devil]

Originally Posted by Rex Delay

Find out from the Broker who the previous potential buyer was and get contact info. Offer to buy their survey from them at 1/2 what they paid. He gets some of his money back and you save yours. Win win. He may have walked for some reason you have yet to discover.

The other broker was not very cooperative supplying any information. He says they tried to buy the survey from the buyer, but he wouldn't sell it. He also said that he suspected that the buyer just bought something else and used the survey as a way out, but they had it out of the water so... My broker suggested that the listing broker MUST have known something, so (imo) his refusal to divulge anything was suspicious when I looked at it some time ago.

I spoke to the owner directly back then, and he did not even seem to know about the rot in the cabinet, which I also thought was odd. I didn't want to answer questions about the boat and just wanted a "clean" offer and I get get my own inspection. He's an architect so I understand how he might be leery about saying much, but it's a little worrisome. At this point I might be willing to take a chance on a survey though. Just waiting to hear back from my broker on another boat before going further. Did I mention I hate waiting?

[Rex Delay]

I smell a rat! I have never had anyone refuse to sell me a survey and therefore get back money otherwise wasted. I have bought several and they all resulted in me walking away.

[SS Little-Devil]

My broker doesn't want to get involved in the purchase since we had a bad experience with them in the past and he's suspicious. Plus he says the paint will be $20,000 to fix on that boat. Maybe he's right and I should just buy the Cal 34.

[Rex Delay]

Waiting is way better than buying a money pit that you will have to live with for a very long time.

[SS Little-Devil]

Originally Posted by Rex Delay

Waiting is way better than buying a money pit that you will have to live with for a very long time.

I only want to sail it as far as Australia, but yes, I get your point.

[minaret]

Worldwide Marine Surveys, Inc.

510.465.2527
351 Embarcadero
Oakland, CA 94606


Peter Minkwitz, surveyor.


As a professional boatbuilder who isn't normally impressed with surveyors, I can't recommend Peter enough.

[Rex Delay]

Sent PM

[Cheechako]

i'm getting a strange smell too... :>) But, talk to the surveyor and get a price for in the water inspection and then the additional for the out of the water. Haul etc are expensive, so if the boat doesnt pass in the water, just let 'er go.....

[SS Little-Devil]

Got hold of the surveyor. Deck has structural damage from rot. At least 6k to fix but probably more. Engine mounts are shot. Motor would not go over 2800 RPMs but should go 3600 RPMs. Then there is the paint which is cracked right into the gel coat, and would cost in the $20k range to strip and paint. Despite all that, the buyer might have considered working something out, but apparently, Mark Miner, the listing broker who I had the problem with it while there, also pissed off that buyer, so he would NOT sell the survey to them. I guess that part was true, but the circumstances as to why he would not sell it were left out. Kudos to the surveyor who felt it would be unethical for him to not let me know what he found before I did something on the boat, and did not want to be paid to inspect the same things a second time.

[Cheechako]

+1 on that surveyor.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

I don't think the owner will let us drill test holes...

You've already told us that there are holes above the rotted locker. Not hard to figure out where the surveyor will look for rot. Trust me, a surveyor will be able to figure this out. Rot detection is not rocket science.

The one thing your already know is that a previous buyer walked away from the offer he/she made after surveying the vessel. If that buyer wanted to get his/her deposit back, he/she would have had to indicate where the boat failed its survey. That means the owner has an idea why the boat failed.

If you're serious about making an offer, tell the owner you will make your offer, contingent on passing survey, once he/she tells you where the boat previously failed survey. If you don't get a persuasive answer, walk away.

[SS Little-Devil]

Originally Posted by Bash

You've already told us that there are holes above the rotted locker. Not hard to figure out where the surveyor will look for rot. Trust me, a surveyor will be able to figure this out. Rot detection is not rocket science.

The one thing your already know is that a previous buyer walked away from the offer he/she made after surveying the vessel. If that buyer wanted to get his/her deposit back, he/she would have had to indicate where the boat failed its survey. That means the owner has an idea why the boat failed.

If you're serious about making an offer, tell the owner you will make your offer, contingent on passing survey, once he/she tells you where the boat previously failed survey. If you don't get a persuasive answer, walk away.

A couple of posts up you'll see I already talked to the surveyor who did the survey on this boat that's being discussed here. So it's a moot point. I can't afford to fix this boat.

[SS Little-Devil]

Well I bought the Cal 34. Looking for a surveyor in Marina Del Rey now.