Surveyors

Inquiry --* Which would you (did you)*have done first, the boat survey to tell if the engine*is even worth looking at,*or the engine survey to tell if the boat is worth looking at, assuming that you are using a diesel surveyor independant of the boat surveyor?* KJ

I would do the boat survey first.

The state of repair of the boat is a preliminary guide as to the*condition of the engine.*You can make a quick*assessment of*the engine, if you insist on a cold start, and get a detailed survey later if the hull stacks up.

My surveyor was great. He did a few quick tests and looked at a few things to get an idea if a full survey of the engine was needed. Sure, he said it would STILL be a good idea to have one done, but from what he saw, he felt the engine was in as good a shape as the rest of the boat. Good thing too, we had doubled our budget to get a trawler over an express cruiser (read: Sea Ray) and were really trying to watch our money. We had not yet learned how to change our lifestyle to accommodate our new passion.

Most of the time we schedule the hull survey, engine survey and haulout on the same day. However to keep expenses down the hull survey can be done first and if too may problems are found then the engine survey can be cancelled.
The boat has to be hauled before a sea trial to make sure the props and bottom are clean enought to do a full speed test. If there is growth on the running gear your RPM will be reduced and that makes it harder to determine the engine condition. Plus the surveyor will want to check the condition of the prop or props.
I had one client make an offer on a boat that I had my doubts about the engines, but he liked the boat a lot. I suggested the engine surveyor come to the boat and check it out at the dock without even going for a ride. I was right, the engines needed rebuilds and the buyer passed on this boat. However this is easier to do in Fort Lauderdale as there are many surveyors close by.