Should I have a survey?
It is your choice if you have a survey, but we would always recommend that you have a full out of water survey regardless of how new or old the boat is to ensure that you have made the right choice and to protect your investment. Would you buy a house without a survey? There are a few independent surveyors listed below. You can also choose another independent surveyor providing they are fully insured and qualified to carry out the survey. We will need to see proof of the above from the surveyor prior to the survey. If the survey is going to be carried out at one of the workshops that are based at any of the marinas that we operate from we will forward these details to them as they are a separate Company. We will coordinate on your behalf with the surveyor and the workshop to arrange for the vessel to be lifted out of the water. If the vessel is going to be surveyed at another workshop then your surveyor will need to talk direct to that workshop regarding what documentation etc they require from your surveyor. Your surveyor should provide you with a full and factual detailed report so that you can obtain quotes should there be any work that needs to be carried out on the vessel after the survey has been completed. You can talk direct to the workshop to obtain quotes etc. We will obviously support you and answer any questions you may have.
Choosing a small craft marine surveyor can be a difficult job as the industry is largely unregulated. So make sure you find the right marine surveyor for your job. Prices can vary hugely so you may want to get a couple of quotes before employing a marine surveyor. Sometimes the cheapest may not always be the best.
The Survey
If the survey reveals any issues or any recommendations of any work that needs to be carried out, you can obtain a quote from the workshop and we will then go back to the sellers and try to renegotiate the price. There is nothing that cant be repaired, fixed or replaced. The work can then be carried out once you become the legal owner of the vessel. The same process as if you were buying a house. You normally would not pull out of a house sale because of the outcome of a survey. You have now invested several hundred pounds on the vessel for a survey and to have the boat lifted out of the water. Providing the work that your surveyor has recommended is carried out on the vessel and the price has been renegotiated then you still have your dream boat and there is no need for you to spend another several hundred pounds on getting another vessel surveyed that could also bring up more issues and your costs just keep increasing.
Which Surveyor?
Make sure you use a surveyor who has many years of experience in surveying the type of vessel you are asking them to survey. Surveying a £10,000.00 project boat will be different to surveying a £200,000.00 boat. Check credentials and experience. You don’t want to be in a situation where a surveyor keeps advising you to walk away from boat after boat. There is nothing on a boat that can’t be repaired or replaced. Every time you walk away from a boat you now need to pay your surveyor to survey another boat. Meantime, your costs are just escalating 💰We can always try to renegotiate regards any work required. Use a surveyor who gives actual facts and not opinions. Surveying a GRP boat is totally different to surveying a steel boat. Please click the link below for more details.
How to choose a marine surveyor (Quick Guide) IIMS.org
Should the hull be pressure washed before the hull survey?
A surveyor should always recommend that a buyer pays to have the hull pressure washed prior to surveying the hull. Especially if the boat has not been out of the water for sometime. It would be very difficult for a surveyor to ultrasound and inspect a hull if it was not pressure washed to remove any debris etc.
How much will a survey cost?
This depends if you have a full survey or just a hull and stern gear survey?
A full survey can range from £400 to £600 plus the cost of getting the boat out of the water and putting it back in again. Some surveyors have a set rate and some charge by the foot.
What if the boat needs blacking/Antifouling?
If you are happy with the survey and the hull needs blacking/Antifouling providing that the workshop that you have asked to carry out the work has not already got bookings for blacking/Antifouling etc, you can pay them to black/Anti-foul the hull. We do this because it will save you £100s. If they put the boat back in the water before it is blacked you would have to pay to get it out of the water again. If you withdraw from the sale you will be liable for the cost of the blacking/Antifouling and any other costs incurred if you have instructed any other work to be carried out on the vessel.
Here are a few Independent surveyors
- Dave Freeman – 07918 677782 (Inshore Surveyor)
- Michael Clarke – 07944 856351
(Inshore Surveyor) - Darrell Broscomb – 07920 826319 (Inshore Surveyor)
- Julian Smith – 07554 883606 (Offshore Surveyor)
If you would like to join the list of independent surveyors then please email us your details with your qualifications and details of your insurance and information of any organisations that you are a member of and what level of membership you have. Please can you also detail the amount of time and experience you have regarding surveying Narrow Boats. We will then forward these details to the workshops.
The independant workshops and ourselves reserve the right to refuse a surveyor access to either their yard/workshop/dock or our sellers vessel if there have been any previous complaints or heath & safety issues with any surveyor. We are sure that if we were selling your boat that you would not want a surveyor on it if we had previously received complaints from buyers or sellers or had heath and safety issue with them?
We welcome all feedback (positive or negative) from buyers and sellers about any independent surveyor that has carried out a full out of water survey on a vessel that you are purchasing or selling. This helps us to ensure that you are getting the most accurate and the best possible independent survey on your vessel.