Survey engine and pull out

[Ducatihottie]

If I try to take control, won't the surveyor find the weak Transom sound in my skull?


Did anyone take videos?

My wife says she has little intrest in the ins and outs of the boat mechanics. Did anyone have their spouses, friends or loved ones with them on the survey? I feel she can learn as well. Maybe she'll remember something in the future that I forgot.

Can three people tug alongside the surveyor?

 

[BruceK]

I know you know what you're doing. But how can I learn with so many people on the boat as you had? We're there times when everyone spoke at once?

People are there to do a job and focused, it`s no talk fest. Follow the surveyor around if he`s ok with it,(gets hard when there are 2). Pick your time to ask any questions. Take in all you can, listen to anything said,you may get pointers to issues. Stay cool.
Usually things are being found, it`s no bad thing if the seller is present to pick up on that.
You may be able to chat with the surveyors at the end. You`ll get reports to study, surveyors expect to be contacted with questions after you read it.

 

[Comodave]

I would not have your wife along unless she is knowledgeable about boats. This isn’t the time for her to learn, it is the time for you to learn and you can teach her later. The surveyor should either go over the issues as he goes or more likely after he is done. It comes with a survey that the surveyor goes over the report with you. If you don’t understand then ask the surveyor to show you what he is referring to. Be frank with him that you are a newbie and to please cut you some slack. I would be surprised if he doesn’t work with you, most do.

 

[Salish Nomad]

Ski, I'm in Seattle can you do mine?

My costs and at the moment everything will be done July 8th.

1987 CHB 42' Ponderosa Tri-Cabin
US$

2. Marine Survey: Around $850 "CALE MATHERS"
3. Mechanical Inspection: Around $700
4. Survey Haulout and potential pressure wash: $1,000

Is there a possibility I'm throwing away $2550 in one day?

You're in good hands with Cale Mathers. Excellent surveyor, as was his late father Chris.

 

[ljk]

Well, I had a unique experience yesterday.

I am selling Chardonnay. Did the sea trial and survey yesterday. Because we are in SWFL right now and the weather is hot, hot, hot, the engine surveyor and the regular surveyor each brought a helper. On top of that, the prospective buyer hired a professional photographer to take all pics.

The team showed up at 7am and we were done by noon. 2 hours of inspections before the boat was powered up, 20 minute cruise to the yard, an hour for haul out, and an hour for the sea trial. I have been through around 8 or 10 surveys in my life, this one was the most thorough.

 

[slowgoesit]

Regarding expecting the seller to pay for any problems found during survey on a 30 year old boat.

Much depends on how the boat was represented in the advertising.

If the boat is advertised "Good Bones, but needs some TLC", then pending finding MAJOR, undisclosed items during survey, I think the seller should be prepared to pay the price agreed upon in the contract.

If however, the boat, even a 30 year old boat is advertised as "Turn Key, needs nothing to begin your dream cruise!", then I would expect to negotiate price with the seller over items found in need of attention. I would probably not itemize items found wrong, but would lump them all together and request a reduction in price commiserate with the quantity of, and nature of the flaws found.

Any MAJOR items found during inspection, and NOT disclosed prior to survey most assuredly would come up post survey.
That's the way I see it, and I feel my approach is reasonable . . . but not saying the seller would see it as reasonable! If both feel it is reasonable, you have a deal. If not, and I (or you) are not willing to negotiate, or drop request for price reduction, then you DON'T have a deal.

 

[ghostrider454]

Why do I need to do engine and survey / pull out on the same day?

If survey fails, I waisted money on the engine. This if I can't come to terms with the owner to pay or fix the items?

If engine fails, I waisted money on the Survey and pull out. Again if I can't come to terms with the owner to pay or fix the engine

Have any of you demanded doing them separately? Will this request piss off my broker?

While the vessel is still in the water and the engine is cold, I have the mechanic pull the samples. I won't allow the owner to start the engine(s) beforehand - that's just a quirk I have. I want to see the colour of the fluids before startup. If the owner or broker starts it up, I walk on it. They're hiding something. I only did it once on a vessel in San Diego - where the owners son (living aboard) did that. It cost his dad - because I didn't buy it. It was later sold about a year later after the transmission, injectors and two cylinders were replaced.

If the mechanic says the fluids are ok - then proceed to the haul out. But not before.

 

[ljk]

Pulling samples on cold engine

While the vessel is still in the water and the engine is cold, I have the mechanic pull the samples. I won't allow the owner to start the engine(s) beforehand - that's just a quirk I have. I want to see the colour of the fluids before startup. If the owner or broker starts it up, I walk on it. They're hiding something. I only did it once on a vessel in San Diego - where the owners son (living aboard) did that. It cost his dad - because I didn't buy it. It was later sold about a year later after the transmission, injectors and two cylinders were replaced.

If the mechanic says the fluids are ok - then proceed to the haul out. But not before.

There are several threads on here that say oil samples should be pulled on a warm engine. Many reasons why cold engine samples are no good.

Unless you meant that the cold samples are NOT the ones you are sending to the lab for analysis?

 

[ghostrider454]

yes

 

[Jimintheair3]

Thanks everyone. Great starting points.



hytedin, Is the owner there during the survey?

Could be!

You have turned this into to MANY POSTS! You have answers to these questions all over this forum.

YOU are paying for the survey's, YOU control them! Not Robert.

Again, the oil samples should already be done! 5 @ $30=$150+ $150 for the mechanic. $300 out of pocket, to see if you should continue.

The Survey & mechanical should start while doing "Trial Run" (no Sea Trial) you won't go to SEA.
If the mechanic or surveyor finds any questionable (unexplainable) items, during this time. YOU control the survey's, call off the haulout! Get the items fixed(explained), signed off as "seller will repair". Then return another day for the haulout.

 

[albinalaska]

Kevin Ambrose at Diesel Power Systems is your point of contact for mechanical surveys here in the Seattle area.

Kevin did my survey - couldn’t recommend him more. He’s one of the few that want to be there for the sea trial. Many engine surveyors will just ramp up RPMs at the dock but he wanted to see how the gears performed under load and you can’t get the RPMs high enough in neutral at the dock. He’s the guy for sure.

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: Today beautiful for boating. Seas are 1' at 4 seconds. Horrible day for a sea trial. The worst boat in the world can handle this well. One of those days I look for large boats plowing and causing huge wake just to find anything to test the boat.