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One very important reason for having a small boat surveyed is prior to purchase. This way you will be able to obtain an independent survey report on exactly what you are purchasing before you part with your money. The survey report will detail any defects that are found on the vessel and,where appropriate,make recommendations for any remedial work. A pre purchase report can often save the proposed buyer considerable sums of money by requiring the current owner to address the problems or make a reduction in the price accordingly. Sometimes a marine survey report may actually make one change their mind and walk away from what might have turned out to be a very serious disaster. I looked at a power boat once that had been made by a major British manufacturer and my surveyor found that the boat had been damaged and had not been properly repaired. Indeed the glassfibre hull was soaking wet through but with out a moisture meter I could not possibly know that. The marine diesel engines, on the other hand, were an absolute dream. Little point buying a boat with good engines but a dangerous hull. The Boat had a market value of approximately £24,000 but needed at least £8,000 to be spent on repairs together with a lot of time and no guarantee on the end result. Naturally I walked away from the purchase and had my deposit refunded. Another very important reason for having a boat survey is when it is unfortunately damaged. A marine damage survey report is often commissioned by the Insurance Company with specific reference to the actual claim. A survey report of the damage will reveal the amount of the loss and at the same time provide a good guide of the cost of the proposed repairs. Where a vessel is damaged the marine surveyor will liaise with the owner (the insured party), the proposed repairers and any other interested parties as required. Some times some very difficult decisions have to be made as to whether it is actually more economic to repair or scrap the vessel. Some years ago a sealine motor cruiser "Ocean Spirit" from Brighton had an incident when a propeller hit something in the water a few miles off the South Coast. This had spme serious results as it resulted in the propeller chipping away at the glassfibre bottom of the boat. The owner told me that by the time he got to Shoreham the stern of the boat was substantially submerged. Ocean Spirit was rebuilt in Brighton marina but the total costs probably exceeded a replacement vessel. All marine survey reports will usually contain a standard disclaimer clause which will restrict the use of the report to the specific client who commissioned and paid for the report. This does,of course, make very good sense as if I had bought a boat two years ago with a survey and then sold the boat two years later my buyer cannot rely on my surveyors report simply because it is out of date. Another reason could be that some accident may have happened for example the boat could have had impact damage that would effect the original report. If you are considering purchasing a small boat you should give some serious thought to having a marine survey as the small outlay may prove to be a very valuable investment. The Author writes many articles on Marine and related topics and for more information please go to Essex Boat Survey
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