SURVEY SECRETS
Ease stress through preparation with this expert guide
No-one likes unnecessary expense when it comes to boat ownership, and having a survey done is a cost most people would rather avoid. Most boat owners have a survey done when they purchase a vessel, but there are other times a craft may need one. These include when insurance companies request an inspection, perhaps because of time elapsed since your last survey, or if you have done something to your boat and think it is worth getting a professional in to check. Not all surveys, or surveyors, are equal, however, so if you instruct a survey on price alone without first establishing what you are actually paying for, you may come away feeling short-changed, or blissfully unaware of significant issues.
At the point of purchasing a boat, regardless of if you are buying privately or from a broker, it is wise to satisfy yourself that what you are buying is structurally in the condition you are expecting, whether it is a top notch luxury craft or a known project boat, and that it is going to last without any nasty surprises.
INSTRUCTING A SURVEYOR
Before employing a surveyor, be mindful of what you may need; for instance, is the craft at an age where the insurance of the vessel will require a survey? This will generally be the case on boats from about 30 years old, but some underwriting companies are requesting to see surveys on boats of 25 years or older. Your insurance underwriters may also expect a surveyor to hold membership of a recognised association like the Yacht Designers and Surveyors Association (YDSA), the International Institute of Marine Surveyors (IIMS) or similar, and may even specify what level of membership your surveyor should hold, so it’s worth checking
with your intended insurer before you engage a surveyor. Underwriters may also provide a list of what they expect to be covered in a survey report, though a good surveyor will cover this in any case. Lastly make sure whomever you are employing has proper professional indemnity insurance cover.
The broker you are buying the boat from will provide a short list of surveyors that they have worked with before, but you are by no means bound by this list. One last word on choosing a surveyor; watch out for the word ‘Qualified’. There are very few formal qualifications to undertake surveys on craft and there are a few surveyors who don’t actually have any proper training at all other than a distance learning course. Unbelievably all someone needs to be a marine surveyor is a customer, but don’t be put off: there are a good number of very good marine surveyors who have a long background of being in the industry. Some have even been involved in building, fitting out or designing.
If you are paying for a survey it is important you get what you are expecting. If in doubt, check the websites of the association they claim to be members of and also feel free to ask for a sample report from the surveyor you are planning to employ.
METHODS AND TYPES OF SURVEY
The methods of survey and who you employ may be dependent on materials the craft is built from, as very different assessments methods are needed. If you are looking at a steel or aluminium yacht for instance, the survey will need to pay attention to the actual plate thickness with use of a hammer and ultrasound. They will need to look closely for pitting to the plating along with an inspection of her welding, so going through internal framework and checking on internal plate condition and welding is important.
With laminates such as fibreglass, different disciplines are needed, with careful inspection of high load areas, physical structure and paying attention to moisture levels and indications of damage or groundings. For those of you who want to have a timber yacht surveyed, you need to employ a surveyor who is very experienced and understands how the craft was built.
It is essential they understand about the correct selections of timber and the types and materials used for fastenings.
For both an owner’s insurance survey or a pre-purchase survey before instructing a surveyor you need to know what level of survey you are getting and what they plan to look at and report on. Is it just an external hull check or a more thorough inspection? Likewise, you need to be aware of what can and can’t be inspected at the place she is being surveyed. Some areas of a vessel can be very difficult to check. For instance, if a vessel is on hard standing it is almost impossible to see the condition of the hull-to-keel joint and how secure it is unless the craft is lifted.
ALLOWING FULL ACCESS
A surveyor will often want to remove layers of paint from the hull, so a pressure washer needs to be available if the boat is in the water, and removing areas of epoxy or special antifoul coatings at a pre-purchase survey can be fraught with issues. Sometimes this is essential to further confirm an issue that has been identified, but a seller may be less than keen to have this done. If blisters are found on the hull, only by scraping back the antifouling can you tell if this is moisture trapped between coatings or if it is full-blown osmosis under the gelcoat. Some common sense needs to be exercised from all parties.
Having appropriate access to lockers throughout the craft is essential.
A craft that is so full of clutter that it’s impossible to see into the lockers without spending loads of time clearing them out to check bonding or general structure of the craft will really hamper the surveyor.
It is important to remove as much unnecessary clutter as possible before the survey takes place.