Many people I have spoken to in the past are under the wrong impression that having a survey on a boat is simply a fast-track method of getting insurance cover easily or simply having a “quick look round to see if she’s ok”. I can assure you that this is not only a bad attitude but a short cut to misery in the long run. Marine surveying is a complex business and there will probably be many facets of the survey that will seem a little strange to the potential boat purchaser. “Are all those questions really necessary…..do they really matter?” Hopefully, this article may shed some light on the what’s, why’s and wherefores when your potential buy is surveyed.
WHY DO I NEED A SURVEY?
The foremost reason is that before actually buying the boat of your choice it is best practice to get an independent evaluation of the craft from a competent and experienced third party. Clearly, with a second hand craft, all its flaws and defects can be readily pinpointed by a trained observer who has done dozens of similar craft and knows exactly, from a technical point of view how this boat is made, from what materials, its strengths and weaknesses and the exact location of all the potential trouble spots.
In addition to this, your surveyor will offer you advice and recommendations on any defects found, how to rectify them to enable the craft to remain safe and provide answers to many of the other questions that are part and parcel of the survey process. Some of these include accurate unbiased valuations, insurance advice, contractual advice, dealing with brokers, history of the vessel, builders, naval architects, related subjects such as osmosis repair, oil analysis, importation and quarantine regulations. The list goes on. Damage evaluations, commercial survey requirements, engine and mast inspections can all come under the surveyor’s umbrella. Many people who buy a boat without a professional survey often realize the eventual cost to them may be dozens of times greater than would have been the case if they had simply paid the surveyor’s fees in the beginning.
The eventual vessel condition report is a valuable legal document that is a prize addition to the ship’s papers and may well help greatly with future dealings with insurers, banks, financial institutions, customs officials and the like. It is as well to remember that a trained surveyor can spot the less obvious flaws that even the owners themselves are unaware of. It is not unusual for potential buyers to reap a good profit on the surveyor’s initial fee as the finished report can be used as a bargaining chip in the eventual price of the craft as the cost of repairing many faulty items can run into thousands of dollars. Another couple of extremely important points are that most major insurers will not insure a vessel unless an application form for insurance cover is accompanied by a current independent surveyor’s report. Secondly, an application for financing will almost certainly require the same document before finance will ever be considered.
WHAT IS THE RESULT OF A SURVEY?
After the initial inspection (which should take the best part of a day, including slipping times) the surveyor is able to find out the actual (not reported) condition and state of repair of a vessel, including its major systems, subsystems, equipment, machinery and gear on board. The surveyor will also have (if he has done his work well) access to many additional items of information on the background and actual history of the vessel. It is not unusual for a crane haul out driver to remark to a surveyor, for example, “I know this boat, I remember it was run up the reef in Mackay ten years ago” or some similar comment. Such information forms an important piece in the profile of the boat under inspection and the surveyor can then proceed further along those lines in his investigations of the craft under inspection.
The surveyor will normally (although not always) belong to an officially recognized Association or marine body and will be required under the terms of that body’s constitution, to act in accordance with that association’s ‘Code of Conduct’ and Practices. The benefits of that are multifold, the client will always have some recourse in case of a dispute or disagreement should it arise and the client will always have the combined advice of all Association members through the medium of his own surveyor. Here is a cross-section of the kind of information that a surveyor is likely to end up with at the end of a survey on the boat.
The type, make, model and manufacturer of the craft. The length, breadth, beam, draft, year of construction, materials used, construction method, equipment, gear and machinery installed. Rig type and configuration, electrical gear, navigation gear, electrical (low and high voltage systems) generators, water makers, freezers and in many cases a full inventory of gear and equipment that is remaining on board, including a list of additional items such as dinghies, outboards, fishing gear and extra sails and halyards. I might add at this point, that the value of all these items that may remain with the craft is often well and truly understated and often runs into many thousands of dollars, particularly electronic and navigation gear. This is the clear advantage of buying second hand, a new boat will often be as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard unless extras are included in the purchase price.
Finally, all this information will be collated, sifted through and all relevant information will be put into the final report for the enlightenment of whomever is concerned, insurance companies, banks, lending institutions along with relevant remarks of actual condition, state of repair, ongoing requirements and suggestions, and if required an analysis and breakdown of the value of hull, machinery, sails, rig, additional gear and whether the vessel is considered to be both seaworthy and insurable. This report will then be properly typed up or written up and presented by the surveyor, properly bound, to the owner or faxed or emailed (only at the client’s request) to its required ultimate destination.
