How to Prepare for a Survey
How to Prepare for a Survey
Whether you are engaging a marine surveyor for purposes of insurance, pre-purchase or damage, it is important to prepare the vessel for a thorough inspection, to enable you, the client, to achieve an informed representation of your (potential) vessel.
A marine surveyor should conduct a survey to provide information on the vessel’s condition, without guarantees or warranties. The surveyor will report the condition of accessible areas only as it existed at the time of inspection.
Do your homework, check the surveyor’s qualifications and references for background, work experience, history, and certifications.
Arrange to present a clean, shipshape boat and have all the ship’s documentation available for viewing. This can include specifications, logs, drawings, diagrams etc.
Have all the safety equipment ready for viewing (equipment should all be accessible within a moment’s notice anyway!)
Organize a captain, if necessary, for the sea trial and haul out for inspection of hull bottom and running gear.
Lockers and cabin areas should be clear of all miscellaneous gear.
A surveyor should not be asked to prepare a boat for inspection; it should be ready to go!
The surveyor may request some minor dismantling of interior ceiling, headliners, sole or access panels that require tools to remove.
Depending upon the size of the vessel, survey, including report write up may take 1-3 days, depending upon the size of the vessel, complications and/or issues. Your surveyor will communicate this to you.
Preferably, write a list of questions you may have, as the surveyor will need to focus on the task at hand and review a lot of equipment, components, operational status, as well as hull and superstructure construction integrity.
How to Prepare for a Survey
When hiring a marine surveyor for insurance, purchase, or damage assessment, ensure your vessel is ready for inspection. Surveyors report only on the condition of accessible areas at the time of their visit, without guarantees.
· Verify the surveyor's qualifications and references.
· Present a clean boat and provide all ship documentation (specs, logs, diagrams).
· Make safety equipment easily accessible.
· Arrange a captain for sea trials and haul outs.
· Clear lockers and cabin areas of unnecessary gear.
· The vessel should be prepared before the surveyor arrives; don’t expect them to ready the boat.
· Minor dismantling may be requested for access.
· Surveys and reports can take 1-5 days, depending on vessel size and complexity; confirm timing with your surveyor.
· Prepare questions in advance but allow the surveyor to concentrate on their assessment.