Insurance Surveyor - Plymouth

[Sea Devil]

Just got my new (to me) boat - surveyed her myself and she is brought and paid for... Need the very cheapest and most basic insurance survey that will satisfy my insurers.

I am not in the least interested in the report other than it giving passing pleasure to the insurance company!

Anybody know someone really inexpensive in the Plymouth area?

 

[davidbains]

Michael, you may need to check with your prospective insurers what qualifications
they recognise in surveyors . I got caught out like this once. Also since I believe
you've bought a cat you might consider a surveyor who specialises in multis.

 

[Cobra25]

Who ever you get put your instructions in writing to him. You are employing him to do a job, he will not do you a favour just his job. See the Institute of marine surveyors site for help. BoL

 

[Sea Devil]

Re: Cobra 25

But I am not looking for a favour - just want a realistic price for a job that needs a couple of hours work on site and perhaps the same on the computer to put together a report - half a day? I mean how long does it take to see if a hull has osmosis, check the sea cocks, see if the mast step is OK, check the gas connections and examine the fire extinguishers and give a guesstimate of the boats value. If the boat is ashore for the survey then they cannot check the engine - impossible to tell by looking how long the SS rigging will last,... How long the sails will last depends on all sorts of things - the bottom line is what is it worth more or less? There is no Glasses Guide for boats so that too is opinion!

That is what a surveyor does for insurance companies. We the poor owners are trapped in a system where insurance co have started to ask for a survey - but what of? They merely want to know that the vessel they are insuring is of the value more or less stated by the owner. That's fair enough - That the gas connections & sea cocks work - OK live with that = for the rest it's nonsense....

 

[longjohnsilver]

Try Brian Buglehole 01752 842292, I used him last year, did what i wanted and not expensive.

 

[FullCircle]

Re: Cobra 25

Try Edwardwilliam.com. No survey required. I am with them and find them very good to deal with (Darren). Also seem able to find a premium for most circumstances.
I have my old yacht on the insurance as a tender to the new one. Well there is a fifteen fold deifference in the 2 values! They also will give price for single handing.

 

[longjohnsadler]

Obviously by appointment to the Longjohns.
I used him too when I bought a few years ago. Craking name.

 

[KREW2]

Re: Cobra 25

hello Cobra
I think surveys are not just for the value of the boat, they want to know that its servicable and suitable for the job. Don't forget you will be taking friends and family out on her, should things go awry people are all too eager to claim, it's a bit like having an MOT, unfortunately insurance companies are now going OTT, soon you will have to rerig, renew your mast, engine, gas fittings and keel bolts every year. Surveyors just cover themselves by saying "get it checked out by an expert" I'm all for saftey at sea and do not object to paying for sensible precautions, if they are not careful the smaller boat owners will priced out of the market with overkill. being uninsured is not an option.
KW

 

[john_morris_uk]

Re: Cobra 25

Try James Green - but explain exactly what you want. You will find most surveyors are willinng to negotiate over a survey both price and what is needed from them...

 

[Sea Devil]

Re: Cobra 25

Do you have a contact number or email for James?

 

[Sea Devil]

Re racy lady

---------------they want to know that its serviceable and suitable for the job.--------

But that's the point - what Job? Weekends in the Solent, Cross channel, Biscay, Med, Atlantic, circumnavigation? The average Solent use is totally different from the otheres and requires much less from the boat than say a circumnavigation... So if the Hull is sound, and the gas fittings and sea cocks are OK what else should interest an insurance company except the boats value?

 

[KREW2]

Re: Re racy lady

hi
Most policies are geared as to where you want to sail, obviously a cross channel hop is going to be less risky than a southern ocean trip, I agree with you insurance companies are using their might to limit their liabilities with unreasonable requests, however its not uncommon to hear of people going to sea ill equipped in unsafe vessels
good luck
KW

 

[john_morris_uk]

Re: Cobra 25

I have at home. Sorry to mention this, but I was checking YBW from my Hotel lobby in Santiago, Chile - how sad is that. I will be home in a couple of days.... (and my wife gives me grief for the amount of time I spend on this site...)