Career in Yacht Surveying

[Equinox]

Can anybody please advise me on the skills, experience and qualifications necessary to become a yacht and small craft surveyor. Somebody once told me that anybody can call themselves a yacht surveyor and legally promote themselves as being such. Is this true as I'd imgained that they would at least have to meet certain legal minimum standards in order to carry out a survey of a reasonable standard?

Also, is is possible to earn a decent living from this profession and at what times of the year are their services most in demand??



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[Mariner]

I cannot personally but I know the International Institute of Marine Surveying run a distance learning course each year enabling you to get a qualification.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.iims.org.uk/>http://www.iims.org.uk/</A>

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[Swampyhotdog]

Hi THere,

I looked into doing surveying a few years ago.

The thought of combining a hobby with work is a dream come true, and we aren't the first people to think of it.

I decided that it was too crowded a proffesion, so I didn't bother.

The institute of marine engineers were advertising a diploma in small vessel surveying, I suppose it's the one that's mentioned above.
They decided that there should be a formal qualification for the job instead of just ex old men and chiefs getting to do it.

Cheers,
Stu

 

[graham]

The Yacht and Boat Designers and Surveyors association has a website .They are the proffesional body that yacht owners and insurers seem to respect(Im sure there are other associations)

Have a look here.http://www.ybdsa.co.uk/

 

[jim pritchard]

re career in yacht surveying.

Some careers are based on knowledge that has been learned, and others are based on experience working in the field. Yacht surveying is certainly in the latter catagory.
If you take a look at the well established and reliable yacht surveyors based in the UK you will find that nearly all of them have spent many years previously working as boatbuilders.
The fabric, equipment and condition of a boat is therefore almost second nature to them. They have put these things together often starting on the loft floor, and finishing with striking the boot top line, having looked after the installation of every piece of equipment. These people know boats inside out, upside down and back to front. Their's is experience based knowledge and cannot be learned in a class room.
So shame on those colleges who encourage people with no thorough boatbuilding or repair experience to follow diploma courses in yacht surveying.
If you want to be a yacht surveyor then make sure that you first have at least 10 years working in a boatyard or factory. Owning and running a yacht is simply not enough.
Jim Pritchard, yacht surveyor and boatbuilder.

 

[Flashheart]

easier said than done

I know that this post is old now but it does infuriate me.
I've been looking into becoming a marine surveyor for several years now and like others I don't have the experience.
Sure I can spend £2500 on a course to get me qualified, but to make sure I have ten years experience under my belt. Well thats another thing! You try and get it.
Who on this tiny island is going to give you the experience. People i've spoken to are very unwilling to help, hence I can't get the experience in a subject i'm interested in.
The only helpful people so far are the ones willing to take my money off me for a course that might not give me the career change I'd like.
Good old England, full of unhelpful individuals as usual. No wonder its going down the pan.
But on the flipside, maybe some job protection is going on and people who are genuinely interested like myself who cannot get the necessary experience are kept on the outside. Whilst those who have the experience but no qualifications try to be as unhelpful to us as possible.

 

[nimbusgb]

I know that this post is old now but it does infuriate me.
I've been looking into becoming a marine surveyor for several years now and like others I don't have the experience.
Sure I can spend £2500 on a course to get me qualified, but to make sure I have ten years experience under my belt. Well thats another thing! You try and get it.
Who on this tiny island is going to give you the experience. People i've spoken to are very unwilling to help, hence I can't get the experience in a subject i'm interested in.
The only helpful people so far are the ones willing to take my money off me for a course that might not give me the career change I'd like.
Good old England, full of unhelpful individuals as usual. No wonder its going down the pan.
But on the flipside, maybe some job protection is going on and people who are genuinely interested like myself who cannot get the necessary experience are kept on the outside. Whilst those who have the experience but no qualifications try to be as unhelpful to us as possible.

I considered this about 2 years ago, came to the same conclusion. Bit like plumbing I think. No doubt the eastern Europeans will come in to do it next then the industry will be up-in-arms because the work is going to 'foreigners'.

It is a pretty sad state of affairs really, a country that seems intent on self destructing!

 

[paulstevens]

I considered this about 2 years ago, came to the same conclusion. Bit like plumbing I think. No doubt the eastern Europeans will come in to do it next then the industry will be up-in-arms because the work is going to 'foreigners'.

It is a pretty sad state of affairs really, a country that seems intent on self destructing!

There is a way for folk with a suitable background. I have written a book on the subject, (search my name on Amazon) which you will find extremely helpful. Please read its reviews on Amazon before spending your hard earned money or if you prefer read the reviews by such diverse organisations as the Cruising Association and Nautical Magazine.
In 2006 I also devised an intensive practical non classroom based course using real boats under survey conditions to provide a responsible path into this field for those with the right background and determination to do things properly. It is virtually impossible to get work experience in this vocation and the course bridges the gap between theory and work enabling folk to make a start on basic work in a responsible manner. I'ts not perfect but in this world of distance learning, simulation etc its the best we have got at the moment. We only run 2 courses per year with max 9 per course, and given that 30% of the delegates are from overseas we are of course not keeping up with the wealth of practical experience being lost to retirement etc. but we are doing our best. The course is always oversubscribed and a high standard has to be obtained to gain a pass, paying your money does not guarantee it.
We do not take people if we do not consider their background to be sufficient and the course is always over subscribed now. Eastern European folk are welcome, (as are all), if they have the appropriate background, and many have.
You can download a prospectus at www.ibtc.co.uk

 

[Seajet]

Apologies for being late, only just joined these forums...

I thought about working as a surveyor too; I trained first in general ( then fighter aircraft ) engineering, and have built boats and refitted them all my life.

I was put off the idea when I met a chap who was struggling to find work ( he wanted me to skipper his large classic yacht on charter work but I didn't fancy the lack of safety & other equipment ).

It might have been down to him, but I got the impression the competition for work was fierce.

Funnily enough, I did work in freelance plumbing for 5 years, my engineering background and some knowledge suited well.

I was given work through a company, which indeed was a 'plumber from hell' outfit; the boss advised me that if a job was going to be quickly over, to cut some pipes and create more work !

Needless to say I didn't, it ended up with my fighting to keep the customer and boss happy at opposite extremes, which was very stressful, eventually causing me to become ill and pack it in.

One big snag with all self employed work, be it surveying or plumbing, whatever, is the cost of advertising in Yellow Pages.

I found no matter how unwise it is, people usually reach for this instead of their local paper ( where they'd usually get a better deal - please bear this in mind next time you need a plumber, electrician etc )!

 

[pgnzed]

Marine surveyor courses and qualifications

Hi to all who have gone before me,

Just joined out of curiosity and necessity. I find now that after more than 30+ years building, driving boats, re fitting and supervising new builds and surveying same, I am required to have a "Formal" qualification for insurance purposes. (!!!???). Patently ridiculous, as the "qualification" many institute's offering courses, and tutors these employ, have no practical knowledge of the subject, otherwise they would be surveyors or builders of boats.

As the saying goes, if you can, do, if you cant , teach !!.

Perhaps I should go on to become a tutor to forego the very expensive insurance cover costs associated with being a "Qualified Marine Surveyor".

By the way , if there are any people in the UK interested in small craft surveying and building same, they would be well off to buy and read Mr Ian Nicolson's many and varying books on the subject. This alone would qualify you if you're at all good at the subject, and could well form the basis of a polytechnic or industrial qualification.