Frequently Asked Questions

Before the survey

How much does a boat survey cost?

It depends on the vessel, so I quote per boat rather than working from a rate card. There is a price range on the cost page, along with what drives the cost of a survey.

Do I need to be there for the survey?

It is never a bad idea to attend, but about half my surveys are for out-of-state buyers who are trusting the report to tell them the condition of the vessel. Some people come for the whole day, some come just for the trial run, and some do not attend at all.

Does the boat need to come out of the water?

For a pre-purchase survey, yes. I will not commit to one without a bottom inspection. For an insurance survey, the letter from your provider will tell you whether the bottom needs to be inspected.

Can you take oil samples?

Yes, I keep the kit in my truck. I do not like to sell them up front, because if the oil was recently changed the sample will not tell us much — I would rather make sure it is going to add value before you spend the money. Once I mail them out we are at the mercy of the shipper and the lab. Three or so business days is normal.

On the day

What time does the survey start?

I try to get going at 8:30. A late haul-out slot or the weather can move it, but I prefer to start early so I can get home and work on your report.

Can I follow you around and watch?

I keep a spare flashlight in my tool bag just for that. Tag along, and I will tell you what I am doing and why.

Will you drive the boat?

I will take the helm to test it. But during the trial run I am gathering engine performance data, shooting temperatures and checking through-hulls for leaks, so the owner, the broker or a captain should be available to run the boat.

After the survey

How long does the report take?

Delivered the next day. Not next week.

Can I call you after I have read the report?

Absolutely. Our relationship is not over when the report lands. Call me with any question about it.

Should I buy the boat?

I cannot make that decision for you. I lay out the facts, the risks and the positives, and you decide based on your own risk tolerance.

Your report, your information

Will you share the report with anyone?

No. It is your work product. You paid me to develop it, so it is yours to do what you like with. Think of it this way: the developer who wrote Microsoft Word does not own it. Microsoft does. They paid the developer to create it for them.

Will you discuss the findings with the seller or broker?

Not by default. Everything I find and document is your property. Some clients prefer to keep it to themselves, others want an open conversation with everyone involved. That is your call, and unless you tell me otherwise I will not discuss it with anyone but you.

More questions

Do you survey boats I have not bought yet?

That is most of the work. A pre-purchase survey exists precisely for the stage before the money moves.

Do you work for the seller or the broker?

No. I am engaged by you, paid by you, and I have no interest in whether the sale closes.

How long does a marine survey take?

It depends on the vessel’s size and complexity. A simple outboard boat is a short day. A larger vessel with a generator, air conditioning, thrusters and integrated electronics takes considerably longer.

Is there a trial run?

Where the vessel and the yard allow one, yes, and it is worth insisting on. Engines under load behave differently to engines at the dock, and steering, shifting and running gear tell you things at speed that they will not tell you tied up. See what the trial run covers.

What if you find something serious?

I tell you at the time rather than letting you read it days later. If a boat has a problem that changes the decision, you should know while you are still standing next to it.

What is included in a marine survey?

Findings described plainly and photographed, separated by urgency so a safety item is never buried among cosmetic notes, and where one falls under a standard, I name it.

Can I use the survey to negotiate the price?

That is one of the things it is for. A photographed finding with a standard attached is a far better negotiating position than an opinion.

My insurer asked for a survey. Which one?

A condition and valuation survey. It documents the vessel’s condition and establishes its value, which is what an underwriter is pricing.

Will a preliminary survey satisfy them?

No. Lenders and insurers require a full survey, and a walk-through inspection will not be accepted.

Why do older boats need a survey more often?

Because age correlates with the failures carriers pay out on: wiring, fuel systems, through-hulls and structural deterioration. On an older vessel a survey is often required at every renewal.

Who pays for the survey, the buyer or the seller?

On a pre-purchase survey, the buyer. You engage me, you pay me, and I represent your interest in the purchase. On an insurance survey it is the owner. Either way the report is your work product. The haul-out, where one is needed, is billed separately by the yard.

How far do you travel?

Coastal North Carolina out of New Bern, plus Hampton Roads in Virginia and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. If your boat is near that stretch and you are unsure, ask.

Can I do my own boat survey?

Yes, and it is worth doing. Go aboard, open every locker, run the systems, and work out whether the boat is right for you. Nobody needs a surveyor for that part. Where a survey goes further is in measuring the boat against the standards it was built to and the ones your insurer cares about. A moisture reading only means something next to the laminate schedule it is read against. How much load a seacock has to take, where overcurrent protection has to be fitted, how much resistance is allowed across the metallic parts of a gasoline fuel system: those are published numbers. A finding written against one of them is something a yard can quote on, which is what makes it useful to you.

Is a survey worth it on a new boat?

Yes, and new is where people assume otherwise. I have surveyed boats straight out of the factory and boats a year or two old, and findings are common. Boats are hand-built, things get missed in the build, and not every boat leaves the line meeting every standard that applies to it.

Are there boats you will not survey?

Yes. If I do not think a survey from me adds value to you, I will tell you.