DIFFERENT CRAFT, DIFFERENT APPROACH
As multihulls, for example, are different beasts from other types of craft, it is essential to obtain the services of a surveyor who is familiar with the construction of multihulls. What makes multihulls different to survey? Primarily, the obvious fact is that multihulls have two or more hulls. It is critical that these hulls are strongly and safely joined by the bridge deck and the whole construction is of sufficient strength to prevent undue flexing, bending, cracking and failure of the bonding. Mast and rig loadings are much higher than monohulls and great care must be taken when inspecting mast bases, cross beam joint attachments, chain plates and all standing rigging. Craft that have been constructed from foam and balsa core should be extremely well sounded for potential delamination, especially on the deck. Finally, an often overlooked point, the trampoline. Failure of this can result in the potential loss of one or more crewmembers. The trampoline must be strong in fastenings, material and joins and must be condemned immediately if failure of any of the above are discovered.
The same applies for any other specialized craft. This surveyor will, amongst other things, be capable of finding evidence of current and previous defects or damage and to discover any weak, inadequate or wrongly applied materials or installations applicable to this kind of craft. The craft will have to be slipped or ‘hauled ashore’ for the survey inspection. Some surveyors will waive an underwater inspection if the owner won’t haul the vessel claiming it was only up on the hard last month….not good! No disclaimer on earth can shore up the fact that the bottom is potentially the most costly, difficult and likely the most dangerous part of the craft. It is unlikely you would get insurance cover anyway. The good surveyor will be present at the lift-out, watching in particular for bending, sagging, hogging and other portents of weakness. This is also, one might add, the perfect place for a surveyor and his camera to be in case of any subsequent damage resulting from the lift. Once cradled and out, the surveyor will wait for the water blast to end (essential to have a clean pair of hulls) and the walk around will begin.
WHAT’S HE LOOKING FOR?
He will observe from all points near and far, on the lookout for bumps, sags, hollows, bulges, delamination, ‘dog’s ribbing’ of the frames and unfairness. Any areas found to be suspect will be marked with chalk for closer internal inspection later. Next, the hulls are hammered or ‘sounded’ with a light mallet. The surveyor will note any areas that sound dull or flat, notes rib areas and bulkheads and generally inspects for hull soundness. Once again, suspect areas are chalked. Once the hulls and general symmetry are noted, a closer examination of stern drives, props, shafts, anodes, sensors, rudders, pintles, bearing wear and intake protection is undertaken. The signs of underwater electrolytic actions are noted, props sounded and the hull/deck joins inspected for damage. This is a good time to check for previous repairs and any joint or stress cracks in the general bridge deck areas.
FINISHED?…THERE’S MORE!
After the underwater sections of the inspection is completed, more work is embarked upon. No square inch of any top deck and internal area is left un-inspected for signs of heavy use. Floors come up, engine compartments and the all important bulkhead and crossbeam inner and outer hull areas. All deck gear, winches, runners, deck blocks, halyards and mast bases are inspected minutely, even with a jewellers eyepiece if required. There’s not a lot of visual difference between a crack and a spider’s web thread. Some two or three hours after commencement, the inspection would have been extremely thorough if the surveyor knows what he is about. Even then, if it is required, the sea trial report is to be included and a full report of rig behaviour and sails and engines under load, in forward and reverse and safe steering capabilities are then tested and noted.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
The hard part now comes for the surveyor. The paperwork has to be done! Basically, everything has to be analysed and committed to paper. The ship’s documentation has to be checked. Registration, title documents, import registration receipts. Ships’ inventory, items that will be staying on board and items that will be taken off. All safety equipment and gas safety documentation and various other documents that relate to the ship’s business are checked if applicable. Licensing and survey certificates need verifying and checking. Once this is all done, the surveyor can (depending if the scope of the survey requires it) employ shipwrights, riggers and technicians to work on one of the many areas of the craft and under instructions from the owner. Also, if the brief requires, the surveyor may or may not make return visits to inspect any work carried out on the boat and sign off any work carried out and re-inspect survey licences and certificates of compliance.
CONCLUSION
It should be fairly clear by now just how much needs to be carried out on what first appears to be a ‘quick look round’. No such thing. When your survey report is delivered to the door you may now realize that there is much more to it than meets the eye. Your surveyor will know this craft very well indeed by now and he will pass on those diagnostic findings, reports and conclusion to you, the client for what is usually a very reasonable fee. His years of experience and knowledge will be your eyes and ears in the tricky business of buying a boat. When your boat is signed off as ‘Insurable and seaworthy’ you can be assured that every item and aspect of the inspection will have been thoroughly investigated by a competent, licensed and experienced professional and that no nasty surprises are ahead! When you realise that it’s not just the hundreds of dollars you spend on a survey, but the potential thousands you could lose, things don’t seem so bad.
To find out more information go to www.dolphinboatplans.com/surveys/ [http://www.dolphinboatplans.com/surveys/]
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