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CHOOSING A MARINE SURVEYOR

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Oct 20, 2015

Finding the Right Surveyor

To finance or insure a boat, you’ll need a current survey. But how can you find a reputable marine surveyor whose advice you’d trust with your investment and your family’s safety? Complicating matters, your yacht broker can’t ethically recommend a surveyor to you; doing so could invite collusion.

You can of course just google your local talent, or try this.

Where to look?

Two organizations are a good place to start — the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors and the American Boat & Yacht Council— They can help you find the expert you need. Compile a short list of surveyors to interview. While your broker can’t give you a single name, he or she can provide a list of half a dozen names. Alternatively, go to the SAMS or ABYC website and enter the boat’s location for a list of certified local surveyors. SAMS accredited marine surveyors have demonstrated basic knowledge, including an exam. SAMS surveyor associates haven’t yet qualified as an accredited marine surveyor, but they’ve agreed to abide by SAMS ethics and standards. Membership in NAMS or SAMS doesn’t tell you about a surveyor’s knowledge of boat systems and construction. But the ABYC does, in eight areas: marine electricity, diesel engines, gasoline engines, marine systems, composite boatbuilding, marine A/C and refrigeration, marine corrosion, and general standards.