Buying a boat may be the second largest purchase you will make. When you look at it that way, you don’t want to go it alone — hire a marine surveyor to guide you (and protect you).
Yes, you may have been boating all your life or have a buddy who’s a real boat maven, but that doesn’t mean you have expertise in every system, support, and flow. That’s where a comes in — it’s their job to know. Whether you’re about to purchase a new or a used vessel, having a professional by your side to assess and evaluate means you’ll know everything before you write a check.
It may seem obvious, but when choosing a surveyor, don’t take the recommendation of the boat’s seller or the dealer. Beware of the sales pitch to “save time and money” by accepting the seller’s survey from a few years back in lieu of a new survey. As marine surveyor any boat (car, home) owner knows, things change.
Seek an objective surveyor by asking for names from satisfied friends or your boatyard or marina. If you cannot obtain a reliable and impartial recommendation, turn to a site such as SAMS, https://www.marinesurvey.org/.
Most surveyors based their fee on the size and type of boat as well as the type of survey needed. Most buyers request a “condition and value” survey; lenders and insurance companies also commission surveyors for valuation purposes.
Once you engage a surveyor, inform the owner, dealer, or broker of the arrangements. Require them to clear all lockers and other storage areas and ensure complete access to the engine, bilge, and all other systems so the surveyor is not impeded.
As the survey (and the accompanying sea trial for boats in the water) is an educational as well as evaluative process, be sure to be present for the entire process. There’s often a practical distinction between what you’re shown and what you read in a report, and surveyors are a wonderful source of information on getting the most out of the vessel you’re buying. That being said, the survey is not the time to engage the surveyor in unnecessary or distracting conversation — they need time to climb in, up, and all around, and direct questions to the seller or broker.
When a survey is complete, speak privately with the surveyor to review their findings. Is the boat worth the general value of the deal you’ve struck? Are costly repairs or replacements necessary to make the boat seaworthy? The surveyor will provide you with a complete list to share with the seller or dealer; decide whether you’ll request that these failings be remedied by a credit or corrections.
If you receive a monetary reduction in the price, you’re usually buying the vessel as is and will address the problems on your own dime and time. If the seller undertakes to correct the faults, it may be worth your money to have the surveyor revisit the vessel to ensure everything has been remedied correctly.
