Finding a soothsayer to help you predict the perfect boat purchase is not as easy as flipping through the white pages to the letter S. It’s far easier to hire the services of a qualified soothsayer of sorts, who by his very nature, has the intuitive ability to determine how your boat purchase will turn out by simply looking at the facts.
Madame Regina, owner of Regina’s Tea and Tarot Tepee, might be able to contact your great, great uncle Jefferson who was taken by a monster catfish in the 1940s, but she certainly won’t know anything about a busted bilge or matters that require moderate mechanical mindedness. There is no peering into crystal balls or the reading of palms here, but rather the qualified opinion of the super sleuth of the waterways … a marine surveyor.
CAN A MARINE SURVEYOR HELP YOUR BOAT PURCHASE?
Well, first off, that’s his job. He is hired to go over boats with a fine-toothed comb to find out and report on the overall condition of the boat. The marine survey for a boat is very much like the full AA technical test on a used vehicle. And, if you’re thinking about scrimping and not undertaking the marine survey, be advised that the cost of the required repairs uncovered by the marine surveyor usually far outweighs the cost to hire him. With this in mind, it is well worth hiring a marine surveyor to look over your prospective boat purchase.
WHAT WILL A GOOD SURVEYOR SURVEY?
A surveyor will present you with all the facts that pertain to the boat you are purchasing and recommend repairs and upgrades. The marine surveyor has an excellent knowledge of boats and is able to assess the condition and required repairs. He will reveal to the client what the inherent problems are with the vessel and discuss their
associated costs.
The surveyor’s report will include a percussion test of the hull to check for delamination and the use of a moisture meter to detect any traces of water within the hull. A marine survey is a technical investigation into the condition and construction of each and every boat.
