Purpose of inspection and sea trial

[moccq]

Have heard of folks "buying Grady's on the spot" after doing their own visual inspections..

I have missed several boats recently due to the impacts of timing with respect to requests for formal /inspections/survey's and sea trials.

Can anyone help with good practical feedback on a formal survey vs my own inspection with sellers input and what is the real point/purpose of a sea trial.

Inspections: If I inspect a boat myself ( I'm not a surveyor or a mechanic) looking for obvious issues(cracks, gouges etc) on the transom/bottom and interior, visually inspect the trailer etc.. isnt this what a formal survey would also do.

Sea Trial: What do you look for in a Sea Trial ( is it simply a matter of seeing the boat in action , under power and listening to the engine as it moves from idle speed to coming onto plane..

It seems as if the pre-owned market can get competetive and is it worth the risk to shortcut the formal survey inspectionn or skip a sea trial in order to make the deal happen in a shorter period of time or to satisfy a seller who is looking to make the process "simpler"..

Thanks to all in advance.

 

[uncljohn]

Your own visual inspection would never find the water intrusion and saturation of the transom and part of the side decks that an experienced marine surveyor with a moisture meter could.

The sea trial is more to get hard #s on boat performance and to make sure of simple motor operation (start, into gear, onto plane). But in general a sea trial is for the buyer to make sure the boat handles as expected.

I would say that depending on how long one has been around, operated, and worked on boats, you do gain some of that experience and could perform a "survey" of a boat. Obvious things like cracks can be seen by you. So you do an initial survey, then when you find a boat w/o things that concern you, you have a professional do it. Or you find a crack, get a professional to determine WHY there is a crack.

 

[ocnslr]

Have heard of folks "buying Grady's on the spot" after doing their own visual inspections..
I have missed several boats recently due to the impacts of timing with respect to requests for formal /inspections/survey's and sea trials.
Can anyone help with good practical feedback on a formal survey vs my own inspection with sellers input and what is the real point/purpose of a sea trial.
Inspections: If I inspect a boat myself ( I'm not a surveyor or a mechanic) looking for obvious issues(cracks, gouges etc) on the transom/bottom and interior, visually inspect the trailer etc.. isnt this what a formal survey would also do.
Sea Trial: What do you look for in a Sea Trial ( is it simply a matter of seeing the boat in action , under power and listening to the engine as it moves from idle speed to coming onto plane..
It seems as if the pre-owned market can get competetive and is it worth the risk to shortcut the formal survey inspectionn or skip a sea trial in order to make the deal happen in a shorter period of time or to satisfy a seller who is looking to make the process "simpler"..
Thanks to all in advance.

Sorry to hear that you have missed boats you were interested in.

A survey and sea trial may be required by your insurance company, and/or lender, as a condition of coverage and/or financing.

I have >50 yrs of experience around boats. I "survey" them for friends (no cost) to determine if they should make an offer based on a follow-on professional survey.

Initial inspection would not only include every piece of the hull that you can see inside and out, but operation of ALL mechanical, electrical and electronic systems. e.g. bilge pumps and their float switches; freshwater pressure and flow; raw water washdown; proper cycling of ALL seacocks; inspection of all hoses and hose clamps; inspection/evaluation of wiring; livewell pump, flow and overflow; VHF radio SNR with a meter; trim tab functions; communication and navigation electronics; radar; etc.

Underway would include the obvious idle of the engine(s) and move on to plane, but an evaluation of the WOT RPM of the engines, to evaluate condition and proper propping. Handling; communication and navigation electronics; autopilot; radar; etc..

As I said, I'm not a professional, and I don't have a moisture meter. If you feel competent to do all of the above yourself, or don't care about the results, then proceed without a survey.

I didn't realize that the secondary boat market had turned into a seller's market. As my comments indicate, my answer to your last question is "No".

Brian

 

[Mjdap]

I have recently purchased a used 2004 Sailfish. I was moving up from a 226 that I had for 6 years and kept care of it very well.

I looked at probably 10 used from Long Island down to Charleston, SC. I visually inspected each, and based on that I made an offer pending a true marine survey. I offered a price on 3, and one accepted. I then had a marine survey done. I vasicilated on one, and the boat was sold before I could offer.

I know the next time I do this, my visual inspection skill sets will have increased, but I would pay for the marine survey again.

There are quite a few areas of concern, but my visual is basically to see if the condition of the boat and the detailing are in line with my expectations. Samples of this would be the obvious, condition of the enclosure, hull wax, rub rail, hardware in good working order, condition of hardtop tube structure, electronics package, cleanliness of cabin, cushions, bilge, storage etc.

I am not skilled in the formal process of taking each mech/elect system and determining wiring conditions, and when something is not working, what could be the cause to determine price of repair. Also, I am not skilled in hull moisture readings.

Even with all of that, there a some gremlins that will come up, depending on age of boat/systems, but at least you uncovered most of them, althought the holy grail is too find and predict all of them. No way would I purchase just on my visual.

 

[moccq]

ok, hearing the messages loud and clear, survey and trial..the detail in the replies is excellent and I appreciate everyones input.

Thank You, sincerely

 

[CWOT]

My 2 cents
I sold a really nice boat 1 year ago. I had 2 buyers come to take a look. The first one liked the boat very much and said he would call back quickly with a survey date. Ditto the second buyer. I told them first come first served, no promises without a deposit. Before either called back a third buyer showed up; when I showed him that I had 2 buyers that planned to return he gave me a substantial deposit and was back the next day with a pro. There were no issues and the boat was gone in just 3 days. Total time on the market was 10 days.

My humble opinion: If you see what you want and it is a popular boat at a reasonable price, drop everything and go full speed. My experience is that even in a buyer's market there are very few good boats that fit your criteria.

 

[uncljohn]

Best $ I ever spent was on a home inspection that led me to walk away from the house. Second best was the survey on my Grady that alerted me to transom and deck issues that weren't obvious. I still bought the boat...