Boat surveys

[myquest]

"No dismantling of the engine took place and so the internal condition of the engine cannot be commented upon. Components hidden from view, such as the sump, crankshaft, camshafts, pistons, valves and cylinder head gaskets could not be examined for latent defects. No compression tests of the cylinders took place."
Above is an extract from a survey done (by a well known surveyor) on a boat for sale. I have had several surveys done and now feel that my surveyors have short changed me by not insisting that they be allowed to strip the engine in the brief time they spend on my boat. Is this extract just a case of sloping shoulders or will we eventually have a one line survey that simply says
"The boat was not built in my presence and I have never sailed on her so I cannot comment on "Gullible Punt's" suitability for her intended use.

 

[Tranona]

There are two issues. Firstly the competence of the person doing the "stripping down" - if you want that done get a specialist engine person. Second you need permission from the current owner and will need to idmnify him against any damage your surveyor does while doing the work.

This could prove an expensive exercise on both counts so you have to weigh up whether it is justified in relation to the engine in question, as all the costs, even if you do not proceed fall on you.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Standard practise to exclude the engine with a clause like yours. If the boat is in the water the surveyor might comment that the engine had been seen running and it and the gearbox appeared to be working satisfactorily but that no guarantee or warranty can be given, etc, etc.

If you want an engineer's report on matters mechanical you have to commission that separately.

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

A survey done on my boat for the previous owner stated;
"There is some delamination of the tabbing on cross floor members to hull in the area of the keel stub below the cabin sole, but this is imaterial"
Truth is that the same cross floors were removed by me by just yanking them out by hand in prep for an extensive hull strengthening and new cross floor members job.
Some surveyors just dont have a clue or simply dont care.
C_W

 

[maxi77]

And just how much more do you expect to pay for the engine to be removed and stripped down for your survey?

 

[Spyro]

You state this is on a boat that is for sale so it's not yours. Do you really think an owner is going to allow someone to strip down and rebuild a perfectly good working engine so that a potential buyer can have report on it
I don't think you will find anyone who will allow that.

 

[Terra-Loon]

Ha ha, I recognise that sentence, and I know very well the surveyor that wrote it. I call him regularly asking for advice and he always gives it, cheerfully.

When I had my boat surveyed I paid for a Volvo engineer to assess the state of my engine. Expecting a surveyor to get down and dirty with the spanners is wrong in my opinion and it would bump up the already high cost of a survey hugely.

 

[mjcoon]

... I have had several surveys done and now feel that my surveyors have short changed me by not insisting that they be allowed to strip the engine in the brief time they spend on my boat. Is this extract just a case of sloping shoulders or will we eventually have a one line survey that simply says
"The boat was not built in my presence and I have never sailed on her so I cannot comment on "Gullible Punt's" suitability for her intended use.

I took the above to be tongue-in-cheek, despite the lack of an emoticon.

But other responders seem to have assumed it was straight.

Will MyQuest now come clean?

Mike.

 

[BobPrell]

in the brief time they spend on my boat.

was a bit of a signal to me.

That said, Myquest has had a few cranky remarks to make about surveyors in his previous posts.

 

[Terra-Loon]

I wonder if MyQuest's real name is Mike West.

I hope so.

 

[Mariner69]

I wonder if MyQuest's real name is Mike West.

I hope so.

Why?

 

[Terra-Loon]

Why?

Phonetically, it sounds the same.

 

[Richard10002]

I wonder if MyQuest's real name is Mike West.

I hope so.

I've yet to meet a Mike with the surname Hunt

 

[Twister_Ken]

I've yet to meet a Mike with the surname Hunt

There was one who was groundsman at Lords. Didn't take long for the TMS team to realise and start calling him Mick.

 

[Sybarite]

There are two issues. Firstly the competence of the person doing the "stripping down" - if you want that done get a specialist engine person. Second you need permission from the current owner and will need to idmnify him against any damage your surveyor does while doing the work.

This could prove an expensive exercise on both counts so you have to weigh up whether it is justified in relation to the engine in question, as all the costs, even if you do not proceed fall on you.

This is worrying because an engine failure could well be the biggest bad financial surprise you get.

In French surveyors reports - the ones written up in magazines - they normally issue a disclaimer saying that they have not analysed the engine oil which could provide more revealing detail. Perhaps this is a compromise to an engine strip-down but it would be interesting to know how an engineer might draw conclusions from such findings.

 

[onesea]

This is worrying because an engine failure could well be the biggest bad financial surprise you get.

In French surveyors reports - the ones written up in magazines - they normally issue a disclaimer saying that they have not analysed the engine oil which could provide more revealing detail. Perhaps this is a compromise to an engine strip-down but it would be interesting to know how an engineer might draw conclusions from such findings.

Here in lies the problems of any survey you are paying for an opinion.

Having just bought a 30 year old boat, I am kind of frustrated with the surveyor.

It maybe best that unless qualified they clause the machinary out as best they can. Mine recomended the folding prop was serviced, and the cutlas bearing had acceptable play. Infact it was the other way round so later this year I am going to have to payout out for another lift out and put it all right.

Also he reported the stern ghland needed repacking when, I asked the engineer he said it was fine. Oh well I will just do it / get it done when she is lifted out.

The leaking water pump, he missed. The delaminated engine mount that he "found".

Then there was the broken earth bonding, incorrect it had been replaced to a diffrent location.

The pump diaphrams that where split and needed replacing, cover off clean crud out all fine.

Should I go on? I think the low loader driver did a better survey than the surveyor!

Sorry not impressed, you cannot really turn round to the insurance campany and say that. They might just ask for another survey, just send them the invoices saying work completed, or insprections made.

Well its atleast 5 years before I have to run that guantlet again...

Paying for an opinion that is only correct at that time.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Sorry not impressed, you cannot really turn round to the insurance campany and say that. They might just ask for another survey, just send them the invoices saying work completed, or insprections made.

Well its atleast 5 years before I have to run that guantlet again...

Paying for an opinion that is only correct at that time.

Or you could change to an insurer that doesn't ask for surveys. Pants, for example.

 

[Skysail]

I am very satisfied with a recent survey on a prospective purchase. The surveyor lifted the cabin sole (not an easy job), had a good look at the engine and made good recommendations. if you really want to know more about the engine, get an oil sample for analysis. The presence of white metal will indicate wear, it will even find out if water has ever entered the sump.

 

[Tranona]

This is worrying because an engine failure could well be the biggest bad financial surprise you get.

In French surveyors reports - the ones written up in magazines - they normally issue a disclaimer saying that they have not analysed the engine oil which could provide more revealing detail. Perhaps this is a compromise to an engine strip-down but it would be interesting to know how an engineer might draw conclusions from such findings.

Oil analysis is of little value for a one off inspection although it can show up impurities such as metal. There are many things you can do to check any engine's health from the visual inspection to running in operating conditions to carrying out diagnostic checks such as compression, injectors etc. You would not expect a surveyor of a sailing boat to do this automatically because he may not have the expertise - so not surprisingly he will have a disclaimer. No reason why you should not engage a diesel engineer to do a survey.

 

[viejo gringo]

surveyors hmmmm !!!!

on my last boat they surveyors, highly recomended in PYO took two days to do the survey looked and poked everything, the report came back and to be honest i think i could have done better, first of all it was classed as a gaff rigged boat with the usual clause rigging visual only inspection highly unusual as its bermudian, like how did they get to that !!!! the rest of the report wasnt worth the paper it was writen on, they completely missed the rotten boomkins. the main inlet pipe to the toilet actually fell off on the transporter when it was being delivered. surveyers i just love em..