Reputable surveyor in Jacksonville, FL?

[lilbabypenguin]

Hello!
We are so excited to be making an offer on our first sailboat. The boat is located in Jacksonville, FL. We don't have any sailing connections there, so we are hoping to see if anyone here knows of a good surveyor in that area.
Thank you in advance!


PS I just wasn't sure the best place to post this topic, so I hope here is ok.

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by lilbabypenguin

Hello!
We are so excited to be making an offer on our first sailboat. The boat is located in Jacksonville, FL. We don't have any sailing connections there, so we are hoping to see if anyone here knows of a good surveyor in that area.
Thank you in advance!


PS I just wasn't sure the best place to post this topic, so I hope here is ok.

We have used MIke Hagen who is Jacksonville based, twice now and would recommend him. He has done two purchase surveys for us and one more for the couple who bought our trawler when we sold it later to go back to sail after my stroke, The contact details are below if they are legible, (copied and pasted from the original survey report)

CYA MARITIME SERVICES INC.

SAMS 4495-304 ROOSEVELT BLVD. SUITE 342 ABYC
SOCIETY OF ACCREDITED JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32210 ABYC STANDARDS
MARINE SURVEYORS 904-219-0528

[Hudson Force]

I am sure Robin's advise above is excellent. If you need another with the same qualifications I recommend, Jim Campbell at 904-868-1609.

[lilbabypenguin]

Originally Posted by Robin3

We have used MIke Hagen who is Jacksonville based, twice now and would recommend him. He has done two purchase surveys for us and one more for the couple who bought our trawler when we sold it later to go back to sail after my stroke, The contact details are below if they are legible, (copied and pasted from the original survey report)

CYA MARITIME SERVICES INC.

SAMS 4495-304 ROOSEVELT BLVD. SUITE 342 ABYC
SOCIETY OF ACCREDITED JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32210 ABYC STANDARDS
MARINE SURVEYORS 904-219-0528

Robin, that is actually who our broker recommended, he said Mike is one of the few that actually climb the mast. But I thought I would check here as well, because my parents got burned on their first boat by using a surveyor that was recommended by their broker. I think we will move forward with Mike, especially since you have used him a few times. Thank you!

[lilbabypenguin]

Hudson Force, thank you so much for your response. If things fall through with Mike Hagen we will be giving your guy a call. Thank you for taking the time to answer.

[Gerrycooper56]

Ditto Jim Campbell, especially with Hunters


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[lilbabypenguin]

Thank you so much! We aren't looking at a hunter, but I will certainly keep him in mind as our 2nd person if mike isn't available when we are. Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by lilbabypenguin

Robin, that is actually who our broker recommended, he said Mike is one of the few that actually climb the mast. But I thought I would check here as well, because my parents got burned on their first boat by using a surveyor that was recommended by their broker. I think we will move forward with Mike, especially since you have used him a few times. Thank you!

Mike did indeed climb our mast during the survey and even fitted a set of newset of anemometer cups that the previous owner had bought but not installed whilst there, but to no avail because the windspeed still didn't read. Our broker Gary Monel recommended Mike to us when we came over from the UK to buy a trawler ( in At Augustine) to live/cruise on. We chose to use him again when we bought the subsequent sailboat down in Fort Lauderdale and the buyers of our original trawler did the same here in Daytona.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Gerrycooper56

Ditto Jim Campbell, especially with Hunters


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Jim surveyed what I thought was an almost perfect 356, he found enough so that I decided I didn't want that boat, he most probably saved me thousands of dollars and a real headache.

He is an expert on Hunters, and from my little experience, it seems surveyors like everybody else seem to specialize, whatever brand of boat your looking at you may want to find a specialist in that brand.

[lilbabypenguin]

A64 pilot, that is very good advice to find a specialist for that particular type of boat. Thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[lilbabypenguin]

Hi Robin3,
Just wanted to follow up with you about our experience. We did use Mike Hagen for our survey. He was a very nice man, who seemed quite honest. He did climb our mast and did a thorough look over. The only thing I wish he had done was run a hose over the windows and hatches. There was evidence of some minor leaks when we looked it, but after we closed and went over to the boat it was raining and we realized there are some pretty bad leaks, particularly the new hatch the previous owner had just installed.

