Survey Says. Questions?

[Comodave]

Absolutely. Get a quote from a repair facility and drop your offer by that amount. You can ask for whatever you want repaired but I try to be reasonable and not ask for every little thing, just the major items.

 

[BandB]

Made the trek to Baltimore yesterday for the survey and sea trial. First we took a short ride for the haul out, bottom pressure washed and scraped. Everything underneath was fine except for missing cotter pin and zinc on propeller shaft which they replaced. Haul was fine. When then went for the trial and the boat performed very nicely. I am just waiting on the official reports from engine and boat survey. He did mention a few things needed attention. Battery inverter not working, aft cabin ac fan not working and one house battery NG. Can I negotiate the price down with these issues?

And the leaks?

 

[boater3]

What is the logic behind not starting and engine or giving a sea trial before offer? Makes me think they are hiding something. Does not seem like a smart way to do business.

time

expense

tire kickers

liability

etc

 

[boater3]

Made the trek to Baltimore yesterday for the survey and sea trial. First we took a short ride for the haul out, bottom pressure washed and scraped. Everything underneath was fine except for missing cotter pin and zinc on propeller shaft which they replaced. Haul was fine. When then went for the trial and the boat performed very nicely. I am just waiting on the official reports from engine and boat survey. He did mention a few things needed attention. Battery inverter not working, aft cabin ac fan not working and one house battery NG. Can I negotiate the price down with these issues?

what does the purchase and sale agreement you signed say?

most leave the deal open to re-negotiation, owner fixing things, or canceling the sale based on findings. be careful how you approach. some contracts can be written so the seller doesnt have to fix anything, give credit, and can immediately go to next buyer.

personally, i prioritize everything from critical to medium to low issue. critical issues must be resolved before purchase completes. i require a certified professional to effect the repair, verification after, and receipt/proof. medium items i usually negotiate a credit on the purchase price. low i usually keep in back pocket, brief mention, but say i am willing to take care of all these items at my expense.

so for your situation, how i'd do it, oil leaks = critical, inverter = medium, battery = low. of course i dont see your whole report but just wanted to give an idea as to how i'd handle it.

 

[larman]

Survey

Thanks for all the replies.

Got the official boat survey nothing earth shattering, broken bilge pump, inverter, weak battery and broken ac fan Aft cabin. Both surveyors see no reason not to go forward with the purchase. I’m going to see if maybe they will repair some of the items.

 

[larman]

And the leaks?

Engine surveyor felt they were more of a maintenance item. I checked the engines thoroughly for any active signs after the sea trail. I saw no drips or any sign of oil whatsoever.

 

[Comodave]

I would ask the seller to deduct the cost of those items and go for it. Good luck.

 

[boater3]

Engine surveyor felt they were more of a maintenance item. I checked the engines thoroughly for any active signs after the sea trail. I saw no drips or any sign of oil whatsoever.

hopefully. oil leaks can be an easy/quick/inexpensive fix or a complicated/longer/expensive fix. resealing coolers, turbos, etc, can be thousands of dollars if you are paying a yard to do it.

 

[BruceK]

Thanks for all the replies.

Got the official boat survey nothing earth shattering, broken bilge pump, inverter, weak battery and broken ac fan Aft cabin. Both surveyors see no reason not to go forward with the purchase. I’m going to see if maybe they will repair some of the items.

Better to get an allowance and do your own( you or your chosen repairer) fixes. Sellers paying for fixes can be unduly "economical".

 

[boater3]

Better to get an allowance and do your own( you or your chosen repairer) fixes. Sellers paying for fixes can be unduly "economical".

That is why if a seller is to fix, I make sure its done by a professional and done the right way. Always subject to my re-inspection, review of documentation (pictures), copy of paid invoice, etc.

 

[Nightsky]

Much depends on the age of the boat. Old boats have old engines and old gennies and other old machines. Much higher chance for sneaky problems to be hiding, thus more diligence is needed. Agree with the post about the old Hatt. LOTS of (old) stuff to look at on those!

Add to that the "creative repairs" that old boats accumulate. My fave's are those owned by old retired electrical engrs. The wiring on those can blow your mind. And rarely in a good way!! All sorts of non-factory wires and cables running all over the place. What do they do???

New boats can go much faster.

Regarding the two day thing: If boat is local and I have the time, I will go a day or so early and do my crawl around part. Not that I need to, but it makes my life easier getting some time without distraction. Also can make sure my kit for sea trial day has all the necessary bits for the test gear. No fun realizing on sea trial day that your boost fittings don't work for some reason. Six folks waiting on the boat and I have to make a 40min run to the shop to get a widget. Not cool.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but having a hull and engine survey done in a few days, just wondering what I can expect from a reputable engine surveyor? Can I expect compression and crankcase testing, boroscope, etc as a matter of routine for them or is that "extra" ?

 

[boater3]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but having a hull and engine survey done in a few days, just wondering what I can expect from a reputable engine surveyor? Can I expect compression and crankcase testing, boroscope, etc as a matter of routine for them or is that "extra" ?

You should ask them for a list of what they check and a sample survey report. I will not hire a surveyor or mechanic without knowing before hand what I am getting for my money. I find that some surveyors / mechanics are missing important things on their list and make sure they can do everything I need. They tend to miss make/model specific items. I'd do your homework as to common issues with the boat make/model as well as the engines/genset and make sure the common issues other owners have experienced are looked for.

 

[Ski in NC]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but having a hull and engine survey done in a few days, just wondering what I can expect from a reputable engine surveyor? Can I expect compression and crankcase testing, boroscope, etc as a matter of routine for them or is that "extra" ?

It depends on which engine. I usually break it into two phases: First is visual, non-intrusive inspection with a loaded test run with data collection. If everything checks out well, then I don't recommend going further with intrusive things like a compression check. If compression is off, you usually can tell there is an issue through other symptoms. If those symptoms exist, the sale is at risk and it needs to be discussed. Also, some sellers are hesitant to have their engine torn into. The comp test and other intrusive tests can confirm a problem exists and is more of a diagnostic tool.

Post which engine it is.

 

[Nightsky]

It depends on which engine. I usually break it into two phases: First is visual, non-intrusive inspection with a loaded test run with data collection. If everything checks out well, then I don't recommend going further with intrusive things like a compression check. If compression is off, you usually can tell there is an issue through other symptoms. If those symptoms exist, the sale is at risk and it needs to be discussed. Also, some sellers are hesitant to have their engine torn into. The comp test and other intrusive tests can confirm a problem exists and is more of a diagnostic tool.

Post which engine it is.

It is the Ford Lehman 135 HP. 1989 vintage. Hours unknown as there was a change of tachometer at some point, it shows just over a thousand hours on it.