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What to expect from a Marine Surveyor

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  • 17-11-2020
What to expect from a Marine Surveyor

If you are purchasing a boat of any size, you should get a survey. This is to ensure that you know about any defects. Using this information, you can make informed choices.  Whether you're purchasing a sailing boat, motorboat, narrow boat or any boat for use on lakes, rivers, inland waterways or the sea. Marine surveyor offers a fact-finding service. They are hired to inspect the boat with a fine-tooth comb. The surveyor will find out which areas of the boat are in satisfactory working order and which are not, so you can be sure that you are getting a quality 

To choose a marine surveyor you first need to understand the work of the surveyors. You should understand the range of boat surveys and what they do. Here are some of the most common types of marine surveys available:

Pre-purchase Survey

Full Condition and Pre-Purchase Surveys are recommended for the purchase of a pre-owned boat, vessel or ship. The survey will identify construction faults, previous repairs or maintenance issues. This is referred to as a pre-purchase boat survey. Your surveyor can save you from a lot of stress and complications. They can also save you from parting with too much money. 

We integrate survey techniques with the current electronic non-harmful testing services where required. This includes the most up-to-date equipment. This helps us to give moisture readings from the surface area up to around 30mm depth. This includes right into the foam or balsa core for a vessel of cored construction. This also helps us to give accurate steel, iron and aluminium thicknesses.

Insurance Survey

Some owners may feel that their vessel is sound. Your boat may appear well conserved and seaworthy. The insurance survey may seem like an unnecessary expenditure. Nevertheless, it is usually the situation that an insurance survey will discover one or more issues which the owner was not familiar with.

Insurance companies usually assess risk when they take on a new client. For small craft or yacht insurance, an insurance survey may be required.  The insurance surveys are less comprehensive than a full pre-purchase survey. It is known as a Structural Survey which will focus on the major areas of the vessel. It inspects the condition of the keel and integrity of the hull. The survey checks the lower parts of the standing rigging, the deck and the supports.

Surveys range in purpose and scope. A marine surveyor can offer advice on the alternatives available. It is advisable to have a complete condition survey for any boat that you wish to purchase.

Boat surveyors Surrey offer insurance surveys, pre-purchase surveys and partial marine surveys. We also undertake supervision and project management for refit or building work on motor and sailing yachts. Our aim is to combine the best customer service with expert marine survey advice. We offer all this at the most reasonable prices. We work throughout Surrey and all of the inland waterways and coastal waters of England; we can also do surveys in Europe if required.

MCA Code of Practice

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Code of Practice is applied to small vessels. These boats carry less than 12 passengers and are used for business purposes, operating within British waters or under a British flag.

British Registration

The owner of a small vessel under a British flag has the option of 2 types of registration:

Small Ships Register, referred to as SSR, formally British Registration Part III

The Small Ships Register can be conveniently completed with an online application. This is readily available to British owners. It is required for use in sea and international sailing, acting a little like a vessel passport.

Part I British Registration

Part I Enrolment is a title register; a proof of ownership. Part I registration is also required if you want to secure your boat against a marine mortgage. Vessels over 24 metres, or commercial vessels will also require Part I registration.


Are you looking for a boat surveyor near you. Follow the links below to contact our marine surveyor for Surrey and South England.