Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? Help!

C

CoolHandLuke

.
Nov 5, 2014
17
Hunter 33 Jersey City, NJ
Hey guys! I'm still a new user to this forum... I'm mostly on www.hardforum.com (if anyone wants computer/tech advice, just ask me or go there directly).

I just agreed to buy a boat and I'm looking to get some help on the whole process.

First thing I need is an inspection/survey. How do I go about doing that? Just look for a company? Trust the broker to provide a reputable inspector/surveyor? Do you guys have anyone in mind? The sailboat is in Florida, but I live in New Jersey. I'd love to go down there for the survey itself; or, should I go before and/or after?

Any help will be greatly, greatly appreciated and will definitely be reciprocated!

Thanks,

Cool Hand Luke
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
the survey should come before the agreement.... or, an agreement dependent upon an acceptable survey report.... acceptable by you. and it should be a surveyor of your choice, not the brokers recommendation or the sellers recommendation, thats just a bad idea if you want them actually working in your best interest.

you should ALWAYS, ALWAYS look at the boat yourself before you order a survey... its possible you dont even want the boat... just because a seller says its in great shape, doesnt mean it is.... everyones idea of good and great and wonderful is different.
and everyones idea of "just needing a little TLC" can be miles apart also...
(TLC = Time, Lots of Cash)

the yellow pages is a place to look for a surveyor, or walk the docks and ask other boaters if they would recommend anyone.... its not rocket science, but you do want someone on your side who does have some backround in marine surveying, and who wont "accidentally" overlook or play down an important and expensive problem, just to make a sale for the broker or seller.....

for your benefit, and to insure the survey isnt done in the form of a "dock walk", you should be on hand for the survey... a good surveyor will be more than happy to explain things, show you what you need to be aware of, any problems,(which there WILL be some) and to what extent they are a problem. also the possible costs to repair...

you will need to arrange the haul out, or for a small amount more, the surveyor will arrange that.
I have found letting the surveyor do the scheduling to be the best... then the plan comes together a little better, and all you have to do is show up early, with your checkbook, and inspect the boat with the surveyor...

you must pay for the haul-out and survey even if you chose not to buy the boat...
 
C

CoolHandLuke

.
Nov 5, 2014
17
Hunter 33 Jersey City, NJ
centerline said:
the survey should come before the agreement.... or, an agreement dependent upon an acceptable survey report.... acceptable by you. and it should be a surveyor of your choice, not the brokers recommendation or the sellers recommendation, thats just a bad idea if you want them actually working in your best interest.

you should ALWAYS, ALWAYS look at the boat yourself before you order a survey... its possible you dont even want the boat... just because a seller says its in great shape, doesnt mean it is.... everyones idea of good and great and wonderful is different.
and everyones idea of "just needing a little TLC" can be miles apart also...
(TLC = Time, Lots of Cash)

the yellow pages is a place to look for a surveyor, or walk the docks and ask other boaters if they would recommend anyone.... its not rocket science, but you do want someone on your side who does have some backround in marine surveying, and who wont "accidentally" overlook or play down an important and expensive problem, just to make a sale for the broker or seller.....

for your benefit, and to insure the survey isnt done in the form of a "dock walk", you should be on hand for the survey... a good surveyor will be more than happy to explain things, show you what you need to be aware of, any problems,(which there WILL be some) and to what extent they are a problem. also the possible costs to repair...

you will need to arrange the haul out, or for a small amount more, the surveyor will arrange that.
I have found letting the surveyor do the scheduling to be the best... then the plan comes together a little better, and all you have to do is show up early, with your checkbook, and inspect the boat with the surveyor...

you must pay for the haul-out and survey even if you chose not to buy the boat...
Click to expand
Thank you, Centerline!! Very well put. Makes sense and will definitely follow your advice. I'm very excited but definitely need to be careful. It's like buying a house. People get so emotional that they forget the basics and the foundation of the process.
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
CoolHandLuke said:
Thank you, Centerline!! Very well put. Makes sense and will definitely follow your advice. I'm very excited but definitely need to be careful. It's like buying a house. People get so emotional that they forget the basics and the foundation of the process.
Click to expand
emotions are D*mned expensive when it comes to boat buying.... take the wife but leave the emotions at home!:D
 
C

CoolHandLuke

.
Nov 5, 2014
17
Hunter 33 Jersey City, NJ
centerline said:
emotions are D*mned expensive when it comes to boat buying.... take the wife but leave the emotions at home!:D
Click to expand
I'm single ;)

BTW... how do I go about naming a boat? How do people think of names for the boats? Do I have to keep the one that's on there right now?
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Re: Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? H

not unless its a documented vessel, and even then it can be changed but with quite a bit more trouble....

search "renaming a boat".... you will get all sorts of stuff to read. some superstitions concerning it, and some not to much...
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

.
Oct 26, 2008
6,432
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Re: Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? H

If you like the name, keep it. Otherwise ... it's up to you. Where in Florida is the boat right now? I'm sure you can get some good recommendations for a surveyor on this forum. What is your intention? Are you keeping her in Florida or moving her to JC? (if JC, why are you buying a Florida boat?)

