Survey or not to survey

[Lateral Hazard]

Our surveyor taught us more about our boat than a month of sailing would have taught us. If you are a very experienced sailor you may not need one. For us it was a godsend even though all our questions probably drove him crazy.
He was fantastic.

[Sailing Wx]

Hello all - new poster, long time lurker/dreamer. I just purchased a Chesapeake Bay starter boat (34ft Hunter). My wife and I intend to get our sea legs/experience in the bay (on a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-sail boat) before upgrading to the forever boat in 3 years when I retire from the military.

+1 for definitely get a survey, but be there as a second set of eyes to ensure the surveyor sees what you see and vice-versa. I researched "doing marine survey myself" and studied up on what the professional process entails. That helped me eliminate potential boats straight away and allowed me to be a second set of eyes for the surveyor after I settled on the boat I wanted.

My survey revealed/offered:
1. Systems/equipment that are missing, not functioning, or expired (flares, fire extinguishers, several cabin lights, anchor light, wind instrument, autopilot remote, etc.).
2. Maintenance items that should be considered (exhaust elbow, battery replacement, sail UV cover re-stitching, winches & windlass rebuild, stuffing box re-pack, zincs)
3. Validation of solid systems/running gear and hull/decks.
4. Validation of advertised condition and equipment onboard.

The broker was there during much of the survey and asked her maintenance crew to address issues as they arose (this was somewhat disruptive to the survey and made a long day even longer). While I don't know if the broker or the seller is paying the bill, there was likely a couple thousand dollars worth of maintenance done on-the-spot (cost benefit of buying from a combined broker/dealer/yard vs waiting to have it done yourself after purchase).

Could I have identified all of these items? Yes, perhaps with enough reading, studying, and inspection time. Would the broker address the identified issues the same way? Maybe.

Completing a formal survey by an ABYC-certified surveyor is (IMO) a far more credible way to identify issues and either re-negotiate a price or subsequently get a boat in shape than the alternative DIY approach. The issues they fixed are things I would have had to do eventually, so I was happy to see that they were both willing and eager to do it to close the sale.

FWIW - I got insurance with BoatUS/GEICO. They did not ask for a survey, even after I offered it, so that was a non-issue. YMMV depending on age, intended use, stated/agreed value, etc.

Fair winds -

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Sailing Wx

Completing a formal survey by an ABYC-certified surveyor is (IMO) a far more credible way to identify issues

You have been mis-informed. ABYC does not certify surveyors.

[Sailing Wx]

I stand corrected - SAMS, not ABYC.