Preparing for survey: prior to the survey, the boat should be prepped for inspection by removing as much equipment as possible from lockers and bilges to allow the surveyor to assess the hull.
A marine survey is an independent inspection of a boat—usually to ABYC, NFPA and USCG standards—documented in a written report.
Anyone can call themselves a marine surveyor. There are no particular requirements or qualifications for the job. Membership in an accrediting organization is some guarantee that a surveyor meets certain qualifying standards. The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS) lists its members by state on its Web site.
A marine surveyor works only for the person who pays for the survey and reports only to them. Unless the surveyor is working for the boat owner, written permission from the owner is needed before boarding and before performing many survey tasks.
Kinds
of
surveyVarious types of survey differ in scope and cost. A pre-purchase survey is the most comprehensive and the most expensive, taking about half a day to perform. It usually requires the boat to be hauled out for a bottom inspection and also taken off the dock for a sea trial. An insurance survey establishes whether the boat is structurally sound and safe to operate, and also estimates its current value. An appraisal survey establishes only the value. A damage inspection, usually the least costly type, seeks to find the cause and extent of damage and require periodic surveys of safety and seaworthiness issues.
Preparing
for surveyPrior to survey, the boat should be prepped for inspection by removing for survey as much gear (eg, from lockers, etc) as possible and providing access where needed to areas behind the headliner, paneling and sole. Have all documentation at hand. Ensure in advance that routine USCG safety and regulatory requirements are met. Do not expect the surveyor to rummage through lockers and loose gear, nor to disassemble anything. If planning a sea trial, know in advance who will captain the boat.
For a bottom inspection, the boat must be hauled, of course, and pressure washed below the waterline. Ideally a glass or wood hull should also dry out for a time, although this is not practical during a short haul. The surveyor will pay close attention to the hull, deck, and superstructure, using a hammer and a moisture meter on the glass laminate, and perhaps also a knife and a magnifying glass, to check for water intrusion and soft spots and to evaluate the extent of any blistering present. For metal hulls, the focus is on corrosion, thickness, and general condition of the plating.
Hull
blistersBlisters on the hull below the water line are common and generally their only harm is cosmetic. Resulting primarily from use of insufficient or lower quality resin during factory lay-up, they are more common in fresh water boats, particularly those exposed to strong currents at dock. Sometimes blisters on a
blisters hull that has been in the water for several seasons will disappear once it is blocked ashore for a while. Although most surveys include a moisture meter inspection of the hull, these readings are not reliable until the boat has dried out for several weeks. Readings on deck are somewhat reliable only if the deck surface is dry. Taping a square foot of plastic sheet over the hull or deck at several points and waiting a day or two to see whether moisture beads up underneath it is just as good as using a meter. Presence of blisters can help to negotiate a lower price, when buying a boat, but should not be a deal breaker. Extensive blistering suggests inferior fiberglass that might lead to other problems.