Yacht surveyors course

[sophie4]

I'm talking about the 'International Institute of Marine Surveying' . Has anyone any first hand knowledge about the courses run by this group. There was a thread a while back on one of the other forums with plenty of opinion but I don't recall if it was the same group. In any event I don't think anyone had any direct experience. I would be interested to hear if anyone had done a course with these people or knew someone who has. I was thinking of doing the 'Yacht and Small Craft Surveying' course to aid early retirement! Thankyou for your interest.

 

[Talbot]

Small_boat_champ holds some fairly strong views on this subject .

 

[jonathankent]

... probably not the ones that sophie4 wants to hear though.....

 

[Guest]

Re: Yacht surveyors course .....

I could be wrong .....

Courses I am not against and knowledge properly given and used.

I do not consider a short course or even a mod period course can replace years of boatyard experience.

There are various so-called courses and seminars - that I will not subscribe to but that is another matter.

Any person who wishes to make a career from Yacht Surveying - needs a bit more than a course and a bit of paper ... but it's a good start. Like most disciplines in many trades / professions - many things are learnt by observation and time-served ....

There was a thread not so long ago about a similar matter ... course I believe is good - the association associated with and used as support - I do not agree with though. Personal bias ......

 

[fibz99]

I did the course a few years ago, whilst working as a suveyor. Not a bad course, no substitute for experience thou, but still useful.
Ofcourse the bit of paper you get at the end is nice to have and you get to have the following letters after your name.
MDipSur

Havent got around to using them thou, cant think why /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[graham]

Dhowdodger. Welcome to the forums.I cant remember seeing any other contributors located in the Arabian gulf.Probably a few out there though.

I worked in boatbuilding for a few years as a youngster and have worked on and owned small boats more or less ever since. I wouldnt feel up to being a surveyor but really do believe there are folk out there much less experienced than I masquerading as experts.

Its a difficult question .If you set the bar too high we wouldnt have any surveyors but at the moment I think there are definitely some less than perfect ones.

 

[Hermit]

Sophie, I am doing the IIMS course at the moment - and to quell any doomsayers out there - they do not intend to make you an overnight surveyor, rather to introduce SOME qualifications into an otherwise completely unregulated field. The course consists of a number of core modules from Legal matters/H+S to survey techniques and then specialist modules for your chosen field. There are ongoing written assessments followed by an exam. You also become a graduate member of the Institute which helps you into the industry.

It is worth doing (I have luckily managed to get it heavily subsidised) but you do need a reasonable background in boating.

PM me if you want to discuss the course details any more.

 

[fibz99]

Cheers for the welcome graham.
Agree with your point and the eairler ones made regarding experience, traditionaly a surveyor is or was a qualified captain or chief engineer. However ive seen reports written for sailing yachts done by experienced surveyors that were very poor.
In their defense, it was probaly the first time they had been on a sailing boat not a ship.
For a small boat survey you want some one whos built them, maintained them, used them and then gets into surveying them. The survey course then helps as a frame work for that experience.

 

[fibz99]

After doing the diploma, there is also an option to further it to a degree course. Some time is required on campus thou.
The same outfit also do courses on superyacht operations and ship managment.

 

[graham]

Good Luck with the course and your chosen proffesion. I would rather employ an experienced surveyor who HAD done the course than one who believes he/she knows eveything and cant be taught anything new.

 

[JackIron]

Hi I am currently completing this course, and have various opinions on it, however its a little like the Yachtmaster in that the piece of paper is no substitute for experience, however you still need the piece of paper. If only to compete against those with no experience but a certificate to wave.

I have seen some appalling "time served" surveyors. Having been an owners rep for many years in industrial shipping you will never get a room (forum) full of engineering/surveying egos to agree on anything - so be wary / thick skinned about responses here.

By the way if you are thinking about doing the course and no kindly employer to pay for you then join the Marine Society for 25 quid, and apply through them. You will get a 10% discount (approx £250). Btw you also need to be accepted onto the course - although whether this is just a psuedo filter for impressions sake I dont know - I'd like to think not.

 

[sophie4]

Thankyou for all your interest. I'm not sure, I think it is possible to become a good surveyor without a lifetimes experience in the trade. What is important is understanding the resposibility you have to your client. It is not something I would rush into. Interestingly, I asked a few of the major insurers at LIBS what qualifications they required of a suveyor for insurance purposes and the general reply was 'fully paid up liability insurance'. Anyway, thanks again for your replies.