beware of surveyors....

[jimmy's marine service]

remember how i allways tell you guys,you want refferences from surveyors,you want them to back up their claims ???
well....read this link....

http://z15.invisionfree.com/GRADYOWNER/ ... owforum=17

click on "gel coat faded,paint the old grady"


this is a gentleman who claims he has 22 years in the marine buisness...he claims extensive experience in fiberglass hull lay up,boat building and fiberglass repair... read what this guy posts...pretty sad huh ?? this is what you get sometimes on the internet message boards,this is why i get fired up when i see people giving bad advice,imagine if you paid this guy to survey your boat,he lacks any knowledge of gel coat,yet he claims 22 years,and extensive experience with fiberglass reapir,what else does he claim to know but doesn't ??? sad huh ??? this is why i tell people be careful who's advice you follow...

 

[oldmil007]

[quote="
....what else does he claim to know but doesn't ??? ...[/quote]


I'm not sure about what he may or may not know, but his grasp of gelcoat is considerably weak. (Or I've been doing it all wrong the last 20 years).

I also take issue with his advise with respect to do it yourself marine paint applications. There are some major health considerations/precautions that should be taken when using the products he mentions.

- Jay

 

[jimmy's marine service]

[quote="
....what else does he claim to know but doesn't ??? ...

I'm not sure about what he may or may not know, but his grasp of gelcoat is considerably weak. (Or I've been doing it all wrong the last 20 years).

I also take issue with his advise with respect to do it yourself marine paint applications. There are some major health considerations/precautions that should be taken when using the products he mentions.

- Jay[/quote]

hey jay,i thought it was just me :roll: i spoke with the man,he told me it was a difference of opinion... :roll: his glass experience came from working at the steiger craft factory....

 

[gradyfish22]

I have to agree Jimmy, this guys knowledge is not the best. I like how he tried to back himself up by saying that he was only bring up what could only be done by the "do it yourselfer." He should give all options not just some if he is going to "help" people....weak attempt on his part. As for his "difference of opinion, well it is not that, he is just being ignorant that there are other ways of doing things that he may not know all about. I guess since he is not familiar with them they do not exist, or are wrong....hmm. Thank you for putting that facts out there, boaters need to know all options; good bad and ugly when fixing boats that way they can make the best decisions for their application.

 

[jimmy's marine service]

the cold hard truth...

i've ran into quite a few problems with surveyors over the years,trust me guys,some of these people have no clue what they're looking at...you want refferences...

it's pretty funny how i'm getting beat up by a few guys too...we all know,i live for this stuff.....if only someone would actually stop by the shop to see me... :roll:

 

[gradyfish22]

I have to agree with you about surveyors. There are some very good ones out there but I've had some bad experiences as well. Before we bought the 265 express we looked at a 28 Carolina Classic down in Manteo, NC. We were very interested and figured we would have a surveyor check the boat out for us before we took an 8 hour drive down there and paid for a hotel room and all, it was just the easier option at the time. We got a reference from a local dealer for a surveyor in that area. He checked the boat out for us and took extensive picks to send up in a report. He gave the boat a thumbs up basically so we went to look ourselves and hopefully buy. Needless to say, we get down there and they could not even turn the boat over. Everything in the boat was in great shape like he had stated, but he forgot one thing....to turn the engines over. :roll: :?: I guess he assumed that since the boat was repowered and had only 60 hours it was fine. Unfortunately we come to find out the boat was never cared for that winter since the owner passed on and the Widow had no clue what to do with it. Ice somehow got in the lower unit and engine(on a repower :?: ...sounds like a great job there) and wrecked havoc on it. I guess it was my Dad's and my fault for trusting a surveyor without being present, but since the guy was a "good" friend of a local dealer we trusted him and thought he would be honorable. Needless to say I gave that surveyors a piece of my mind and let the local dealer know as well. Thanks to the local dealer, he was able to convince his "friend" to refund us. I guess we were lucky there but come on...not starting motors? Makes you wonder what some of these guys are doing...if anything. I'm not knocking all surveyors out there, I know there are some that are very good at it but guys like the one I dealt with and Jimmy dealt with aren't good for the business.

 

[shadygradycapn]

Why would surveyors be different than any other profession - there are great ones, average ones and poor ones.

Heck, half of all doctors graduated in the bottom 50% of their class.

 

[TBone]

Jimmy is sooooooooooooo right in this post, I looked in my survey report prepared by survey. I noticed he stated that my shore power 120v system was satisfactory, well thats great seeing that this sailfish has no shore power!!!!!! Only the 12v dc system, I knew this when I purchased but i found it funny he claims he inspected it in the report when it is not there! :evil: There are a few other things that he did like this in the report that dont exsist. So a reference would have been nice seeing this was my first major boat purchase. Lets not bring up the transom, we will remedy this when the snow melts. It's still in delibertation waiting for an expert analysis.

