Pre-purchase survey checklist
- Thread starter GSail
- Start date
In both of the C&V surveys I've had to do for the insurance company (2013 and 2020), the rigging was not inspected. You have to hire a rigger for the inspection, as @Kings Gambit has stated.
When the pre-purchase survey was done when I bought the boat, the insurance company insisted that I hire a rigger to inspect the standing rigging. This was over and above paying for the marine survey.
When the pre-purchase survey was done when I bought the boat, the insurance company insisted that I hire a rigger to inspect the standing rigging. This was over and above paying for the marine survey.
No. If the mast is up, the general surveyor will note that the mast is standing and the rigging appears to be holding it up. More than that, you'll need to hire a rigger.
Looks like this is a sweet job
This is a reason why I created this post - to get knowledge from the more experienced people.
I saw on YouTube about 5 different pre-purchase surveys. All of them did base inspection for standing rigging.
Wrapped everything with your recommendations in this boat survey checklist template
Going to add some text, explaining, that checklist is generic. And survey scope can be in or out of this list.
If anybody has suggestions on how to improve it, please let me know.
Also if you want to share your experience, I can post your article on the website.
Going to add some text, explaining, that checklist is generic. And survey scope can be in or out of this list.
If anybody has suggestions on how to improve it, please let me know.
Also if you want to share your experience, I can post your article on the website.
While apparently well-intended, people are best served by reading purchase and survey guides by reputable experts rather than relying, at any level, on some internet quick guide which is inevitably full of incomplete and potentially misleading guidance.
If the intent is to be helpful, please dont try to simplify or over-simplify a complicated process. That benefits no one.
If the intent is to be helpful, please dont try to simplify or over-simplify a complicated process. That benefits no one.
'Minds me of a story..... (A bin there done that story.)
When we sold our 1983 O'day 34 some time ago the prospective buyer hired a local surveyor whom we had used for the purchase of a previous boat, therefore we trusted his ability and knowledge and were comfortable with him inspecting our boat. When the survey was scheduled both prospective buyer and prospective seller (me) were present and accompanied the surveyor as he crawled, tapped, opened lockers, snooped in tiny spaces, looked at the engine, and eventually did a "sea trial" (read short boat ride) to run the engine. The entire day (pushing 6 hours) was spent doing the inspection. I later compared that day to a six-hour trip to the dentist. That buyer did not complete the purchase, but the next group of "friends" who came aboard with the person who did buy the boat surely met a more prepared seller who had fixed some of the "recommendations" made verbally by the surveyor. Furthermore, they were politely told to leave the ball-peen hammer on the dock! I showed them the locations of any suspected wetness in the deck because the blue tape was still in place from the survey.
Points I want to make: (1) Buyer and seller should be present at the survey if at all possible. (2) Both will have questions and comments that the surveyor might be willing to consider. (3) Both will undoubtedly learn important facts about the boat being surveyed and about boats in general. (4) Buying a boat without an accredited survey will surely have conditions that the casual/first-time buyer will not recognize. (5) Finally, the checklist that has been discussed might be useful as a short, handy guide for the person who is buying for the first time or plans to use the checklist as he/she looks over a boat in which he/she might have an increasing interest. (6) Few, if any, surveyors will find every fault. A novice using a checklist as a guide certainly will not find them all.
When we sold our 1983 O'day 34 some time ago the prospective buyer hired a local surveyor whom we had used for the purchase of a previous boat, therefore we trusted his ability and knowledge and were comfortable with him inspecting our boat. When the survey was scheduled both prospective buyer and prospective seller (me) were present and accompanied the surveyor as he crawled, tapped, opened lockers, snooped in tiny spaces, looked at the engine, and eventually did a "sea trial" (read short boat ride) to run the engine. The entire day (pushing 6 hours) was spent doing the inspection. I later compared that day to a six-hour trip to the dentist. That buyer did not complete the purchase, but the next group of "friends" who came aboard with the person who did buy the boat surely met a more prepared seller who had fixed some of the "recommendations" made verbally by the surveyor. Furthermore, they were politely told to leave the ball-peen hammer on the dock! I showed them the locations of any suspected wetness in the deck because the blue tape was still in place from the survey.
Points I want to make: (1) Buyer and seller should be present at the survey if at all possible. (2) Both will have questions and comments that the surveyor might be willing to consider. (3) Both will undoubtedly learn important facts about the boat being surveyed and about boats in general. (4) Buying a boat without an accredited survey will surely have conditions that the casual/first-time buyer will not recognize. (5) Finally, the checklist that has been discussed might be useful as a short, handy guide for the person who is buying for the first time or plans to use the checklist as he/she looks over a boat in which he/she might have an increasing interest. (6) Few, if any, surveyors will find every fault. A novice using a checklist as a guide certainly will not find them all.
Don's right.
Yes, well intentioned.
But reinventing the wheel makes little sense, especially when the re-inventor is gonna start out with a square "starter wheel" after staring at a round one already done by truly knowledgeable folks who have already written BOOKS about the subject.
Just about every single boating website I have ever seen (& I read a LOT of them) is firmly committed to the concept of avoiding reinventing the wheel, either for boating or boating systems in general or for specific boats (like the Catalina one-design Associations).
This OP's effort is a waste of time.
I think having a checklist is a good thing when a potential buyer is looking at a prospective boat. The buyer should do a thorough inspection before hiring a surveyor. Or to put it another way, don't waste money on a survey if you can eliminate a particular boat based on your inspection. A checklist will help to that end.
On the OP's I would add a few items and be more specific with others. Among items that I would be more specific about are CO detectors and their expiration dates. Also smoke detectors. I would specifically add the Cutlas Bearing. Thru hulls have gate valves or ball valves. Double SS Clamps. Hoses are of the correct type for their use (I was surprised to see this come up on the survey for my Ranger 29). I would test a deck stepped mast to see that water doesn't pool around it. Specifically the chain plates on deck and inside with their attachments to the hull. I would look at all the tabbing I could see and especially around the keel for evidence of a hard grounding. Doors that don't close. The type of shaft seal and condition. Rusting of aft engine area indicating water being flung around. Alternator output. What kind and age of batteries. Front and rear Keel/hull area. Bottom paint type. Hull painted?
I could go on but a checklist would help in relieving me of the need to think of each item in an ad hoc fashion. In fact I made one for use when I look at a potential boat - I think it's evaporated into the ether.
On the OP's I would add a few items and be more specific with others. Among items that I would be more specific about are CO detectors and their expiration dates. Also smoke detectors. I would specifically add the Cutlas Bearing. Thru hulls have gate valves or ball valves. Double SS Clamps. Hoses are of the correct type for their use (I was surprised to see this come up on the survey for my Ranger 29). I would test a deck stepped mast to see that water doesn't pool around it. Specifically the chain plates on deck and inside with their attachments to the hull. I would look at all the tabbing I could see and especially around the keel for evidence of a hard grounding. Doors that don't close. The type of shaft seal and condition. Rusting of aft engine area indicating water being flung around. Alternator output. What kind and age of batteries. Front and rear Keel/hull area. Bottom paint type. Hull painted?
I could go on but a checklist would help in relieving me of the need to think of each item in an ad hoc fashion. In fact I made one for use when I look at a potential boat - I think it's evaporated into the ether.