Surveyor recommendations wooden boat south coast UK

[ElGrillo]

Hi everyone
I'm looking at buying an old folkboat, clinker built. I will be getting her surveyed first. Can anyone recommend good wooden boat expert surveyors in the south of England - she's near Portsmouth at present. Currently I've been recommended John Lilley and Mike Andrews, but I'd like a third to get a quote from if possible as that's my usual practice with getting surveys where possible. Albeit there may not be that many good classic wooden boat surveyors around, I don't know as it would be my first time owning a classic wooden boat let alone a clinker build!
Thanks all

Edit: Mike Andrews has confirmed he has no capacity given it's the start of the season proper now. I imagine that J. Lilley may be similarly busy, so if anyone has any recommendations besides them I would certainly be grateful.

 

[Egret]

Hi,

You need a surveyor with good experience with this type of boat and ask if they can give you a 10 year, priced, maintenance and renewal schedule.
Survey price is almost irrelevant as they all charge about the same.

Is it afloat and sailing, or if not, maybe get a boatbuilder or someone who knows about wooden folkboats to give it a look over first.

You can do a first check over to see if it looks OK so worthwile engaging a surveyor.

Who built it? Is it larch planked (+/-)? Is the engine good? Good mast, rigging and sails? Look under the transom, at the keel where the planks twist, which is probably the place that they first detach. Are any of the timbers (ribs) cracked - or already doubled?

Do you know what nail sickness looks like?

Are you intending to have it professionally maintained, or do it yourself, if which case do you have access to the type of yard where there are lots of boats under renovation and a professional to give advice and help with the difficult bits - plank steamer etc.

Good luck.

Edit after #3 - If struggling to get a South Coast surveyor - you could see if an East Coast surveyor is venturing South this summer and could fit you in. A lot of wooden boat expertise on the East Coast - see the three rivers race thread - and the barge, smack and old gaffers races

 

[ElGrillo]

Many thanks Egret. For anyone reading this, M. Andrews has confirmed he has no capacity and I have a bad feeling John Lilley might be in the same boat given it's busy season now. So if anyone has any other recommendations for wooden boat expert surveyors would be very grateful.

To respond to your points Egret:

1. she's afloat and on a buoy, not been sailed by the current owner who has only had her for ~8 months or so because she had to do quite a bit of work to get her re-launched (based on an August 2024 survey's recommendations). Current owner has had life changes hence the quick turnaround to sale.
2. I've had a look this past weekend, she's pretty tired looking but seems very watertight all things considered (bilge not overly full, some weeping of the seams plus a port side scarf joint leak weeping that needs dealing with).
3. Engine is beta marine and seems pretty solid in terms of use but needs proper survey like everything else I suspect.
4. Brand new standing rig. Mast and spars aluminium and a bit worn but not terrible.
5. Transom - I had a close look. There seemed to me to be a tiny bit of gapping in whatever gunk/bedding compound/whatever was put between planking and transom, in a couple of places. Very small gaps though and only a few, hoping that a surveyor will tell me they can just be filled with more compound (whatever compound you're supposed to use there..)
6. One frame cracked in the bilge amidships, not sure if it's all the way through (they're laminated). Identified in the 2024 survey report. Some still need to be checked as the 2024 survey was not complete due to too much gubbins left in the boat at time of survey, and I couldn't get to them all, hence (partly) my need to get a proper/full survey done.
7. I've a good idea what nail sickness looks like, the interior of the planking is very dirty however and exterior is painted so no real chance to inspect plank fastenings as of yet. 2024 survey said they were sound however at least on the exterior, many of the interior are probably un-checked thus far.
8. Maintenance I hope to redo the finish of the topsides and interior myself and do the odd jobs but any major works I don't believe I'll have time for, though am keen to learn as much as I can where possible and do more over time. I'm plenty handy. She may remain where she is (Solent) so there should be plenty of people around to assist, have been in touch with one or two already in the 48 hours since I visited the boat. Folkboat association seems very helpful and the club I might be joining where she's kept, has various resources albeit for major works I believe she'd have to go to a neighbouring marina to be hauled out etc.

Many thanks for the response.

 

[Tranona]

John Lilley will give you good advice and is happy for you to go round with him during the survey. You don't say what previous experience you have of owning a well used boat like that, but they are very demanding and go downhill very quickly if you let things slide. Most surveyors won't look at engines other than comment on general appearance and whether it starts and runs or not. Worth checking that before you go any further and move it to the slip.

Do you have a link to the description of the boat?

 

[wrr]

If Charlie Rossiter is still working, I would try him. There is very little that he does not know about wooden, or any other, boats. I have found him to be excellent in the past.

 

[Tranona]

Seems to be still activeboatsurveyor.weebly.com

 

[DoubleEnder]

Seems to be still activeboatsurveyor.weebly.com

You could try Diana Roberts in Bursledon

diana.roberts@zen.co.uk

 

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Colin Henwood.
Colin Henwood - Wooden boat craftsmanship