Survey of a Powles 46-£588 in Gosport

[SoulFireMage]

I've been quoted this by a surveyor who was recommended to me by the vendor of the boat.
He's based in Hants and is quoting £588. My partner's come home and reminded me that our 35' Sedan cost only about £250 for the same service 12 months ago on the Ouze. Is the South inflation really that crackers? Can anyone recommend a few alternatives that will give me a comparison down here? All I'm needing is a standard survey for insurance etc, nothing special.

Thanks for any help offered.
Regards
Richard

 

[bumblefish]

That is similar to what I paid in March, ended up at being 5% of the purchase price!

 

[jonathankent]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been quoted this by a surveyor who was recommended to me by the vendor of the boat.


[/ QUOTE ]

Firstly, I would find your own surveyor... the vendor and his surveyor may be very good friends... not saying anything dodgy, but you just never know.

Secondly, I would reccomend John Kilhams of Quay Consultants around the Portsmouth area. He has done two surveys for me and was very professional and thorough - no connection other than a satisfied customer.

 

[SoulFireMage]

I did consider this, and tomorrow I'm going to talk to John in that case. Thank you. So nearer £600 is now a reasonable price for a survey? Wow! A LOT of cash for a days work. Still have to have it done. The previous survey was pretty good-Adrian White did it.

 

[prescott56]

just had a survey done on a 36ft yacht. in Swanick, quoted from £360 to £510 +VAT.
PM me if you want details
Regards

 

[boatbuilder]

£500 for a days work, where do I sign up. Money for old rope ,surveyors use so many caveats that there reports are no different from one you can write yourself if you have a few years experience .

 

[Whitelighter]

Try David Greening - www.boatsurvey.biz

Very very good and thorough.

 

[SoulFireMage]

Thanks guys . I can pick up a fair bit of the stuff (for a beginner), however I wouldn't know enough about the hull, and a few other things to know what I was looking at .
Hope one of these guys can do next thursday-I'd already booked the lift etc, until we had second thoughts.

 

[nigelhudson]

We paid £12/foot just over year ago in Fareham so your price isn't much different.

 

[shamrock]

I second the recommendation for David Greening.

I doubt that he'd be cheaper than your quote, but like all good surveyors, it's not a days work - he spent a long day at the boat (I'm guessing he left home before 6am and wasn't back till after 10pm) then wrote a 27 page report that is certainly not cut and paste, almost everything was clearly specific to the boat.

There may be some surveyors out there who can properly survey and write up a 46foot boat in a working day for 500 quid all in but I'd only recommend them if I was the vendor... I don't know the price of the boat but I reckon if you're about to spend 70k+ on a boat then a survey at 1% of that is worth it and the least of your worries c.f. berthing, fuel, maintenance etc.

If all you need is a valuation and insurance survey, then perhaps you can get a list from the insurers of what that means (I know Pantaenius send you one with 12 points on it) and a nearby surveyor can check those alone and have a quick look at the overall condition. Probably only take an hour or two and leave you with a report that does nothing more than tick some boxes with many caveats, but it might work.

 

[SoulFireMage]

The cost of the survey makes some difference at this end what with near £600 for craning (!!!!!!!) and whichever way I do it, another £1000 for transport. David isn't available for 3 weeks, whereas I am after one really for next thurs/fri or the monday just after if I can. Every days extra delay adds other delays to us having her /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. You're right about the cost. Seems down South it's what I felt is near silly money. My 35 foot Broom cost us £250 on the Ouze and the survey was in quite some detail and work had to be done. Shame I can't get her moved somewhere a lot cheaper first!!