| This post aims to offer some tips to boat Buyers with | | | | applicable to the build medium. This post doesn't |
| regard to choosing a Marine Surveyor. | | | | attempt to address these guidelines. Suffice to say |
| As a Buyer new to the game, you might well wonder | | | | that you need to be more vigilant in certain areas of a |
| why advice is needed at all. After all if a Marine | | | | steel boat. These particular areas of interest will not be |
| Surveyor is properly qualified, surely one qualified | | | | the same for a glass boat and different again for |
| opinion on a boat that you might be about to buy, is as | | | | foam cored glass boat and different yet again for a |
| good as the next? | | | | wooden boat. And of course then there's aluminum |
| No, no, no; the fact is, there is a remarkable degree of | | | | and even ferro cement if you're game enough to |
| variation in talent and work ethic in this business. Based | | | | venture into that territory. |
| upon 30 years of owning boats and working in the | | | | When via this process; you have eliminated the boats |
| marine industry I can assure you that Marine | | | | you deem to be not worthy of pursuit, you have your |
| Surveyors are definitely not equal. Qualitatively the | | | | short list of possibly one or two vessels. At this point |
| industry probably conforms to the Pareto norm, | | | | you need to select a Surveyor. So whom do you ask |
| whereby 20% are exemplary; eighty percent are | | | | for advice in this regard? |
| adequate and 20% of the 80% should find something | | | | The first piece of advice forthcoming will likely be |
| else to do. | | | | offered by the Yacht Broker if indeed there is one. |
| But before you consider hiring a Marine Surveyor, you | | | | But while this advice may be taken on board, it should |
| need to be competent to do a basic per-survey | | | | never be followed without solid validation. There are |
| inspection of any boat that might qualify for the short | | | | simply too many unwholesome arrangements out |
| list. The reason is cost. Probable costs are around | | | | there in boat Buyer land, for you to place your trust |
| $AUD 1,000 for an average survey, including slipping | | | | unreservedly in any Broker's recommendation of a |
| for the out of water component. So your Marine | | | | Marine Surveyor. |
| Surveyor should be your last line of defence, not your | | | | A better tactic is to ask around locally among savvy |
| first. | | | | boat owners & local Shiprights. This simply avoids the |
| Also for a Buyer, there are so many listings to see and | | | | potential conflict of interest situation that arises |
| evaluate. And because many of these boats for sale | | | | between the Broker and a Surveyor. |
| might well qualify; in terms of suitability, aesthetic | | | | When you find a Surveyor by this means you need to |
| qualities and price; it pays to take your time. As at | | | | clearly communicate to him your usage intentions for |
| 2010, boat markets in the US and Europe (and soon to | | | | the boat. Do you intend to go to sea? Will you be day |
| be in Australia) are flooded with stock and Buyers | | | | sailing or undertaking longer term cruises? What are |
| have by and large vacated the field. So it's clearly not | | | | your expectations with regard to the boat? All of |
| feasible to have your Marine Surveyor inspect every | | | | these questions are relevant to the stance your |
| boat that might qualify for an offer. | | | | Surveyor takes with respect to his investigations on |
| Your pre-survey survey is process of elimination | | | | your behalf. |
| based upon a number of guidelines specifically | | | | |