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Yachts and motor boats can be very complicated pieces of machinery and at the same time they are both expensive to buy and maintain to a good standard. If the boat you are thinking of buying has had little or no proper maintenance you could find it expensive to mantain. Apart from the very important safety considerations of your own family, friends and crew there may also be important insurance considerations to take in to account. Depending on the age of the vessel it may make it impossible to obtain competive insurance if you do not have a recent marine survey. An independent marine surveyor will be able to help chart your course through the very many possible pitfalls of buying a previously owned boat. A marine surveyor will be able to draw on an understanding of the marine industry combined with many years of hands on experience which will help to identify any problem areas that could save both lives and considerable sums of money in repair and maintenance costs. Before you even consider placing a deposit on a vessel you must be satisfied that the boat is correct for you in all material respects. Do as much detailed research as you can and do not merely place a deposit on a whim or as is often the case when the sun shines on the water! When you find the right boat for you and make an offer which has been accepted at a mutually agreed price then you would be expected pay a deposit which could be made "Subject to Survey" and even subject to "Mortgage" if you required a mortgage loan to be able to complete the purchase. If the independent marine survey proves to be satisfactory and reveals no major faults then the onus will fall on you the buyer to complete the purchase and if you do not then you may well forfeit your deposit. The majority of Boat brokers will usually have a draft sales and purchase agreement which the buyer would sign at the time he makes the deposit. The agreement should allow for a reasonable time frame to allow for the independent marine survey to be completed and would usually specify the conditions when the deposit may be returned. If one merely changes one mind and decide to buy another yacht that has recently come on the market then you will undoubtedly lose the deposit and be regared as a time waster if you do not proceed with the purchase. Should a material fault be revealed which you could not have reasonably of been aware of at the time of making the original offer then your deposit should be returned less any lift out costs or expenses which have been incurred on your behalf. Usually the buyer will arrange and pay the boat yard directly for any lift out. However the seller would be expected to take the boat to the crane out point and bring her back to her berth afterwards. Often the survey is carried out with the vessel held in the slings of the crane during the lunch time break of the boat yard. Where a private seller,as opposed to a broker, requests a deposit which is normal one should make a similar agreement with them. The proposed buyer will then have an exclusive right to arrange to have the boat surveyed in order that he can complete the purchase within a reasonable time scale and be assured that the boat that is being purchased has no hidden defects. It is I think very good advice before purchasing any used boat whether it be a sailing yacht,motor cruiser or a sports boat to use the services of an independent marine surveyor. The Author writes many articles on Marine topics and for more information please go to Boat Surveyor
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