What's your experience with using a surveyor prior to purchase? Honestly, I've got mixed feelings. In my latest (and also previous) experience, the surveyor told me little more than I knew before making the offer and hauling the boat. And that "little more" was almost entirely about the condition of the bottom, which I would have discovered myself upon hauling! Sure, I felt a lot better having an "expert" tell me if the boat was a good buy, in good condition, etc. And maybe I'm feeling like I won't pay for another survey because I've been around boats long enough to spot what the surveyors have spotted..... But is there any experience of yours that would convince me to pay for the advice "just in case"???? Is $7 to $11 per foot an acceptable expense for "reassurance"??? It's another of those things that make you go "hmmmmm". Michael O'
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Dave
Surveyor
If the surveyor does a thorough job with moisture meters and tap tests to tell you the condition of the hull. If the surveyor does things like compression testing the engine to see if a major rebuild or replace is necessary then I say it is worth it. If it is the dead of winter in the northeast or even early spring when it is freezing out then the surveyor probably earns his money. So I would say use one if the boat is a certain threshold of cost and you want to protect your investment. If the boat is say 3500 bucks then you probably don't need to bother as your investment is pretty small. Perhaps a cost/price ratio is in order as a guideline, maybe something like if the survey is over 5% of the cost don't bother. Dave
If the surveyor does a thorough job with moisture meters and tap tests to tell you the condition of the hull. If the surveyor does things like compression testing the engine to see if a major rebuild or replace is necessary then I say it is worth it. If it is the dead of winter in the northeast or even early spring when it is freezing out then the surveyor probably earns his money. So I would say use one if the boat is a certain threshold of cost and you want to protect your investment. If the boat is say 3500 bucks then you probably don't need to bother as your investment is pretty small. Perhaps a cost/price ratio is in order as a guideline, maybe something like if the survey is over 5% of the cost don't bother. Dave
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
You may need one for the lender or insurer anyway
A C&V (condition & value) survey isn't as extensive as a full prepurchase survey--and therefore costs less--but if you have to have that one anyway, you'd be foolish not to have a full prepurchase survey done. Besides, if the surveyor is any good, it's just about impossible for him/her NOT to find enough that needs correcting--at the seller's expense, of course--to more than cover the cost of the survey. And that includes my own boat, on which I'd have bet money the surveyor wouldn't find ANYthing. You may have "been around boats long enough to know what to look for," but do you know all the ABYC, NFPA, UL and other standards? 'Cuz a good surveyor does, and will find everything that doesn't meet any of them.
A C&V (condition & value) survey isn't as extensive as a full prepurchase survey--and therefore costs less--but if you have to have that one anyway, you'd be foolish not to have a full prepurchase survey done. Besides, if the surveyor is any good, it's just about impossible for him/her NOT to find enough that needs correcting--at the seller's expense, of course--to more than cover the cost of the survey. And that includes my own boat, on which I'd have bet money the surveyor wouldn't find ANYthing. You may have "been around boats long enough to know what to look for," but do you know all the ABYC, NFPA, UL and other standards? 'Cuz a good surveyor does, and will find everything that doesn't meet any of them.
Let's just say....
that you miss something that cost $500-1000. The surveyor just saved you $200+. If it happens that he catches something major, that you don't even think about checking to could be the value of the boat. If you are going to finance the boat, you probably need a survey anyway. I guess you should look at a survey like an insurance policy. Sometimes you have insurance and don't use it. Sometimes you try to use it but they don't pay. Sometimes you use it and it was worth the 10 years that you paid but never used it. PS: your insurance company may also require the survey too.
that you miss something that cost $500-1000. The surveyor just saved you $200+. If it happens that he catches something major, that you don't even think about checking to could be the value of the boat. If you are going to finance the boat, you probably need a survey anyway. I guess you should look at a survey like an insurance policy. Sometimes you have insurance and don't use it. Sometimes you try to use it but they don't pay. Sometimes you use it and it was worth the 10 years that you paid but never used it. PS: your insurance company may also require the survey too.
