seasurveys.co.uk Tel 01258 837153 Mobile 07963 011390 or 07501 144631
Questions
- What is the difference between a survey for insurance and a
pre-purchase survey
?.
- As a generalisation, there is not a great deal of difference in the way the vessel is inspected, the main difference is in the amount of detail reported. If you are the purchaser of a vessel it is helpful to know as much as possible regarding every part of the structure as is possible this includes every scratch and mark of any consequence on the gelcoat and general cosmetic condition. As the owner of a vessel the majority of those superficial areas are of no consequence to either the owner or the insurer. Serious structural faults would be highlighted in both particular cases but in insurance inspection the report is generally less focused on non essentials.
- What types of Survey are available?
- As an owner or potential owner of the vessel then, you can have any part of the vessel inspected as you choose. There is no obligation to have a minimum or maximum amount of structure inspected.
- How soon after the inspection will I receive the report
- Generally, a report will be available for early reading within 24 to 36 hours, this is often an Email draft copy if an e-mail address is available. The full printed copy would follow within 2 to 3 working days.
- If there is information in the report that I do not understand -
what can I do?
- One of the reasons to produce a draft report is so that an early
viewing of what the survey in its completed form will contain with
regard to the vessel’s condition. At that time, the client can go
through that draft report and highlight areas that require further
clarification or description. This allows some changes of text where
appropriate to suit the particular client.
- One of the reasons to produce a draft report is so that an early
viewing of what the survey in its completed form will contain with
regard to the vessel’s condition. At that time, the client can go
through that draft report and highlight areas that require further
clarification or description. This allows some changes of text where
appropriate to suit the particular client.
- Once a fault is detailed in the report what happens next?
- In virtually all cases where ever any fault no matter how minor, is noted there will always be a comprehensive description of how to repair or reinstate the area and, at the end of the report is a comprehensive section on all aspects of repair, maintenance, osmosis, electrolysis and much more. Working as a shipwright for both timber and grp vessels the experience gained in repairing such vessels is passed on to any client who may be interested.
- How do I prioritise faults noted in the report
- Part of the duty when compiling the report is to prioritise
these areas specifically for you and, they are broken into three
major star groups
*** requiring immediate attention,
** will require some attention not necessarily today,
* not particularly important but would be of benefit at some time
- Part of the duty when compiling the report is to prioritise
these areas specifically for you and, they are broken into three
major star groups
- Does it matter if the vessel is afloat or ashore?
- Most insurance surveys will require the vessel to be ashore even if it is only lifted out of the water temporarily for inspection. Some insurance companies will accept a limited inspection if done afloat but, if it is for pre-purchase then, you are strongly advised to have the vessel ashore for inspection.
- How long does a grp boat have to be out of the water before
moisture meter readings can be taken.
- This can vary enormously, it is possible that some vessels will be lifted from the water and within a very short time have moisture meter readings that are particularly low. Low readings such as that are obviously quite reliable as, the readings can only get lower after time ashore. However, this is not the common scenario, most vessels will have high readings immediately following lift out and, when a vessel is lifted in the slings by boatyard there is often pressure of time regarding boatyard schedules to get the vessel back in the water. These higher readings taken at that time will be almost worthless and certainly unreliable. A period of 24 hours ashore will give a much more reliable assessment of what residual readings may be as, the majority of physical drying out of water takes place in the first 24 hours, this gradually slows down and any changes after 24 hours are much less marked. If it is absolutely imperative for accuracy of moisture meter readings then, if at all possible the vessel should have been ashore for a minimum of two or three days prior to survey. However, this is not always practical and will always be more expensive for the buyer.
- I’m thinking of buying a timber vessel, what arrangements do I
have to make and what is it important to do when the vessel is out of
the water?
- Timber vessels have their own particular method of inspection. There is no absolute need for these to be dried after lifting out but, the majority of timber vessels will have fastenings along the garboard plank (the first plank up from the keel) and hood ends (hood ends are the ends of the plank attached to the bow and stern of the vessel) these fastenings are important and very often overlooked for many decades. In the course of survey at least two or three of these fastenings would be found and removed for checking. However, specific permission has to be obtained for this from either the broker or the owner as, occasionally, these screws will fail upon removal because of corrosion or lack of previous inspection and, with regard to carrying out any type of survey, one of the obligations of the surveyor he is to minimize, or cause no, damage whatsoever. Discovering corroded screws could be interpreted as causing damage hence the requirement for permission. Keelbolts will not be removed as this can be a prolonged job beyond the scope of the survey but, advice will be given in the survey relevant to the vessel.
More questions
- Why does the broker ask for a deposit before the Survey is carried out?.
- The immediate thought is that it is to display a form of commitment to purchase however, the practical requirement for this deposit is that, if a surveyor causes damage to the boat they are surveying Then the cost of repairing this damage is taken out of the deposit funds the buyer has paid. This is why a significant amount of care is taken when surveying any type of vessel to ensure that physical damage does not occur under any circumstances. The only areas of obvious interference will be the removal of sample areas of antifouling coating although not epoxy coatings and scraping of antifouling from underwater fittings. No paintwork will be removed from the vessel above the waterline. All other testing is carried out by non invasive methods. It is absolutely not necessary to cause damage in order to discover faults. Any areas that require further invasive checking would be noted in the survey or, if the owner is present at the time, with their permission this may be undertaken.
- Are all surveyors the same and is it just the price that varies?
- The price is certainly varies. However, one important thing
to bear in mind is that the price of a survey may vary from one
surveyor to another by as much as £200 on some vessels. Firstly, an
expensive survey is not a guarantee of quality. As the owner of a
vessel you may wish to spend as little as possible which is
understandable, the downside of this can be that, occasionally some
surveyors become particularly over cautious causing an owner to
spend a considerable amount more than the £200 they may have saved.
In the same vein, saving £200 when purchasing an elaborate vessel - particularly in timber, can occasionally cost several thousands of pounds more in areas where an inexperienced surveyor has inadvertently missed something particularly important.
It can almost be said that price is an irrelevancy with regard to survey a low cost survey can easily be as good, if not better than a high cost survey. I can only suggest that you obtain sample surveys from a potential surveyor of your choosing. Word of mouth and, visiting and asking questions on some of the Yachting World forums are also a good meeting point for interested parties. If a sample survey is not available then perhaps you might have to ask yourself why in this electronic world.
Sample surveys are available on this website for fishing vessels, GRP yachts and timber vessels.
- The price is certainly varies. However, one important thing
to bear in mind is that the price of a survey may vary from one
surveyor to another by as much as £200 on some vessels. Firstly, an
expensive survey is not a guarantee of quality. As the owner of a
vessel you may wish to spend as little as possible which is
understandable, the downside of this can be that, occasionally some
surveyors become particularly over cautious causing an owner to
spend a considerable amount more than the £200 they may have saved.
