You’ve decided to proceed with a pre-purchase survey for your potential sailboat and are working with the seller to get their lowest price. A pre-purchase survey is recommended to make sure the vessel is seaworthy and can also add leverage to lower the asking price in the event that some repairs need immediate attention. You’ve agreed with an accredited marine surveyor on a specific date, location and price to inspect the vessel. The surveyor may ask for a deposit to guarantee your inspection date and send you a list of what their report will include. They may also send you what their expectations are in terms of the vessel’s cleanliness before they inspect it. It’s important to respect and adhere to these terms.
What next?
Buyers
As the buyer you want to make sure to communicate with the seller exactly what you need prepared for the survey. The boat is to be hauled out and the hull cleaned and dried. It is important that the buyer reiterates the importance of a clean interior and exterior to the seller. This is the seller’s responsibility.
Sellers
As the seller, you want to make sure the vessel is clean, decluttered and in orderly fashion to ensure top dollar. It’s advisable that the seller attends the survey to answer any questions the surveyor may have. A past survey report, if available, will be a useful tool to ensure any of the listed recommendations were repaired. The seller must communicate with the marina regarding the several reasons listed below.
To conduct a survey in a timely fashion, you must do your part by preparing the boat. Here is a list of tasks that should be completed prior to the survey.
How to Prepare for the Survey
1. Access to the facility has been authorized.
It’s important that the marina and security are aware of the surveyor attending. At times, the surveyor will be asked to show identification, a business card and sometimes proof of liability insurance.
2. Verify that the batteries are charged.
Since the electronics, lights and engine will be tested, it is best to have the batteries charged and ready for use. The surveyor may also start the engine to make sure it turns over. If a sea trial is scheduled, the engine will be started once the vessel is in the water.
3. All shoreside connections are available and ready for connection.
The surveyor will want to inspect the AC panel. This may be difficult as it’s not always possible to plug into the marina shore power if the vessel is in its cradle or on the lift. Some owners may have a portable generator to plug into.
4. Make sure all water is removed from the cockpit and bilge.
The cockpit should be clean and free of water. The surveyor will not want to be working in ankle deep water. The bilge needs to be free of water in order to inspect its condition and the keel bolts. Any residue of oil in the bilge will not be a good sign.
5. Closets, cabinet and other stowage area must be cleaned out and accessible.
The surveyor won’t want to spend time emptying those compartments. Make sure all is removed, and the compartments are easy to inspect. Don’t forget the cockpit lockers. Those are notoriously dirty and cluttered.
6. List electronics and gear that are part of the sale.
Provide an inventory list of the electronics and gear that are to be included in the sale—TV, microwave, water toys, scuba gear, fishing gear, etc. This list should describe the item and when purchased, price paid and estimated value.
7. Provide a list of all sails with their age.
If the sails are to be inspected and have been stored, a large clean area needs to be accessible to properly unfold the sails without causing any damage.
8. Remove all removable floor covering to expose all floorboards.
This includes carpeting, rubber mats etc.
9. Have all seacocks accessible.
Probably one of them most important inspection is the seacock inspection. To do a proper inspection, the surveyor will need to open and close the seacock and look at the hoses and clamps (if applicable). It’s imperative that this area is clutter free.
10. Inventory list of spare parts that are to be included.
There could be too many spare parts to mention but at least mention the most expensive ones such as a spare alternator, winch handle or bilge pump.
11. List tools that are included.
This includes wrenches, screwdrivers, testers, socket sets.
12. Make sure all light bulbs are working.
Any lights that are not working will be mentioned in the report and added to the necessary repair list. You want to avoid this list as a seller.
13. Have all the safety items available for inspection.
Are the fire extinguishers full? Are the flares up to date? Are the life jackets onboard?
14. Remove all personal items not included in the sale.
When decluttering, remove all items that are not part of the sale. Diary, decorations, books, clothing, linen are a few to be mentioned.
15. Have copies of all required vessel documents.
Title and registration, license, identification and the captain’s logbook.
16. List repairs made.
An organized owner will have a maintenance record book available. This will add value to the vessel in terms of integrity and responsibility of the owner.
17. Overall cleanliness.
In rare cases, the surveyor may refuse to inspect the vessel. If the vessel is a complete mess, has strong odors of gas, diesel or sewage and the presence of black mold, don’t expect the surveyor to stick around. These are considered health hazards.
