Vendor repairs before purchase

[MilesAwayOffshore]

The vendor has agreed to fix the issues found in the survey (both boat and engine surveys). We are currently in France. Is there a way to ensure that the works done are completed to a good standard and not just the equivalent of "whacking a band-aid on"?
We will ask for copies of the invoices in case we need to follow up, but would prefer to know it was all done properly to start with.

Thanks for any help!

 

[jleonard]

Ask for pictures and documentation to show how the repairs were done.
Sometimes it's a matter of trust.

 

[Porgy]

Or, have your surveyor who identified the deficiencies in their report, look at the repairs.

 

[Comodave]

I would ask for both photos of the work in progress and when completed. Also schedule the surveyor to check the work.

 

[MilesAwayOffshore]

Thanks all. Will check with the surveyor.

 

[Shrew]

The vendor has agreed to fix the issues found in the survey (both boat and engine surveys). We are currently in France. Is there a way to ensure that the works done are completed to a good standard and not just the equivalent of "whacking a band-aid on"?

Yes, arrived at a repair price agreed by both parties, reduce the sale price by that amount, then have the repair done yourself, with any additional costs done out of your pocket.

I would never relinquish a punch list to the seller. They will attempt to satisfy the survey the fastest and cheapest way possible.

 

[jungpeter]

Yes, arrived at a repair price agreed by both parties, reduce the sale price by that amount, then have the repair done yourself, with any additional costs done out of your pocket.

I would never relinquish a punch list to the seller. They will attempt to satisfy the survey the fastest and cheapest way possible.

Hi MilesAwayOffshore. YES to Shrew's advice. I, also, will never, never relinquish a punch list to the seller. Negotiate the cost of the repairs, and reduce your agreed sales price accordingly. Then you get the repair work done to YOUR satisfaction, and don't have to return to the seller for satisfaction when the repairs he made to satisfy the survey turn to merde.

Regards,

Pete

 

[mvweebles]

I'll take a bit more measured approach here. It really depends on the nature of the repairs. Many defects noted on surveys are routine items such as expired fire extinguishers, faulty bilge pump switches, missing double clamps, incorrect circuit protection (including GFCI), etc. While negotiating a settlement is a much cleaner and simpler transaction, I'd have very little concern about having a third party qualified professional or yard complete these types of repairs.

Good luck

Peter

 

[Hippocampus]

We set up a escrow account for a deck repair. Told would cost $20k put $40k in escrow with caveat what wasn’t spent would go back to seller. Cost well over the $40k but involved yard committed to the $40k so they were forced to eat the overage. Thing with boats is for many things you have no idea what will be found in the course of a repair so have no idea of ultimate cost. Also if like me you’re finicky it’s either done perfectly or not at all and doing it right is expensive and labor intensive.
So I would set up a escrow account. Get estimates for each repair from the surveyor. Get information from fellow owners through the owners site as to who is good at those repairs . Then get a firm, committed estimate from that vetted yard. Double that number and put it in escrow as part of the purchase agreement.
For the current boat I bought in one state, moved it to another for some work and then to a third for the deck repair. I live in a fourth state. So the work was done remotely. Yes we spent a few days with the boat in each of these other states after moving the boat to these yards. I did go over budget on getting the boat to Bristol condition but that’s on me. Much of that is preemptive improvements and cosmetics. Still, using the escrow technique saved me a bunch of money and lowered my exposure while allowing me to choose who did the work and the level of perfection.

 

[ranger58sb]

We set up a escrow account for a deck repair. Told would cost $20k put $40k in escrow with caveat what wasn’t spent would go back to seller. Cost well over the $40k but involved yard committed to the $40k so they were forced to eat the overage.

Over $40K in deck repair for your Nordic Tug 42?

-Chris

 

[SteveK]

Over $40K in deck repair for your Nordic Tug 42?

-Chris

Hippo, we need more details. On purchase it sounded like a great boat with minor issues they all have.

 

[Hippocampus]

Boat deck was done in balsa core. There’s a seam between it and flybridge filled with caulk. There was modestly elevated moisture readings 12-18” back from that seam in places.
I hate balsa. I wanted ALL balsa replaced with closed cell synthetic core. I won’t tolerate a visible seam between deck repair and old deck. So correct repair is to remove entire outer skin of the boat deck. Remove all core. Replace core with synthetic. Put G10 or grp blocks at all piercings. Replace outer skin. Eliminate caulked seam between boat deck and flybridge. Grind out then eliminate using grp layup. Then lay down new gel coat/non skid over entire deck. That way there’s no evidence at all that a repair was done and no possibility of elevated moisture readings ever.
Do it once. Do it right. Now boat is better than it was new. We knew what we were getting into from survey. Had been through wet balsa before on a prior boat. Think the stuff should never be used on a boat ever. Surprised Nordhavn still uses it. Understand it wets out great and is much easier to use than synthetic core. Also stiffer than most synthetic cores. But the stuff sucks imho.