Conducting a Marine Survey can be a very daunting and time consuming task. Below are a few suggestions to help make the process easier for everyone involved.
- The surveyor must have specific directions to the boat. It is amazing how much time can be wasted wandering around a marina boatyard looking for the right boat, or driving around trying to find an address. Ensure the boat is where it’s supposed to be.
- If the mast is not stepped give clear directions to it and it must be clearly identified. “It’s the aluminum one on the rack” (among 150 others) just doesn’t cut it.
- All keys to the engine, the cabin, the engine room, and all lockers must be onboard.
- All ship’s papers including registration or license (Canada), documentation or state registration (US) should be laid out onboard for the surveyor.
- All boat covers, shrink wrap should be removed from the boat prior to surveyor’s arrival. A surveyor may be reluctant to remove covers without the owner present.
- Remove as many personal items as possible to facilitate access to all systems and lockers. You really want your surveyor spending his time examining the boat, not moving piles of “stuff” around.
- Have all fasteners removed from sole panels, chainplate coverings (or any other panel) for inspection. The surveyor will not remove screws to do inspections and we can’t report on what we can’t see.
- Ensure batteries are installed and connected. The surveyor will not connect batteries as we have no idea why they were disconnected.
- Ensure shore power is connected. The surveyor will not connect shore power as we have no idea why it was disconnected.
- Try to have water, fuel and waste tanks filled as leaks are more easily detected.
- Notify marina or yard ahead of time, and make sure the marina has the name and phone number of the surveyor and everyone else involved.
- If the boat is to be hauled out have the broker or owners representative on hand to move the boat to the lift. We will not move the boat.
- It is in your best interest to attend the survey (to answer questions, discuss issues etc.) but please don’t bring your friends, kids or dogs. We simply do not have time to continually ask people to move out of the way to gain access to components. You want us to focus on the job at hand not distractions.
