It's just not done?

[capta]

In a lifetime of buying boats, I've never even considered sharing a survey with another buyer. A survey is a personal contract of private information, to be used by the purchaser to determine a fair price. I won't even show it to the seller. It is MINE and therefore I am happy to pay for it.
As for the bottom cleaning, it behooves the seller to have a boat with a clean bottom for the sea trial, but if he doesn't care then you have to decide what the odds are that you'll buy the boat and if you do, will you want to haul twice? I usually do an in water survey of a vessel myself to see if it is as advertised, anyway. If I'm satisfied, then I will have the boat hauled and surveyed by someone else, to insure my personal desire for the boat won't influence the survey.

 

[justsomeguy]

A survey is a personal contract of private information, to be used by the purchaser to determine a fair price. I won't even show it to the seller.

If you won't show it to the seller, then how can you use it as leverage against the seller's initial asking price?

 

[JamesG161]

If you won't show it to the seller, then how can you use it as leverage against the seller's initial asking price?

It is easy, make a list of repairs the owner must complete before you buy it.

He then must counter your offer, take the risk of repairs, without your final signature, or just say NO and stand on his initial offer.

You will find out quickly the value of the survey or not.

My survey had an "estimated" market value by the surveyor. That is another reason is it YOUR property. The seller has the same privilege to hire his owner surveyor to help him decide on repairs.
Jim...

 

[Kings Gambit]

It is easy, make a list of repairs the owner must complete before you buy it.

He then must counter your offer, take the risk of repairs, without your final signature, or just say NO and stand on his initial offer.

You will find out quickly the value of the survey or not.

My survey had an "estimated" market value by the surveyor. That is another reason is it YOUR property. The seller has the same privilege to hire his owner surveyor to help him decide on repairs.
Jim...

One issue of this discussion was what to do with it if you, the potential buyer, and the seller do not come to an agreement on the sale price, etc. The survey document at that point would have residual value only to the owner, broker, and the next potential buyer (i.e., interested parties). The evident consensus is that although it is "yours" you have an ethical, perhaps legal, constraint on doing anything with it except filing away, discarding, or destroying. If you're seriously looking for boat you'd then face the downstream prospect of having to spring for another multi-hundred dollar survey on a different boat, etc. And remember, you could actually be springing for 3 surveys each time--boat, engine, and rigging. I guess the lesson is to choose wisely. As others have said--do your own presurvey survey b/f you step into anything.

 

[justsomeguy]

do your own presurvey survey b/f you step into anything.

I tried that last February, without much success.

https://tomeshew.wordpress.com/2015/02/16/so-theres-this-ketch-ive-been-looking-at/

 

[bffatcat]

So, you are considering buying a 40+ year old boat and don't want to pay full price for the survey?
As others have mentioned, it is not practical to share the survey expense with other "potential buyers" as it would create a
bidding nightmare favoring the seller. And, speaking of "potential buyers" the owner is likely baiting you to secure an offer; oldest "trick" in the book. The surveyor won't be too excited about taking 2 or 3 prospective buyers on a sea trial and issuing several copies of the survey report; will probably charge more for the survey and reports. If you are convinced that you seriously want this boat, the $750 spent for a survey & quick haul is money well spent. Suppose there are serious blister problems, keel problems, rudder problems, etc.; you need to know these things to make a well informed decision to buy or walk away. As BO mentioned, an independent survey may provide you with information to renegotiate the price of the boat, essentially making the price of the survey a moot point. Pay the price & hopefully things will work out in your favor. When I purchased my boat three years ago, the boat was only 6 years old; the $750 gave me "piece of mind" that there were no major problems. You will need the survey to obtain insurance since it is an older boat.

 

[bffatcat]

My 2c I would not get into a bidding war with anybody. If you are sincerely interested in the boat Hire your own surveyor Do not partner on a survey to save part of the fee