No matter if you are buying or selling your boat, always conduct a marine survey for peace of mind and potential savings. A good marine survey can save you both time and money in the future.
There are three primary types of surveys: Pre-Purchase Condition & Value Survey, Appraisal, and Engine Survey. Each has different purposes and requires a special skill set.
1. Leaks
Leaks can occur on boats that aren’t regularly maintained or inspected, which can create dangerous situations and destroy surfaces, not to mention potential damage its structure.
These leaks often originate above deck and penetrate through ports, hatches, rub rails, cockpit drain fittings or spotlight bases to reach interior spaces. While not the only places water could enter a building’s interior spaces, these avenues of penetration tend to be the most likely entry points.
Some leaks can be repaired without taking the boat out of the water, while others require more extensive work. Windows are a potential source of freshwater leakage that may need to be stripped and rebuilt for effective solutions.
Surveyors typically recommend correcting major defects found during an inspection, as well as items less likely to cause issues in the future. This allows boat owners to determine what work needs to be done now vs what might require repair down the line.
2. Damaged Components
Damage surveys are conducted after an accident or sinking to assess and measure its condition, in order to identify both its source and extent, estimate costs associated with repairs, and ascertain whether or not the vessel can be saved.
Surveyors typically discover structural flaws and material degradation, typically found in composite materials like fiberglass and carbon composites. Although they can be difficult to spot with naked-eye inspection, ultrasonic testing can reveal areas not sealed with resin that remain unsaturated by fillers or filling agents.
Plate patching, stop-hole drilling, and overlay welding/thermal spraying are three effective and long-term repair methods that use heat to induce residual stresses into components that will delay or prevent crack formation.
3. Structural Issues
Yacht surveys are an integral component of purchasing or selling a boat, serving to ensure that it’s free from major issues and should be carried out prior to making any major decisions regarding its purchase or sale.
Insurance companies frequently hire marine surveyors to evaluate a vessel’s risk profile and establish its fair market value.
Insurers want to ensure that any vessel they insure is structurally sound and worth the cost, in addition to being safe to operate safely for its intended use.
Surveyors will thoroughly inspect every aspect of a vessel’s hull and deck for any signs of cracks, osmosis, blistering, or delamination that might indicate future problems. They’ll also conduct underwater gear checks such as shafts, struts, and propellers that might indicate damage or wear.
Surveyors often conduct sea trials as an additional expense, to gain more of an understanding of how well your boat performs. This gives them a much deeper insight into its capabilities.
4. Mechanical Issues
Your surveyor should inspect not only major components such as the engine, generator set, and steering system but all items on board as well. A good yacht surveyor will use laser scanning technology to detect faults within electronic controls.
As a buyer, you should ask your surveyor to run through an exhaustive checklist of all systems they will be checking so they can identify any that require attention and provide you with an accurate quote. In addition to this, a comprehensive inventory should also be assembled in order to provide your surveyor with as complete an estimate as possible.
Ideally, when having your boat surveyed at sea by an expert surveyor, take them on a short cruise around it to give them an understanding of its use and highlight any major areas for concern.
If You’re planning to sell or buy a boat, make sure to have it surveyed by a qualified marine surveyor like A&L MARINE SURVEYORS, LLC. By addressing these 4 common issues found during boat and yacht surveys, you can ensure that your vessel remains seaworthy and safe for years to come.
