Choosing a boat surveyor and commissioning a boat survey

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Boat Surveys

Buying a pre owned boat is likely to be the second largest investment you will make outside of buying a house. You have probably used a BoatStats report to help you when assessing a boat you are considering buying.

BoatStats strongly recommend that you contract a professional yacht surveyor to provide you with a detailed written report of the overall condition of the craft before making any purchase.

When choosing a Yacht surveyor ensure they are members of a recognised Professional body. The protocol for Professional Surveyors is as follows;
Your surveyor will work to an approved Code of Practice (COP) and a copy will be available on request.
Your surveyor will have achieved a measured level of competence and experience controlled through Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Your surveyor will be experienced and where necessary use the experience of his peers to establish best practice.
The surveyor will if deemed appropriate recommend a specialist to assess certain conditions.
The surveyor will have Professional Indemnity insurance

Most surveyors offer a range of services; establish the purpose of the survey and the objectives of its findings such as a pre purchase and valuation survey.

Insurance companies will demand a copy of a full condition survey on boats over a certain age. Finance companies often require a less comprehensive survey but nearly always ask for a Valuation.

In all cases, there will be some limitations. For example the surveyor will not be able to do any destructive testing other than perhaps removing small areas of antifouling.

Normally portable hatches and traps will be lifted but no other dismantling will be carried out without prior consent.

No surveyor is likely to go up a mast and there will be very limited opportunity for dealings with engines and machinery while a boat is ashore.

To ensure there is a proper link between the supply of services and your expectations, you should expect to receive a formal proposal dealing with these factors and the cost of survey should be clearly structured based on your scope of work.

It is normal practice for you to confirm your instructions in writing and pay for the report when it is presented. Some surveyors may ask for payment at the beginning in order to carry out the survey.

Normally the surveyor will be happy to make a quick verbal account of what they have seen and perhaps point out interesting features. Do not be tempted to make a decision until you have received and read the full report.

The survey report should arrive within five working days of the survey. Ensure that you fully digest the content of the survey and seek clarification immediately with any issue that you do not understand or if you have any questions.

The survey will enable you to re-negotiate your purchase if unexpected or undeclared problems are found. The Broker will help you do this.

The surveyor has significantly important roles:

Looking after the interests of the purchaser or client
Reducing the liability of sellers or their agents for information on condition.
Providing information to Insurers
Providing information to Finance companies

Boat Surveys