Did you know that preparing for a survey could actually save you time and money? It’s true! After all, time is money, and sorting through your lifetime of memories and gear would be a little time consuming – especially for someone who should never be expected to do such. If you own a boat and are having a marine surveyor come out to inspect it, you need to make sure your ship is in shipshape before they arrive in order to make the survey process as efficient for everyone as possible. Preparing for a survey is not a complicated process at all, nor is it necessarily a lengthy one, but it is one that can save you quite a bit of headache later on.
The most important part of preparing for a survey is organization. If you’re selling your boat, you will inevitably need to clean out all your personal items anyway, so why not make sure it’s before your marine surveyor comes out to perform the official survey? Organizing everything, taking the time to sort through what is staying with you, and what is moving onto the next owner, and removing anything that you don’t plan to part with will not only make your boat look cleaner, but it will also help your chosen marine surveyor navigate your vessel more easily. Of course, anything that is or will be included in the sale must remain on board, or at least be readily available to your marine surveyor. Be sure that all your ship’s paperwork and documentation are out and readily available for your marine surveyor’s convenience.
Another important part of preparing for a survey is to simply know what to expect. In some cases, you may be responsible for having your ship hauled for a bottom inspection, or for hiring a qualified captain for necessary sea trials. If a marine surveyor finds or suspects that any areas of the ship are compromised for any reason, you may also be required to allow a qualified technician to dismantle and reassemble certain interior aspects onboard such as floors, ceilings, or headliners for further inspection. A reputable marine technician may also be necessary for an independent mechanical survey in cases in which a ships engine has reached critical condition.
Knowing and understanding what a marine surveyor can and cannot do during their inspection is also handy when preparing for a survey. For instance, no destructive testing or removal of fasteners, fixed parts, or joinery can take place without written consent of the ships owner. Similarly, visual inspections of the vessel’s engines and other machinery and gear during full-operation can only take place if the boats owner or a chosen qualified representative are present at the time of inspection.
Overall, there is no real right or wrong way to go about preparing for a survey. Once you’ve cleaned everything you don’t need out of your ship and laid out all the appropriate documentation, all that’s left for you to do is make sure all your cabins and compartments are unlocked and cleared out. After that, you should be good to go and ready to sell! If you are considering the purchase of a new or used boat and are looking for a marine surveyor, call Christian today at 1.810.531.0992 or fill out the form in the sidebar to schedule your free consultation.