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How to Vet a Boat Surveyor Fort Myers

With so many marine surveyors working in Florida, one of the most difficult and critical components when buying a used boat is vetting a boat surveyor Fort Myers. The wrong surveyor will give you poor, incomplete surveys that miss critical defects and flaws. It is your job to make sure you find the best surveyor from whom you will get a thorough and painlessly survey. But how do you do that? Here are some important things you must do when vetting a surveyor.

Word of mouth

The best source of information about a boat surveyor Fort Myers is people who have worked with a surveyor before. This includes family, friends and other boat owners. Boat owners’ groups and web forums will also be a great source of information. By reaching out to people who have worked with surveyors, you will be able to find the complaints clients have about a specific surveyor. The respondents will also share tips that will help narrow down your list of potential marine surveyors. The important rule is to not rely on recommendations from one respondent. People can be biased. However, if several people recommend the same surveyor, that is a good sign. 

Local boat yard manager

Boatyard managers work with all manner of boat surveyors. They also read many survey reports in the course of doing their job. Reaching out to a high-volume yard manager will help you find a competent surveyor faster. It is, however, important to remember that any source of recommendation might be biased or flawed. Some surveyors pay people to give positive reviews. As you get recommendations, keep in mind that this will be a case of ‘buyer beware’.

Your insurance underwriter or broker

Insurance providers have vested interests in ensuring you get a thorough survey. They don’t want to take on bad risks. As a result, chances of getting a good recommendation on a surveyor from an insurance underwriter or broker are pretty high. These professionals will also recommend surveyors whose reports they accept. Additionally, even after finding the best surveyor, it is good to contact your insurance company to know if they meet the insurer’s special requirements.

Check credentials

Recommendations will help compile a list of promising surveyors in Fort Myers. The next thing you must do is narrow the list further down. You can do that by looking at the credentials of a surveyor. Does the surveyor have any professional memberships? Keep in mind that membership in an organization is not a prerequisite and doesn’t guarantee competency. Take note of the surveyor’s experience, and the types of vessels he/she surveys.

Boat Surveyor Fort Myers

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Boat Surveyor Fort Myers – How a Sailing Yacht Survey is Done

Yachts are recreational ships or boats. The term comes from the Dutch Jacht which means ‘hunt’. These vessels were defined as light fast sailing vessels that were used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates as well as other transgressors. It is not until it was chosen by Charles II of England that it became known as the vessel for conveying important persons. If you are thing about buying a used yacht, working with a boat surveyor Fort Myers is one of the best things you can do. The surveyor will give you a comprehensive inspection of the vessel to help you know if it is a good fit or not. Here are some of the things a boat surveyor will do. 

Hull inspection

It is the duty of a boat surveyor Fort Myers to make sure that the body of the vessel is in good condition. Oftentimes, a hull inspection requires the yacht to be placed in a dry-dock or slipped away. The marine surveyor then inspects the keel, stern frame, stem, rudder and the outside and bottom of the vessel. The surveyor makes sure the body is in satisfactory condition. If repairs are needed, the surveyor will inform you.

All openings to the sea

Every opening to the sea has to be examined. This includes the sanitary and overboard discharges. The surveyor will also take a look at all the valves that are connected. If the vessel is made of aluminum, insulating materials in the joints of the shell connections and between dissimilar metals will be examined.

The surveyor will also take a look at the following items:

  • Hatches
  • Superstructures
  • Skylights
  • Companionways
  • Ventilator and air pipe coamings
  • Openings in the yacht’s sides including the freeing ports
  • Flush deck scuttles

Steering gear

To ensure the vessel is in good operating condition, the boat surveyor will also inspect all the accessible parts of the steering gear. This will include every associated equipment as well as a control system. The steering gear must be tested operationally. The key is to ensure everything is in satisfactory condition.

Other areas that will be inspected include:

  • Anchoring equipment
  • Aluminum or steel yachts have to be gauged in line with the regulations
  • Decks, casings and superstructures must be examined
  • Interior of the vessel may be opened out by removing ceiling, lining or portable tanks
  • Fastenings must be hammer-tested to evaluate their soundness.
  • Wood decks/sheathing must be examined and caulking be tested and re-caulked.

A lot goes into a yacht inspection. This post barely covers all the areas that will be inspected. Sitting down with a surveyor to understand what will be done is the only way to know what will be done. Find a boat surveyor with a good reputation.

Boat Surveyor Fort Myers

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Boat Surveyor Fort Myers – Do You Need a Boat Survey to Sell Your Boat?

A boat survey will help you determine the overall condition of your boat and also helps establish its actual value. This information is quite important when getting ready to sell your boat thus the reason you should work with a boat surveyor Fort Myers.

Buyers know that an old boat survey is worthless. This is because a survey report is a snapshot of the condition of a boat on the day the survey was done. As a result, boat buyers make arrangements to get an independent survey done. One thing you can be sure of is that the boat surveyor Fort Myers of the buyer will uncover most of the flaws your boat has. To avoid selling at a loss, it is good to get ahead of things. The right way of doing this is to get your own survey done before putting up a ‘for-sale’ sign.

Getting a boat survey is not mandatory. It is, however, essential. While you can resolve to inspect the boat yourself, your lack of experience and the right tools will always cause you to miss things. For example, if you don’t have infrared imaging equipment, you will not be able to know if the noise from a specific component is serious or not. When the surveyor of the buyer uses special equipment to look into the equipment, they may find an issue that may scare off a buyer or cause them to demand a huge discount. Getting a professional survey helps you know your boat inside and out. The survey report will help work on flaws that may be detrimental to the sale. You can fix the major issues in order to boost the selling price.

Condition and value survey

The type of survey you need when selling a boat is known as a condition and value survey. Getting this type of survey on a larger and older boat is essential when selling a boat. With this survey, the marine surveyor will complete a visual inspection of the boat. The surveyor will also use special equipment like a moisture meter to better evaluate the boat. If you need the bottom to be inspected, something a buyer may request when conducting a pre-purchase survey, you will need to make plans for haul-out.

When compared to how much you will end up saving at the end of the day, working with a boat surveyor Fort Myers is a worth investment. The survey report will help you get ahead of things and get the best value for your boat. Always enlist the help of an experienced marine surveyor; someone that has surveyed boats that are similar to yours.

Boat Surveyor Fort Myers