Josh:
I bought my boat sight unseen in March 2006 from Racine, Wisconsin. I
was not traveling there to inspect it....I was relying on a survey.
From the internet, I chose an accredited surveyor from the local
area....it turned out he was a naval architect and a retired USA naval
officer. When I informed the broker who my surveyor was, he was not
happy.....he knew the guy and told me the surveyor "could pick pepper
out of fly sh_t", The broker said the surveyor would take up at least a
full day maybe more and drive him crazy. I knew then I had hired the
right surveyor.
He naturally inspected the boat, all electrical systems/instruments were
checked, the steering system, the rig was inspected, the sails were
inventoried (they had to drive 20 miles to a sail loft where the sails
were stored over the winter) and the surveyor insisted the boat yard
start the engine on the 'hard' even though it was winterized with anti
freeze.
I agree with you that not every surveyor is equal but I also believe
some are more thorough than others. Don't hire a surveyor too close to
the broker.
To Aaron, who maybe thinking of a boat here, the local surveyor here
closet to my experience would be Ian Tulloch.....he built his own 40'
sailboat and he is meticulous.
Rob Abbott
AZURA
C&C 32 - 84
Halifax, N.S.
On 2016-08-02 11:03 PM, Josh Muckley via CnC-List wrote:
I've had 3 different surveys all from various surveyors. It is my
opinion that the best survey is the one you do yourself and the best
surveyor is the cheapest. I've never had a surveyor who went to the
depth of detail I would have wanted. They are doing what almost
anyone with an entry level of boat knowledge could do. No engine. No
rig. Not even a very in depth look at the electrical or structure.
Basic and common stuff that will cause fires or sinking. Your money
is far better spent buying a book about how to perform your own
survey. You can even buy their (the surveyor's) moisture meters and
IR cameras for less than the cost of the survey. You perform the
preliminary survey yourself. If you like what you see then pay for
the cheapest surveyor you can find just to get a check in the box for
the bank or insurance.
Josh Muckley
S/V Sea Hawk
1989 C&C 37+
Solomons, MD
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