If you are thinking about buying a used boat, you must ensure you have in-depth information about the vessel before proceeding with the purchase. This is because some repairs and upgrades can be very expensive. The input of boat surveyors Palm Beach can help you know what works and what doesn’t on a vessel. You can use this information to either negotiate a better deal with the seller or simply look for another vessel. But what exactly do surveyors look for in a boat inspection?
Engine
No matter how well maintained the haul and systems seem to be, if the engine has a problem, the boat will not perform. That is why a key area of inspection during a boat survey is the engine bay. If the boat is an inboard or sterndrive, the engine bay will give a lot of information on how well the vessel has been maintained. Boat surveyors Palm Beach look at how dry and clean the engine bay is. They consider if rigging is well-supported and neat and if it is free of corrosion and rust. The engine hours are also considered. The more hours an engine has, the more unreliable it might be.
Systems
The marine surveyor will then test the systems on the vessel. All the electronics will be fired up and the surveyor will pay attention to the generator, pumps, air conditioning, stereo, drive trim, trim tabs, lights and all other systems. The objective here is to take note of the systems that are not working and the ones that are missing. This information will be provided in the survey report.
Sea trial
Simply firing up the systems and engine will not offer adequate information to determine the condition of the vessel. That is why your surveyor will most likely recommend a sea trial. A sea trial helps evaluate how the vessel performs in real-world conditions. The surveyor will take note of how the engine performs and check for leaks. Anything that underperforms during the sea trial will be documented.
Get the boat hauled
Some areas cannot be inspected until the vessel is out of the water. That is why you should make arrangements for the boat to be hauled. This will help the surveyor to inspect the bottom for obvious defects such as damaged running gear, hull blisters, broken trim tabs, excessive fouling and so on.
A boat survey might reveal very grim details about your dream boat. You must, therefore, be prepared to walk away if major issues are revealed. Don’t let the excitement of owning the boat cloud your judgement. The case is the same if the price is way over your budget.