Used Cat evaluation checklist.

[Mark424]

As I mentioned here I'm planning a trip to Florida to shop for a used cat.

I'm looking to expand my boat evaluation checklist/spreadsheet. I'm sure I'm not the first to put one of these together. Would y'all mind passing your lists along? or do you have any references to any online?

Also, a yacht surveyor named Dave Pascoe wrote a great book on evaluating used power boats - is there anything similar for sailboats?

Thanks

Mark

[David M]

I think its fine to be your own marine surveyor initially to screen out the boats you clearly do not want but you still need to hire an experienced marine surveyor before signing on the dotted line. Your insurance company will want a marine survey anyway.

[JusDreaming]

try this book, Charles is the catamaran guru
Cruising in Catamarans by Charles Kanter, AMS

[Tropic Cat]

Chuck has a new book out

Cruising Catamaran Communiqué

by Charles Kanter

[Mark424]

Originally Posted by David M

I think its fine to be your own marine surveyor initially to screen out the boats you clearly do not want but you still need to hire an experienced marine surveyor before signing on the dotted line. Your insurance company will want a marine survey anyway.

Absolutely! I might even hire two. Every house, condo, or boat I've ever bought has been professionally inspected, and they've all missed lots of stuff.

But I'd rather do an evaluation myself to eliminate a candidates before I go to the trouble of hiring a surveyor. It also gives me a check of the surveyor if they miss obvious things, I have something of a gauge of how good they are. Call me cynical, but inspectors/surveyors rely on agents for their referrals, so if they are really thorough and hard ass with their inspection they will get fewer referrals. I'm not talking about all surveyors, yes, there are many honest and thorough ones.

I've had more than one building inspector give me a laundry list of trivial items to make me think they were thorough, but completely miss major things that sometimes I saw and sometimes I didn't before the deal closed.

[David M]

Just a side story...

I used to teach sailing in college and I had a practice hand grenade....which was real just minus the fuse and the explosive.

I would place it in the bilge of a boat right before the students got to the boat for the checkout before getting underway. They were always told to check the boat thoroughly. You should have seen the looks on some of their faces. Others just said.."Yup, everything is okay." It was a great test for finding out how truthful they were about inspecting the entire boat.

I know you can't buy practice grenades anymore, but you might pull something similar on your surveyor just as a little "test".

[Mark424]

Originally Posted by rickm505

Chuck has a new book out

Cruising Catamaran Communiqué

by Charles Kanter

Thanks! I remember hearing about it when it was in preparation, but forgot about it. Order placed.

[leehaefele]

Are you done looking at Cats? Do you still want input? What brands are you considering, New or Used? I have a Leopard 38, ex Moorings Charter boat.

[schoonerdog]

Frankly, I might get a seperate rigging surveyer by a professional rigger. Lots of things were missed on our boat because the surveyer usually concentrates on structural issues, engines, etc. Few of them really know a lot about sailing. A good rigger will be able to draw up a list for you of things that will eventually need to be upgraded or replaced or repaired to give you a good starting point.