I don't know how many times I had read on here about running a hose over a boat, but somehow that day it was just so chaotic I totally forgot.
Overall thought I think he is a good guy and good surveyor. He also had our oil and our transmission fluid inspected for issues.

Thank you for recommending him, it felt better to go into the survey with your recommendation on top of the brokers.

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by lilbabypenguin

Hi Robin3,
Just wanted to follow up with you about our experience. We did use Mike Hagen for our survey. He was a very nice man, who seemed quite honest. He did climb our mast and did a thorough look over. The only thing I wish he had done was run a hose over the windows and hatches. There was evidence of some minor leaks when we looked it, but after we closed and went over to the boat it was raining and we realized there are some pretty bad leaks, particularly the new hatch the previous owner had just installed.

I don't know how many times I had read on here about running a hose over a boat, but somehow that day it was just so chaotic I totally forgot.
Overall thought I think he is a good guy and good surveyor. He also had our oil and our transmission fluid inspected for issues.

Thank you for recommending him, it felt better to go into the survey with your recommendation on top of the brokers.

Oddly enough we also had water leaks too and we also didn't run a hose over the boat beforehand . Our leaks were from the many standard fitted Lewmar opening portlights not the overhead hatches, and we didn't find out until the first heavy duty Florida summer rains arrived, but we had all the seals renewed and the cam lock levers sorted, most of which were too tightly adjusted ( and closed unevenly) and some were even fitted back to front, the result of the original owner's clumsy attempts at a cure most likely. However we now have the leaks cured and provided that we close the opening parts evenly across all their multiple lever latches, they have remained totally watertight even throughout the last couple of months of very heavy rains.

I hope you too can resolve your leaks and enjoy your new boat!

[lilbabypenguin]

Originally Posted by Robin3

Oddly enough we also had water leaks too and we also didn't run a hose over the boat beforehand . Our leaks were from the many standard fitted Lewmar opening portlights not the overhead hatches, and we didn't find out until the first heavy duty Florida summer rains arrived, but we had all the seals renewed and the cam lock levers sorted, most of which were too tightly adjusted ( and closed unevenly) and some were even fitted back to front, the result of the original owner's clumsy attempts at a cure most likely. However we now have the leaks cured and provided that we close the opening parts evenly across all their multiple lever latches, they have remained totally watertight even throughout the last couple of months of very heavy rains.

I hope you too can resolve your leaks and enjoy your new boat!

Oh boy! Well lesson learned, run that hose next time, right?
Good to hear your got your problems solved. We are going down Friday to work work on it for a few day and hopefully get them fixed. We also need to get the chainplates rebed.

Are you guys currently in JAX?

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by lilbabypenguin

Oh boy! Well lesson learned, run that hose next time, right?
Good to hear your got your problems solved. We are going down Friday to work work on it for a few day and hopefully get them fixed. We also need to get the chainplates rebed.

Are you guys currently in JAX?

Nope we are in Daytona Beach. WHAT type boat was it that you bought?

NB chasing leaks has been a lifelong opus for me over multiple boats. I have this silly notion that water belongs on the outside of boats and bilges arefor dust collection. Some boats confounded my research for years but eventually succumbed. Current boat is now dry but involved rerouting air conditioner and fridge drains to a bilge mounted shower tray sump with auto pumpout overboard, also routing calorifier expansion overflow pipe to the same sump. Previous boatsover the years have required a new water tank, new engine cooling pump seals,, new stern tube shaft seals, rudder shaft seals and so on. Oddly enough most of my historical problems arose from fresh rather than salt water we had a 41ft Sun Legende back in the UKthat had a (minor) chain plate leak that only occurred when sailing well heeledver for long periods on the same tack in rough seas when standing water from seas breaking on board 'puddled in the angle between side deck and coachroof and the chainplate fitting was continually underwater in the puddle. Cured easily with a simple bead of caulking around tHe base fittings.

Good luck andfair winds!