Who Does A Marine Survey Matters
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:59 am
I'm not operating a full time boat building business as I have in the past. I am working as a helper and part time welder for a project so I've gotten more involved in welded aluminum boats recently than in the past four or five years.
I was called to help look over some problems with a boat, recently purchased, by a friend's friend which began to show some problems within a few weeks of the purchase: there was a marine survey done on the boat prior to purchase that missed many (MANY!) small problems and a few major ones too.
My post is to advise the Forum of my opinion of the importance of a Marine Surveyor being involved in a sale of a six figure valued boat and to stress one aspect of a buyers' responsibility that may not be obvious? This point wasn't obvious to the skipper and new owner of the boat in question!
A surveyor's qualifications are like any other "expert" - they vary for all sorts of reasons: overall knowledge of the materials of the boat- some surveyors work mainly in plastic or wood! So that surveyor's knowledge of what to look for in a welded boat may be nearly non-existent? Personal reputation in the insurance and banking loan departments in the area of the purchase- usually reflects a long term experience this marine surveyor has with these local institutions- both of which are often critical to buying and financing a boat of the class we most often discuss here.
The surveyor who "wrote the book" on this particular boat- missed so many details that were substandard- that the owner should have asked for a very significant price reduction over what he paid? OR the owner should have requested the list of details we found later, after the sale, to be corrected before he went forward with the sale?
By relying on a surveyor who was not thorough enough, or who either didn't look at these items or didn't object to them (?) in his survey- the new owner is the sole party who's been disadvantaged. The new owner faces the costs to pull apart the boat's finish work and redo all the plumbing errors, all the wiring errors, the incorrect anodes, and the internal corrosion that was found. ( I welded a hole in the hull that was dripping bilge water! )
So, a word to the wise aluminum boat buyer/ Forum Reader: make sure your surveyor is welded metal boat qualified or you risk having a fee to pay that doesn't really contribute your financial security! Spend enough effort to insure you know about this person's professional and personal qualifications to survey your prospective boat purchase! This is a brief report of the consequences to someone who I'd have thought "knew better" but failed to understand how critical the surveyor's qualifications and experience are.
IF you are the buyer, you need to be very involved with the selection of a the marine surveyor- not just accepting anyone's word on the boat's condition and approx value. If you're not involved in qualifying the surveyor- the information in that report may not be thorough and you may buy a boat for a price that is above market with repairs required that are very (Very) expensive.
Part of the "Buyer Beware" theory of buying and selling; (PLEASE) be sure you have taken time to investigate the surveyor's qualifications, past history, education, experience with metal and membership in professional associations- (rank of full member or just associate?).
Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
I was called to help look over some problems with a boat, recently purchased, by a friend's friend which began to show some problems within a few weeks of the purchase: there was a marine survey done on the boat prior to purchase that missed many (MANY!) small problems and a few major ones too.
My post is to advise the Forum of my opinion of the importance of a Marine Surveyor being involved in a sale of a six figure valued boat and to stress one aspect of a buyers' responsibility that may not be obvious? This point wasn't obvious to the skipper and new owner of the boat in question!
A surveyor's qualifications are like any other "expert" - they vary for all sorts of reasons: overall knowledge of the materials of the boat- some surveyors work mainly in plastic or wood! So that surveyor's knowledge of what to look for in a welded boat may be nearly non-existent? Personal reputation in the insurance and banking loan departments in the area of the purchase- usually reflects a long term experience this marine surveyor has with these local institutions- both of which are often critical to buying and financing a boat of the class we most often discuss here.
The surveyor who "wrote the book" on this particular boat- missed so many details that were substandard- that the owner should have asked for a very significant price reduction over what he paid? OR the owner should have requested the list of details we found later, after the sale, to be corrected before he went forward with the sale?
By relying on a surveyor who was not thorough enough, or who either didn't look at these items or didn't object to them (?) in his survey- the new owner is the sole party who's been disadvantaged. The new owner faces the costs to pull apart the boat's finish work and redo all the plumbing errors, all the wiring errors, the incorrect anodes, and the internal corrosion that was found. ( I welded a hole in the hull that was dripping bilge water! )
So, a word to the wise aluminum boat buyer/ Forum Reader: make sure your surveyor is welded metal boat qualified or you risk having a fee to pay that doesn't really contribute your financial security! Spend enough effort to insure you know about this person's professional and personal qualifications to survey your prospective boat purchase! This is a brief report of the consequences to someone who I'd have thought "knew better" but failed to understand how critical the surveyor's qualifications and experience are.
IF you are the buyer, you need to be very involved with the selection of a the marine surveyor- not just accepting anyone's word on the boat's condition and approx value. If you're not involved in qualifying the surveyor- the information in that report may not be thorough and you may buy a boat for a price that is above market with repairs required that are very (Very) expensive.
Part of the "Buyer Beware" theory of buying and selling; (PLEASE) be sure you have taken time to investigate the surveyor's qualifications, past history, education, experience with metal and membership in professional associations- (rank of full member or just associate?).
Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK