Mixed feelings about survey done today

I can't comment on the moisture levels specifically.
But I would consider that the moisture levels on the meter manufacturers web site is trying to prove a point.
My experience of moisture meters is that you do need to know how and where to use them - the example of water pooling inside is a good one.

However, my point for posting is that I've been in your situation before and know exactly how you feel.
We bought a second hand (third hand in fact) Sealine which was very much "unloved".
There were lots of things wrong with her and the surveyor pointed out some "show stoppers".
So we renegotiated the price to pay for repairs and brought back to a good example of her brand.
Now to my main point (and Superheat's comment)
Lots of people say that the best 2 days of owning a boat are the day you buy her and the day you sell it.
For me this is NOT TRUE
Things just got better and better and so we replaced her with a new Princess.
Boats for me have always been near the top of my list for enjoyment but motorboating has become a way of life.
I think back now to that day when our Sealine was swinging in the travel hoist and the surveyor was crawling all over her.
That day, the deal could have gone either way.
But we ended up buying her - AND WE HAVE NEVER REGRETTED IT.

Good luck - either way you go.

+2 to that sentiment:cool:
 
Charming.

Take no notice, PM sent.
On a more positive note, I have paid for the crane today so she is on the water and ready for the sea trial on Saturday if the owner is available. I have also been contacted by a friend who has a friend in the area and this particular gentleman happens to own a boat and he has over 20 years experience, so he has volunteered to come along on Saturday and point things out to me. I am sure she will behave the way is was intended. After that, if all goes well, I will hand the contract and pay the deposit so that I can start the servicing and engine inspection. I do not expect to encounter anything big except the annual service and perhaps change of plugs on top of filters and other bits. I was told by the surveyor I need two new batteries, so I will look out for the best ones I can afford. I am looking forward to getting my hands on her and bring the best out of it. I have so many plans you can not imagine, I just hope the wallet extend that much. Ja,ja.
Will keep you guys posted and once she is mine I will put some pics and a video as well.
Kind regards
 
Take no notice, PM sent.
On a more positive note, I have paid for the crane today so she is on the water and ready for the sea trial on Saturday if the owner is available. I have also been contacted by a friend who has a friend in the area and this particular gentleman happens to own a boat and he has over 20 years experience, so he has volunteered to come along on Saturday and point things out to me. I am sure she will behave the way is was intended. After that, if all goes well, I will hand the contract and pay the deposit so that I can start the servicing and engine inspection. I do not expect to encounter anything big except the annual service and perhaps change of plugs on top of filters and other bits. I was told by the surveyor I need two new batteries, so I will look out for the best ones I can afford. I am looking forward to getting my hands on her and bring the best out of it. I have so many plans you can not imagine, I just hope the wallet extend that much. Ja,ja.
Will keep you guys posted and once she is mine I will put some pics and a video as well.
Kind regards

Woah, hang on. You've still got no signature from either party on this purchase, nor lodged a deposit?

It sounds a very rum deal!
 
Hi
Ask around the boat yard when you see people working on their boats as they will often know engineers & the like who will do the jobs you can't handle & this should save you some money. As far as batteries go well I would say buy the cheapest you can get but do make sure they are the right spec. That way if they only last 3/4 years it's no big deal.
Regards
MM1
 
Woah, hang on. You've still got no signature from either party on this purchase, nor lodged a deposit?

It sounds a very rum deal!


What do you mean? Sorry to sound naive, this is all new to me. I thought that if all goes well with survey and sea trial then as the owner has agreed a final figure(providing that nothing else comes up on the trial or when the engineer does the service) we are are all good to go, no? The way I see it if I have handed the contract and 10% deposit, I then do the survey and sea trial + inspection something goes wrong and I pull out all I get is the 10% back if we do not agree on compensation, what I would never get back is the survey money, crane hire or any other labor, am I correct? Either way is the same! Isn't?
Thank you and best regards
 
What do you mean? Sorry to sound naive, this is all new to me. I thought that if all goes well with survey and sea trial then as the owner has agreed a final figure(providing that nothing else comes up on the trial or when the engineer does the service) we are are all good to go, no? The way I see it if I have handed the contract and 10% deposit, I then do the survey and sea trial + inspection something goes wrong and I pull out all I get is the 10% back if we do not agree on compensation, what I would never get back is the survey money, crane hire or any other labor, am I correct? Either way is the same! Isn't?
Thank you and best regards

Basically, in the absence of a contract, you're gambling your survey costs - because even after you've spent money on the survey, craneage, sea trial etc - the owner is still under no obligation to sell the boat to you. He could just as easily decide to keep it, or to sell it to someone else. Equally however, you are under no obligation to buy it after the survey/sea trial - because you haven't signed a contract. So you're not risking some sort of disagreement about trying to get your deposit back in the event of the survey turning up something bad. Unless there's a queue of people lining up to buy this boat, which is unlikely, then you're not taking much risk.