I wish Jimmy had posted this before I choose a surveyor, but Que Sera! At least I did have enough of my own Knowledge of boats prior to my purchase to look at what i was getting for the $. But many out there dont.

So heed Jimmy's and other's advice if you dont know the surveyor, look more into them
Thank You Jimmy for bringing this up. Hopefully those planning to buy a GW that visit this site( as I did) will think twice before taking just any surveyor they find. (I got some cousins that live near Jimmy that would love to goto Fl to pay my surveyor a visit! But we won't go there.....yet :twisted: )

 

[jehines3]

I look at my surveyor every morning in the mirror.

I've never paid a surveyor, I'm not a registered surveyor, I've not yet been burned on a boat purchase. I have cursed my "suryeyor" on a few boat purchases for not catching a double clamp missing here or there or some other Previous owner BS repair, but then I just refund my "survey" money and fix what needs fixing. Too many people think a survey assures tham they bought a cherry boat. That is far from true. So the surveyor say your windows leak the batteries are shot and the AC unit needs a charge. You just paid the surveyor $700 and the seller says I'm not fixing anythign or dropping the price, you wanna walk. I don't suggest everone stop using surveyors, as this is only my boat ownership experience.

I've never found a surveyor or home inspector for that matter that was worth what they are asking to be paid. I am careful to watch my best interests. jh

 

[jimmy's marine service]

tough call...

well,unfortunatley,most insurance companies as well as finance companies,require a survey on the boat...the problem comes in when the guy checking it out,really doesn't know what he's looking at...alot of these guys will claim all kinds of certificates,and membership in various orginizations,that's fine and good,however,when it comes down to it,they really have no clue what they're talking about,or doing...
there's a few memebers of this board who have had problems with their boats,after surveys stating,the boat was sound...that includes a guy who's transom was moisture tested,water ran from screws that were removed for a few hours...pretty sad huh ??? another guy,his transom had signs of delamination,as well as rot,the bracket was completley filled with water,it had corrosion pits the size of craters in it and the surveyor stated,that the transom has signs of delamination,as well as rot,the bracket had signs of corrosion and it was pourous,both didn 't require replacement...nice huh ??? it's a sad fact....jay,"old mill",has probably ran in to some of the in surance company reps,the guys who think a boat is like a car...it's pretty funny....just be careful guys,beware of who you pick...i no longer refer anyone to a gentleman i know,i've ran into quite a few problems with his surveys....

 

[Curmudgeon]

Heck, half of all doctors graduated in the bottom 50% of their class.

Yeah, but who better to treat that half of the population afflicted with below average intelligence ... :wink:

 

[jehines3]

Jimmy, I've gotten aroud the problem by paying cash and not borrowing for starters. Second, in this last boat I used United Marine (not the best claims history according to others), but they allowed a self survey with photos. This cost me nothing.

I have found a few no-no's on this boat most were known before sale, some have been a surprise like my AC pan not draining and a holding tank smell to knock you over. I've not fixed the AC drain, it is a low priority. I've removed the holding tank and it is soaking in my basement with a mixture of bleach and simple green. If the odor is not gone in another week, new tank. I don't think a surveyor would have caught either item. jh

 

[AquaAddict]

kinda of new to the board. i have been checking this site regularly, but just never registered. i am looking at buying my first grady and figured that now was as good as time as any to register. speaking of surveyors......can anyone recommend a decent surveyor in lower delaware. i am looking at a 1986 24' Offshore. i will be digging into the boat and looking at everything that i can, but as jimmy stated most insurance companies require a survey. oh, and jimmy i really appreciate the information that you post on this forum. keep it coming.

 

[jimmy's marine service]

kinda of new to the board. i have been checking this site regularly, but just never registered. i am looking at buying my first grady and figured that now was as good as time as any to register. speaking of surveyors......can anyone recommend a decent surveyor in lower delaware. i am looking at a 1986 24' Offshore. i will be digging into the boat and looking at everything that i can, but as jimmy stated most insurance companies require a survey. oh, and jimmy i really appreciate the information that you post on this forum. keep it coming.

bill reynolds,reynolds&reynolds marine...a very good guy...

 

[AquaAddict]

thanks for the quick response jimmy.

 

[cdwood]

I can provide although not post pictures of a skinned transom that a local surveyor OK'ed regarding a repower issue. I told him I was lookin' to put up to 200hp. You gotta see this to believe it. When I cut thru the skin it poured out gallons of water and when the skin came off I was stunned to say the least. If somebody wants to help post the pics I can e-mail them to you.

 

[johngw]

This is true with all area's of marine repairs. Infact it has to do with any type of rapair,. Home, car or whatever else.