Bought with no survey.

[ColonyCove]

Bought our trawler without a survey last month. Owned enough boats over the years to give it a pretty good looking over. I also "like the cut of the owner's jib" in salty language, and we made the deal on a handshake. Made a four day delivery trip to bring her home ourselves. Every system on boat operated well. This is not an endorsement for such a tactic, I've used surveyors before and have nothing against them. A risk? Yeah, life is a risk, perhaps even more so on a boat.

 

[rgano]

Any issues with getting insurance without an official survey?

 

[GregBrannon]

Were brokers involved? I'm glad that it worked out well for you. Let us know if you have any lessons learned or resources other than your previous boat buying/owning experiences and skills at judging character. Maybe you could write a book.

Greg.

 

[Lepke]

I always do a better job than a surveyor, especially in wood boats. They look at the gingerbread and obvious and miss everything else. I only get a survey for insurance.

 

[Comodave]

Yes, you may still have to get a survey for the insurance company. However glad you had a good delivery trip and congrats on your new boat.

 

[ColonyCove]

Insurance company asked for nothing but their $$. No brokers involved on either side. Old school transaction for sure. I'm certainly not pushing this method as best practice, but there is certainly more than one way to play let's make a deal.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Thats exactly how I bought my boat, seven years ago.

Have I spent money on it ? Of course! but the previous owner was an honest man and the boat was everything he said it would be. I didn't even have the luxury of a sea trial, it was Feb. when we looked at the boat, it was shrink wrapped.

A six day, 300 mile maiden voyage/sea trial/shake down cruise was a wonderful experience. When we got home we didn't want to leave the boat so we spent two more days just relaxing at our new marina.

pete

 

[O C Diver]

Congratulations on the new boat! Nice when things work that way, like it was just ment to be.

Ted

 

[Jmarsh203]

Did the same thing with my boat, which was my first boat lol but I’m a marine diesel mechanic and was a coded welder as well as a welding inspector so I was uniquely qualified to inspect my own boat.

 

[BruceK]

Insurers here have an age qualification for requiring a survey. It was <15 years, now maybe <10. Varies between insurers. I`m glad the OP got a good boat on his own survey.

A marina neighbour, "owned lots of boats, don`t need a survey" just spent $30K + repairing soft wet foredecks of a 2008 40ft trawler. The deck was composed of teak blocks in a fiberglass sandwich with no resin/ lamination between them. Beautiful repair job. The brand usually have teak side and cockpit decks, no exposed teak fwd which in our sun makes good sense.

 

[Shrew]

Typically an insurance survey is less money (and less detailed) than a pre-purchase survey. If equipped with a rubber mallet and a moisture meter (and enough knowledge) I think many could successfully survey a boat themselves. You really do need to be somewhat beyond aware of basic marine specs, particularly for electrical.

I am still a fan of getting an engine survey and oil analysis. That is beyond my aptitude.