SEA TRIAL
The buyer may request a sea trial. This not only needs to be communicated to the surveyor, but also to the seller. The surveyor will need to reserve extra time, which can total an extra three to four hours. The seller will need to arrange to have the vessel launched back into the water. Normally, a sea trial will last about two hours. During that period, the surveyor will inspect the vessel for leaks, visually inspect the engine and listen for abnormalities and inspect the bilge once again. Up on deck, the surveyor will look at the mast, sails, rigging, signs of flexing and the overall performance of the vessel. Again, it’s important to have the vessel in a clean state, the deck cleared, and all lines laid out properly.
BOTTOM LINE
Under no circumstance should the surveyor be asked to prepare a boat for inspection or enter a boat that is not well prepared. The surveyor may request minor dismantling of circuit breaker panels, headliners, flooring, etc. to gain access to the suspected areas.
If the owner cannot attend the survey, the surveyor may ask for written authorization from the owner to board and/or to remove parts of the vessel.
Time and additional expense can be saved by preparing the vessel for inspection and making it clean and more accessible. You want to present a clean, shipshape boat, and have all papers and miscellaneous gear ready. Show her with pride.
Be kind and respectful to your surveyor by following the suggestions mentioned. They will in turn do the extras for you and present a detailed report on time.
by Marc Robic
If you have never witnessed a boat survey before, do not be alarmed when the surveyor takes out his hammer and starts tapping your boat everywhere! Under normal circumstances, anyone doing this to our beloved boat would be charged with a punishable offense and sentenced to “walking the plank”! But when doing a survey, this is normal: using sound and feeling is how problem areas, such as any delamination or water penetration, can be detected.
Once the survey is completed, it should include an inventory list of all equipment onboard including all electronics, safety equipment, tender, outboard, life jackets, serial numbers, etc. So, make sure you bring all these with you to have on hand for the survey.
The survey will identify any items or issues that require attention. In the case of my surveyor, he prioritizes these as A, B and C:
A. Things that need immediate attention before launch. In addition to the obvious aforementioned items, it will also include safety equipment, jackets, navigation lights, proper mooring lines, anchor, and rode, through-hull fittings, hose clamps, etc.
B. Things that need attention whenever possible such as worn engine mounts, loose stanchion, leaky window, worn zinc anodes, etc.
C. Things that are mostly aesthetic or not critical.
However, insurance and industry requirements do change or get added. A more recent requirement is the installation of a carbon monoxide detector/alarm on all boats with a cabin. This applies to all boats whether or not there is a fuel source inside the cabin, as the presence of carbon monoxide can also occur from backdraft emanating from the exhaust.
Do plan and expect a proper survey to take a few hours. Mine took a little over 3 hours and, according to the surveyor, the fact I had everything ready was a big help and time saver.
Although I went into the survey with some apprehension, I must admit that in the end, I enjoyed it and was delighted with the experience. And despite my believing that all was good, three issues did come up that, honestly, I would not have thought of or remembered to check. Thankfully, these fell into the B category and have already been taken care of.
- My anodes needed attention. A conductivity test revealed that my sacrificial anodes where no longer properly working. Simply fixed by removing and sanding the shaft and anodes, which took me about 20 minutes. If your harbor has electrical power provided at the dock, the anode conditions are indeed very important.
- Minor water ingress. The fresh water filling plate on deck was no longer properly sealed, allowing some water penetration inside the decking. Also quickly remedied by removing the three retaining screws, lifting the filling plate up to clean the deck and fitting surfaces, add sealant and refit the screws. Took about 30 minutes.
- Flare guns. My emergency flare gun cartridges where expired and need replacement. A visit to my local chandlery solved that issue. I can then dispose of my old cartridges at my local fire department.
In the end, I found the experience positive and have gained not only a much greater understanding of why insurance companies do require these, but more importantly, of why any boat owner or prospective buyer should get a survey done.
One very important note: Most surveyors will do a visual inspection of the engine but will not start the engine. For a pre-purchase inspection, it is highly recommended that a certain amount of the sale price (normally the engine replacement value) be kept in escrow until such time as the boat can be launched and the engine properly inspected by a certified mechanic.