A decent 33' sailboat should be worth the visit. Did you agree sight unseen? You should go to Florida to take a look before the survey, but with a little coordination, you can take a look and have the survey done the next day if you like what you see. Do a little studying to understand what you would be looking for. You can get a long list of concerns right here ... if I had time right now, I would give you some examples.
 
S

Sanfelice

.
Jan 21, 2009
260
Catalina 30 Lake Perry, KS
Keep in mind the broker is representing the seller. His/her task is to sell the boat at the highest price possible. As far as a surveyor is concerned, there are 2 professional organiztions to look at. Joe blow at the dock may or may not have a valid opinion. I would ask the broker for the name of a surveyor and see if they are certified. Preferably he/she will give you more than one name. If he only recommends one surveyor I would be cautious. Just do research.
Here is a link that may help.

http://www.boat-chek.com/nams_sams.aspx
 
S

Steve C.

.
Nov 29, 2008
70
Hunter 30 San Diego
Re: Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? H

Don't forget you have to eat 50 hard boiled eggs...
 
down_shift

down_shift

.
Aug 15, 2014
114
Catalina 36 Deale, MD
Re: Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? H

Cool Hand - when narrowing down your surveyor of choice, ask for a prior report of a boat in similar size and vintage. This will go a long way in determining if his/her level of detail is consistent to your expectations.
 
31seahorse

31seahorse

.
Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
Re: Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? H

NJ vs FLORIDA: Judging by the weather a trip to Florida could be just what the doctor, broker, buyer, sailor ordered!

Just my opinion, but boats often look better in the pictures shown by the owner/broker than they do "in person". That is no reflection on the owner or the broker, but the pictures seldom are of the nooks and crannies or the deficiencies the boat may appear to have in your opinion. If you have not sent a deposit, signed a contract, or set foot on the boat I would suggest a deep breath and a visit to the boat.

" What we (could) have here is a failure to communicate." As was asked above where in Florida is the boat? Easy to get to via air line connections? Method/Cost to transport to NJ if that is where it is to be used? Engine hours/condition? Have you sailed a similar (or the same) model/make? Planned use? All those things need some consideration.

Best Wishes
 
O

oldersalt

.
Aug 10, 2011
37
none none Northern California
Re: Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? H

You say you have "agreed" to buy the boat, but there's more to it than that... Typically, at least here in California, your offer would include the following contingencies:
1. Survey acceptable to the buyer
2. Engine survey acceptable to the buyer
3. Buyer can obtain suitable financing (if applicable)
4. acceptable sea trial
Once you and the seller have agreed on the price, and the contingencies, the next step, as others have noted, is for you to get the boat surveyed. You will pay for the haul-out and the survey. If at all possible, you should accompany the surveyor, since it is a way to learn a huge amount about the boat. The surveyor will normally talk to you during the survey and let you know what he is finding. Hopefully he will not find any real serious deal-killing problems, but he will always find a few things. You can forget about the real minor problems, and the more serious problems can be used as ammunition for, if necessary, a second round of price negotiation with the seller. Finally you will get a written survey report, which you will probably have to submit to the insurance company in order for them to underwrite your new policy.

2. Surveyors don't usually check the engine. You might want to find a reputable local mechanic and pay him/her (with the boat in the water) to run and check the engine. These are often less formal check than the boat survey, and may not produce a written report, but can reveal if there is a serious problem with the engine.

3. Financing. Hopefully you don't need it or already have the $$. The selling broker can probably help with this if necessary.

4. Sea Trial: As the final step, you should get the owner, or the broker if necessary, to take you for a sail. This is your last chance to back out of the deal. You will learn some things about the boat, and at least a little bit about how she sails. You may not learn a lot, but if your misgivings have been growing, you simply have to say you don't like the way she sails and get your deposit back. You will be out the cost of the haul-out and survey, but will be vastly more educated when it comes to the next boat. Or, better yet, you will own a boat and be on your way.

Either way, have a great time!
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
by the way, what kind and model of boat is it?... sleek, fast and racy.... or a tub?... probably somewhere in between:D
 
B

bffatcat

.
Jun 8, 2004
853
Pearson 26W Marblehead
boat purchase/survey

What I do not understand is why you are buying a boat in FL when you live in NJ your going to have to shiip the boat home expensive, unless your going to sail it home yourself. There is no shortage of good used boats in the NY NJ area
 
meb135

meb135

.
Nov 17, 2012
92
Hunter 33 Shediac Bay
Re: Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? H

You have a few different posts going on at the same time. Like I said in another thread you started, the boat you're looking at in Florida appears to have had some major water damage. The price point for that boat is way below normal. You should be very careful.....
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

.
Feb 26, 2004
23,348
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Re: Agreed to buy a boat; what's next? Survey? Inspection? H

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=102541

It is really counterproductive to have multiple threads going on the same subject.

They have also written BOOKS on how to look at and how to buy used sailboats.

Good luck. Don't buy a dog or a project boat, always a recipe for disaster except for one or two guys on this forum who did it knowingly and lovingly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top Bottom