Pre purchase surveys

[rreflect]

Newbie here and looking for some advice regarding purchase surveys. I am looking at a boat that was surveyed 2 years ago. The boat has done very little hours since, is it still advisable to get one done or should it not have changed much since the last survey?

 

[Tranona]

Welcome

No simple answer. A 2 year old survey has some value but you are buying the boat now. Factors such as complexity of boat and value come into it plus the fact that with a survey commissioned by you comes the surveyors professional protection. You should also check whether your insurer will accept a 2 year old survey.

As to what can have changed in 2 years - you don't know, but in the end it is your decision as to whether the saving of £5-600 is worth the risk. Personally I would have a survey as being there with the surveyor will help you understand more about the boat. I recently bought a boat without a survey because I knew what I was buying and then had a survey for insurance purposes and the day spent with the surveyor was worth it even if he did not find anything significant that I did not know about.

 

[IanCC]

You won't be able to sue the surveyor if it iscwrong. Buy a copy of nigel calders book, read and digest. Get a surveyor, read his/her fine print. Look to see if they stand behind anything they say, cut off dates for complaints etc. Take zillions of pictures of everything when surveyor there, or before, so you have evidence of their incompetence. If engine costly to replace (think 8-10k for a small boat) , and surveyor doesn't cover it, get a seperate engine survey.

 

[Momac]

Little use is a good way of developing faults
So yes it would be advisable to have a pre purchase survey.

 

[volvopaul]

Newbie here and looking for some advice regarding purchase surveys. I am looking at a boat that was surveyed 2 years ago. The boat has done very little hours since, is it still advisable to get one done or should it not have changed much since the last survey?

It al, depends on what boat it is and what use has it had since it was last surveyed .
If it’s something on a trailer with a petrol V 8 or similar then maybe just a test on the water , if it’s your life savings and your borrowing to buy it then that’s a different story , if you don’t know much about boats and engines then pay someone who does.

 

[superheat6k]

How much are you spending ?

Bear in mind an old survey is one passed on by a seller that was (favourably) prepared for someone else - why else would they present it ! So less than £10 k probably not, more than £50k definitely. Somewhere betwixt and between - well you admit you are a newbie - spend the money as newbies find it remarkably difficult to remove rose tinted specs.

A good survey will either illuminate why you should not buy the vessel or at least educate you as to where you should be requesting an adjustment. Before the survey and as part of an offer invite the owner and broke to declare any known defects. One they are obliged to anyway, and two if they don't then when your surveyor finds issues/s you can rightly re-open negotiations, or perhaps walk away.

Also when the sale contract is presented ensure you have, or add in a right, to walk away for any reason with no obligation to re-negotiate. This saved me twice this year from boats that either did not suit me at sea trial, or had serious undisclosed issues and did not actually make it to sea trial..

 

[Bandit]

If you are considering spending a serious chunk of cash on a motor boat having a copy of a recent surveyor's report is of value for starters, pre armed with this get your own survey done that you can rely on.
If it's a motor boat the engines and gear boxes, fuel tanks , shafts, props, sterndrives etc make up a good percentage of the boats overall value. Say it has a pair of KAD 300's with outdrives, good engines in their day and a good engine today but only if it has been meticulously looked after since day one. If one goes pop and you cant rebuild it you have buy a pair of new engines!!!! This is serious dosh.

Get an engine inspection report on the boat out of the water and during a sea-trial from a trained engineer experienced on the make and model of engine and drive preferably an independent dealer of the brand in question ie Yanmar a Yanmar Dealer or Volvo Penta a Volvo Penta Dealer etc. If it's a modern electronic Volvo Penta with D series engines get them checked over by the Vodia diagnostic tool.

An Engineer's report is not instead of a surveyor's report or vice versa they are complimentary to each other a surveyor is not an expert on every type of engine and their pitfalls.

Get it in writing based both the engineers report and the surveyor's report and then make your own mind up.

 

[Elessar]

Newbie here and looking for some advice regarding purchase surveys. I am looking at a boat that was surveyed 2 years ago. The boat has done very little hours since, is it still advisable to get one done or should it not have changed much since the last survey?

I’ve never had a pre purchase survey except for one boat bought from the USA that I’d not seen myself.
So it depends on your attitude to risk, the price of the boat and the ability to fix stuff yourself.
I certainly wouldn’t in the circumstances you describe.

 

[Elessar]

if you don’t know much about boats and engines then pay someone who does.

Wise advice.

 

[thejonesey]

I fall into the ‘not an expert’ category. Currently looking at a well cared for boat but the reassurance of a survey/engineer report means that I have no worries when we take her on.

 

[IanCC]

I don't think there are many yacht surveyors, as opposed to marine engineers, who have much idea of what they are on about. It will definitely not be "no worries". Sorry.

 

[Portofino]

I don't think there are many yacht surveyors, as opposed to marine engineers, who have much idea of what they are on about. It will definitely not be "no worries". Sorry.

Arn’t they full of provisos and cop outs any how .
” This is no guarantee “
“ I bear no future responsibility for acts of omission( s) “ etc etc .

+ many more

 

[Portofino]

It all depends how much prior research you have done on the boat and machinery marques .
Stuff like is it cored below the WL , is it vac infused , was it painted , has it got any liners etc etc .Machinery again , there reputation .
Eg CAT life there charge air coolers for 6 years ( had a lot of electrolysis defects = catastrophic water in cylinders = huge American law suits settled etc etc .
Some end of build period engines “ blown up “ to much Hp with out the ancillary cooling upgraded to suit .

The age .
Any outdrive VP boat past 10 y is gonna cost you after YOU get it hauled after you bought it with glowing reports .
Oil in the drives , they don’t open them up on surveys ? So cross your fingers there .

IPS is on version zillion and evolving.Do you really want an early version be the guinea pig ?
Not engineer report is gonna secure that grenade pin , that grenade will start to rattle around ( no pun intended ) the day you motor off after your monies cleared .

Finally via research the Hp variant to hull ratio .
Is there a bigger Hp version worth seeking for a planing boat ?
Is the ER spacious so all the maintenance has been done and the surveyor does not say “ inspection to the ( insert part ) was denied “ .
If he can’t see it the PO can’t either = it’s never been attended to .

 

[IanCC]

Arn’t they full of provisos and cop outs any how .
” This is no guarantee “
“ I bear no future responsibility for acts of omission( s) “ etc etc .

+ many more

Some better than others. I got a decent whack out ouf my surveyor bbecause i had lots of photos. I didn't know what i was photographing at the time. Surveyor really doesn't want to go to court.

 

[IanCC]

Deleted

 

[Boater On Thames]

Highly recommended to pay for the survey if you are not an expert in boats.

 

[superheat6k]

I fall into the ‘not an expert’ category. Currently looking at a well cared for boat but the reassurance of a survey/engineer report means that I have no worries when we take her on.

But you do, also, simply like keeping Brokers in business !

 

[Restoration man]

Depends on who the survey was done for ???
if it was done at the time of purchase by the current owner then it’s prob a decent survey as a new owners wants to find out every little thing wrong with the boat even down to drip tap so he can try get price down ,if it was done by the current owner for insurance purposes then “no” ,I’ve found these type surveys to be bit more Lenient and only cover the basics that the insurance company requires, hope this makes sense

 

[Freebee]

do you have the choice? as mentioned above you may require a survey for your insurance company and most likely need it for a finance company if you are borrowing money to buy it.