The Scope of a Pre-Purchase Survey
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- Posted date:
- 17-11-2020
Purchasing a ship, yacht, boat or other vessel involves investing a large amount of money. Hence it is recommended that the buyer hires a surveyor to inspect the boat so that an accurate and comprehensive information on the condition of the vessel is obtained.
The internal fit-out, equipment, hull and other parts of the vessel determine the build of the boat, and this depends to a great extent on where the ship was built, the experience, tools available and skill-set. The maintenance of the vessel also depends on the skills, knowledge of the staff.
The buyer of the vessel needs to be aware of the exact condition of the boat before finalising a deal. In addition to checking the hulls condition, equipment and services, the Pre-Purchase Survey, includes an assessment of the overall condition.
Most surveyors follow the market norms, it involves non-destructive inspection to check whether the various parts of the boat are functioning as desired, whether they conform to the relevant standards and guidelines.
The surveyor will also carefully inspect to check if there are any warning signs of problems which could occur later. All this is then used to determine the overall value of the vessel.
Although this vessel inspection is limited in its scope, the market has mostly accepted this inspection as sufficient. Insurance companies allow these inspections. Some areas of the vessel will not be inspected as they require disassembly.
The inspection reports the condition of the boat at a particular time; there is no guarantee that a part or component which was working at the time of inspection, will stop working soon after. Typically the inspection of a boat in the water begins with checking the internal structure , the interior and services. The boat is then lifted ashore, the bottom of the vessel is cleaned, and then the external hull, stern gear and through hull fittings can be examined. If the boat is freshly lifted ashore the moisture reading will representative only. If the boat has been ashore for at least 72 hours the readings will be more accurate. The vessel is then relaunched and additional inspections will be carried out if required.
Usually, the check is completed in one day for most boats. However, more time might be needed if a larger yacht is being inspected or weather conditions hold up the inspection.
Are you looking for a boat surveyor near you. Follow the links below to contact our marine surveyor for Surrey and South England.