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VALDO
it's a gamble....
check out this site (you may reconsider): http://www.marinesurvey.com/yacht/sinking.htm#Reverse if the purchase is 'material' to your budget, then i'd opt for a survey, otherwise maybe not (i.e., if the cost is like dropping a small wad in 'vegas --whatever you can stand....)
check out this site (you may reconsider): http://www.marinesurvey.com/yacht/sinking.htm#Reverse if the purchase is 'material' to your budget, then i'd opt for a survey, otherwise maybe not (i.e., if the cost is like dropping a small wad in 'vegas --whatever you can stand....)
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Joe Dickson
Also depends on the surveyor...
We had a great surveyor. He really knew his business and in the process of crawling all over our boat he found significant issues that gave us leverage with the seller. In our case he more than earned his fee. I have heard other stories however of folks getting stuck with lousy surveyors and essentially flushing a few hundred bucks down the toilet... (excuse me, I mean head)
We had a great surveyor. He really knew his business and in the process of crawling all over our boat he found significant issues that gave us leverage with the seller. In our case he more than earned his fee. I have heard other stories however of folks getting stuck with lousy surveyors and essentially flushing a few hundred bucks down the toilet... (excuse me, I mean head)
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Debra Blatnik
More than worth it
Check around and find someone good. The fellow who surveyed my boat got me a lot of good information (Like checking the temperature of the engine with a high accuracy meter, not just the engine thermostat.) He also climbed the mast, not something that everyone will do. He also reassured me that somethings that were found to be wrong with the boat weren't that expensive to have fixed or hard to fix myself (he was right on all counts.) And it is a 3rd part looking at the boat. (Did you fall in love with this boat when you first saw it?)
Check around and find someone good. The fellow who surveyed my boat got me a lot of good information (Like checking the temperature of the engine with a high accuracy meter, not just the engine thermostat.) He also climbed the mast, not something that everyone will do. He also reassured me that somethings that were found to be wrong with the boat weren't that expensive to have fixed or hard to fix myself (he was right on all counts.) And it is a 3rd part looking at the boat. (Did you fall in love with this boat when you first saw it?)
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gary jensen
Survey it yourself
I have surveyed all my boats that I have owned--myself. I sailed them, operated all the components took all that I could out, hauled them, pressure washed them and tapped their hulls. I have rejected one boat of the four potential purchses. Everything has worked fine for me. My neighbor had a surveyor check his boat and missed dry rot to the tune of $10,000 in repairs. The surveyor could not be held accountable for the work. He would not even return the survey fee----GO FIGURE!!!!
I have surveyed all my boats that I have owned--myself. I sailed them, operated all the components took all that I could out, hauled them, pressure washed them and tapped their hulls. I have rejected one boat of the four potential purchses. Everything has worked fine for me. My neighbor had a surveyor check his boat and missed dry rot to the tune of $10,000 in repairs. The surveyor could not be held accountable for the work. He would not even return the survey fee----GO FIGURE!!!!
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David Foster
Survey is a valuable must
Our surveyor found all of the issues that have shown up in the first year of ownership. But we should understand he could miss something - measuring a fiberglass and wood sandwich is _not_ an exact science. His written report was detailed and thorough. Other values were: Gave us a maintenance checklist for Lady Lillie. Set up a re-negotiation that earned over twice his fee. Was required for our insurance. Taught us some valuable lessons about owning a cruising keel boat. About selection: a few phone calls can pretty much assure you get a competent surveyor. David Lady Lillie, h27
Our surveyor found all of the issues that have shown up in the first year of ownership. But we should understand he could miss something - measuring a fiberglass and wood sandwich is _not_ an exact science. His written report was detailed and thorough. Other values were: Gave us a maintenance checklist for Lady Lillie. Set up a re-negotiation that earned over twice his fee. Was required for our insurance. Taught us some valuable lessons about owning a cruising keel boat. About selection: a few phone calls can pretty much assure you get a competent surveyor. David Lady Lillie, h27
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