Boat Appraisal Survey

An appraisal survey answers one question: what is this vessel actually worth, and on what evidence.

I inspect the boat, document its condition, compare it against recorded sales of comparable vessels, and produce a written valuation you can hand to a bank, an insurer, an attorney or the IRS. It is a survey first and a number second. The number is only as good as the inspection behind it.

An appraisal is not a price guide

If you want a rough idea what your boat is worth before you list it, the free valuation tools will give you a figure in about ninety seconds, and for that purpose they are fine. Use one.

What they cannot do is look at the boat. They do not know the osmotic blistering below the waterline, the repower that never got documented, the soft core in the foredeck, or the fact that somebody replaced the AC panel in a way ABYC E-11 would have something to say about. A book value is an average of vessels that are not yours.

An appraisal survey is the version somebody will accept as evidence. That is the whole difference, and it is the reason this costs money and the other one does not.

When you actually need one

**Financing.** Lenders want an independent valuation before they write against a hull, particularly on older or unusual vessels where the book is thin.

**Insurance.** An agreed-value policy needs a documented number, and insurers increasingly want one from somebody who is not the seller.

**Estates, divorce and donation.** These end up in front of people who read the methodology, not just the total. A valuation with no inspection behind it does not survive that.

**A dispute.** If the number is going to be argued about, it needs to have been arrived at defensibly the first time.

What I inspect

The appraisal rests on the condition assessment, so the inspection is the same work as any other survey:

Hull, deck and structure, including moisture readings and percussion testing where access allows. Engines and mechanical systems. Electrical distribution against ABYC standards. Steering, plumbing, tankage and ventilation. Safety equipment against USCG requirements and NFPA guidance. Rigging on sailing vessels.

Then the market side: recorded sales of comparable vessels, adjusted for condition, equipment, hours and location. I document which comparables I used and why, because an appraisal nobody can check is an opinion with a letterhead.

What you receive

A written report with the valuation stated plainly, the condition findings that support it, photographs, and the comparable sales the number rests on. Findings are measured against the standard each one falls under, so you can see the reasoning rather than taking the total on trust.

If the number is lower than you hoped, it will say so and explain why. I have no stake in the figure. You are paying for a valuation somebody else will accept, and that only works if it is honest.

Credentials behind the number

I am a SAMS® Surveyor Associate with the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors, and an ABYC Master Advisor, certified in Marine Electrical, Marine Systems and Standards. I trained at the Chapman School of Seamanship in Small Craft and Yacht Surveying, and completed their Damage and Claims Survey courses, basic and advanced.

That matters here specifically: an appraisal that turns on the condition of the electrical system should be written by somebody who is certified to assess the electrical system.

Where I work

I cover coastal North Carolina out of New Bern: Oriental, Washington, Beaufort, Morehead City, Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, plus Hampton in Virginia and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. I also work Hampton Roads in Virginia and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.

If you are looking for a boat appraiser near you and the boat is somewhere on that stretch of coast, call or email and tell me what the appraisal is for. Who is going to read it changes what the report needs to contain.