marine surveys
Iain Hibbert
with regards to surveys and buying a boat - obviously it is
a very good idea to have one done, but if the owner of a boat has
had it surveyed recently, can that survey be trusted?
iain
Laxlt
Call a local marine finance group and/or insurance agency and ask if the
surveyor is on their approved list. Also find out how recent the survey
must be for them (usually 6 months).
Surveyors get on these peoples approved lists by being reputable. Unless
you have a particular surveyor in mind, this is as good a reference as you
can usually get.
Jim St. John
: Howdy,
: with regards to surveys and buying a boat - obviously it is
: a very good idea to have one done, but if the owner of a boat has
: had it surveyed recently, can that survey be trusted?
I would say that it depends on the reputation of the surveyor. If he has
a good reputation (generally insurance companies know who is good) then,
if nothing else, you can probably get him to update that survey at very
little cost.
If you can't be sure that the surveyor was a good one (and there are a
lot of whores in the business) then buy yourself the peace of mind you
will get from having a fresh survey from a reputable guy.
-jim-
Roger Jarman
Iain Hibbert wrote:
>
> Howdy,
> with regards to surveys and buying a boat - obviously it is
> a very good idea to have one done, but if the owner of a boat has
> had it surveyed recently, can that survey be trusted?
>
All of the advice that you have received that I have reviewed to date
seems to be pretty good. When looking for a Marine Surveyor, look for
one associated with NAMS or SAMS. While there are some terrible
surveyors so associated, most have established a reputation and have
continuing eductation requirements.
One of the things you miss by buying an old survey (and I do do updates
quiet freqently, particularly if the initial survey is one that I did
for the broker taking a boat in trade and then subsequently selling
it) is the information that the surveyor can usually impart about the
vessel, etc that does not warrant making the survey report.
Roger
Kim Klaka
I disagree, or at least would add some heavy qualifiers. Some surveyors
get on the list because they work in favour of the finance and insurance
organisations - only some of them, mind. I suggest going to a
professional independent body (RINA, SNAME, maybe YBDSA) as a double
check.
As regards the value of a previous survey, it is important not only to
establish how old the survey report is but also to find out the
conditions of the survey e.g. an insurance survey is different from a
damage survey is different from a valuation survey. Some surveyors are
instructed to survey only specific aspects of the vessel. Sometimes a
surveyor is instructed to survey a vessel only whilst afloat (the
resulting report is clearly of limited value; some authorities suggest
that surveyors should decline such a commission).
It's a bit like getting your car or house checked over; neither
reputation nor qualifications are sufficient in their own right.
--
Kim Klaka
Australian Maritime Engineering Cooperative Research Centre (AMECRC)
Curtin University
GPO Box U1987
Perth
Western Australia 6001
phone: 61 9 351 7380
fax: 61 9 351 2377
email: tkla...@cc.curtin.edu.au
Roger D. Knapp
plu...@skate.demon.co.uk (Iain Hibbert) wrote:
>Howdy,
> with regards to surveys and buying a boat - obviously it is
>a very good idea to have one done, but if the owner of a boat has
>had it surveyed recently, can that survey be trusted?
>iain
We missed an opportunity when we bought out boat. We would have been
money and time ahead if we had paid all costs for a local Marine
Industry Professional to go with us to Ft Lauderdale for our
pre-purchase survey. Think about the surveyor's preparation,
motivation, and time allowed. The surveyor in Ft. L was local and had
to live there when we were gone. While I wouldn't accuse him of
deliberate oversights, his motivation was unclear.
Why trust someone else's survey? You have money and peace of mind to
lose.
Best of Luck
Rev. Karin Conover-Lewis
> plu...@skate.demon.co.uk (Iain Hibbert) wrote in article
<4r5br8$1...@skate.demon.co.uk>...
> Howdy,
> with regards to surveys and buying a boat - obviously it is
> a very good idea to have one done, but if the owner of a boat has
> had it surveyed recently, can that survey be trusted?
>
> iain
>
I would have to say No. Not that I believe that all sellers are trying to
pull a fast one, but the surveyor is working for the person who hired
him/her and *may* tend to give a biased report. Unprofessional behaviour
to be certain, and not what one would expect from a surveyor with a good
reputation - unfortunately, surveyors with sterling reputations are few
and far between, at least in this part of the country. If you value your
money, hire your own surveyor. Ideally, the surveyor should not have an
inkling as to the asking price of the boat, and I would prefer that he or
she *not* be provided with a listing sheet or reports from any prior
surveys.
Rev. Karin Conover-Lewis
(revk...@pacbell.net)
jbai...@nwlink.com
> plu...@skate.demon.co.uk (Iain Hibbert) writes:
> Howdy,
> with regards to surveys and buying a boat - obviously it is
> a very good idea to have one done, but if the owner of a boat has
> had it surveyed recently, can that survey be trusted?
>
> iain
>
>>>>
fellow could be a friend of the owner, even related. I know that the marine surveyors out
there might get angry at this statement but it has more to do with the integrity of the owner
since anything could have happened to the boat in the meantime. My personal experience
with my previous owner, lying and deceitful scum he turned out to be, has taught me a
valuable lesson, albeit an expensive one.
Also, don't forget to get the engine surveyed. You'll regret it if you don't.
Good luck,
Jim Bailey