Incidentally, it would be very unusual for the seller to agree to compensate you for survey or sea trial costs in the event that the survey turned up a material defect that allowed you to get out of a purchase contract.
 
First time buyers of boats often don't realise that the normal marine contract is subject to survey and sea trial with an ability to address material costs uncovered by the survey. I didn't and I'm a lawyer - not a shipping lawyer, however. :D

People tend to think of it being like buying a house where all the due diligence is done before signing the contract. (People in England and Wales do anyway. Scotland being entirely a separate cup of tea.)
 
Basically, in the absence of a contract, you're gambling your survey costs - because even after you've spent money on the survey, craneage, sea trial etc - the owner is still under no obligation to sell the boat to you. He could just as easily decide to keep it, or to sell it to someone else. Equally however, you are under no obligation to buy it after the survey/sea trial - because you haven't signed a contract. So you're not risking some sort of disagreement about trying to get your deposit back in the event of the survey turning up something bad. Unless there's a queue of people lining up to buy this boat, which is unlikely, then you're not taking much risk.

Incidentally, it would be very unusual for the seller to agree to compensate you for survey or sea trial costs in the event that the survey turned up a material defect that allowed you to get out of a purchase contract.

Thank you Jimmy, all understood and makes perfect sense. This is the way I thought things were going.
Kind regards
 
First time buyers of boats often don't realise that the normal marine contract is subject to survey and sea trial with an ability to address material costs uncovered by the survey. I didn't and I'm a lawyer - not a shipping lawyer, however. :D

People tend to think of it being like buying a house where all the due diligence is done before signing the contract. (People in England and Wales do anyway. Scotland being entirely a separate cup of tea.)

I am glad I was not the only one then :-)

Very true what you are saying regarding misconceptions of what the actual contract means.

Kind regards
 
Didn't you already ask this in #67? And didn't M1800R already answer it in #71?

Yes I did. My astonishment was that there is still no contract or deposit in place!

Certainly not the way a broker has conducted a sale or purchase of mine (they've always been most insistent on the paperwork and deposit being in place before proceeding with a deal rather than winging it, and rightly so) but I agree, the risk is mostly to the owner and broker should the buyer discover a problem that turns him off the boat and disappear without paying his bills.

Of more concern to the buyer should be the surveyor who, from the sound of it, was working under the auspices of the broker.

Anyway, interesting thread.
 
Certainly not the way a broker has conducted a sale or purchase of mine (they've always been most insistent on the paperwork and deposit being in place before proceeding with a deal rather than winging it, and rightly so) but I agree, the risk is mostly to the owner and broker should the buyer discover a problem that turns him off the boat and disappear without paying his bills.

Fair point, but I'm guessing that demand for this particular boat is thin, for whatever reason, and so in the face of that, the seller and broker would be sensible to not stick too rigidly to procedure, in order to not deter the buyer. So - unusual, but not necessarily wrong.

Of more concern to the buyer should be the surveyor who, from the sound of it, was working under the auspices of the broker.

I'd certainly agree this point. I'm also surprised that the surveyor is not participating in the sea trial, they always have in the transactions I've been involved in.
 
Ok, sea trial done today and went well. She started first time, no smoke or anything like that. Running on idle while warming up she sounded very good and evenly, no rattling or shaking. After about 10 minutes or so since the tide was about 6/7 against the pontoon the skipper made a maneuver in reverse and off she went. He came around against the current to refuel and pick us up. I did not realize the price of the petrol is £1.40, my mate pays 0.65p a liter, oh well.
Anyway, we went slow for the first bit of the river in order to keep within the speed limit and as soon as this was lifted we opened up the throttle. She gets on the plain fairly quickly and we were doing just under 20 knots. The oil pressure was stable and so was the temperature. My mate and his mechanic came along and his mechanic said the engine was running very sweet and the installation was done in a professional manner. Also my mate agred that the engine and the boat behavior was as expected and he gave me the nod. I then was handed the controls and she was very responsive. So after 40/45 minutes we headed back to the office and handed the contract. We expect to complete on Friday. I will pay to take her out again and give the outdrive and the engine a good service plus another coat of antifouling. My mate will lend me some of his tools as well to star the polishing and cleaning process and finish up all the bits that were marked on the survey. Hopefully will take me a month or so and she could be on the water again by half term so I can take my little man fishing. After I have received the keys I will post some pics.
Whao!!!! What a roller coaster this has been. Some how I don't feel like kicking or punching the air yet, don't know why, maybe because all the worries before hand.
I would like once again to thank everyone who gave me their best advice and guidance.
Kind regards,
Anibal
 
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