Surveyor in CA delta/Sacramento area?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
T

tdcody

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2014
Messages
8
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Sea Sun
Vessel Make
1978 Universal Litton 41 Europa
Hi all- new member here. I am midway through the purchase process on a mid-70s Littman 41. I have sea trial arranged and need to find a surveyor and engine mechanic for engine survey (twin Lehmans).

Can anyone recommend a surveyor and/or mechanic in the Sacramento, CA/ Delta region? Specifically need to carefully assess teak decks. The boat has been in a covered berth for past 8 years of use, so they are in cosmetically great condition...

Is it crazy to go on sea trial without a surveyor present? I am pretty inexperienced in boating, with a lot of mechanical/engineering experience in other fields.

Is it crazy to use surveyor and mechanic from a list provided by the broker?

I appreciate any and all advice.

Sincerely,

Dave G.
 
Steve MacNear came highly recommended to me and he did a fantastic and thorough job. 1(530) 574-8295

I will definitely use him again.
 
I used Kent Parker. Very thorough. I highly recommend him. I have consulted him several times since the survey and he has always been very helpful.
Some surveyors wont do a sea trial. So be sure to ask that up front.
I would only recommend Chucks Marine for an engine survey. I did not use them and I regret it.


Kent Parker


[FONT=&quot]P[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ARKER [/FONT][FONT=&quot]M[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ARINE [/FONT][FONT=&quot]C[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ONSULTANTS[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]P. O. Box 6648[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Napa, Ca. 94581[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot](707) 252-9383 office[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot](415) 305-5312 cell[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
 
Steve Mcnear

Steve Mcnear has surveyed 3 boats for me, very thorough.
Stacy's Marine Service, Marine engine inspections 209-401-5097 certainly one of the best if not the best on older diesels. Expert Detroit repair as well.
 
Scary said:
Steve Mcnear has surveyed 3 boats for me, very thorough.
Stacy's Marine Service, Marine engine inspections 209-401-5097 certainly one of the best if not the best on older diesels. Expert Detroit repair as well.
Click to expand...

Stacy's marine service was horrible. Definitely stay away from that outfit. They passed the engine with flying colors in their survey. Yet they failed to mention small things like the fact that the oil filters clearly dated in ink were 5 years old. I have spent close to 10 thousand dollars so far in mechanical repairs that should have been easily identifiable by an experienced marine mechanic.
 
bligh said:
Stacy's marine service was horrible. Definitely stay away from that outfit. They passed the engine with flying colors in their survey. Yet they failed to mention small things like the fact that the oil filters clearly dated in ink were 5 years old. I have spent close to 10 thousand dollars so far in mechanical repairs that should have been easily identifiable by an experienced marine mechanic.[/QUOTE
Sorry hear that, Stacy has a really good reputation in the Delta, has done s couple of surveys for me. One of the surveys involved dismantling an engine chasing done a miss fire that turned into bad heads. I'm not sure that 5 year old filters have anything to do with mechanical condition. The boat could have sat 5/ years with fresh oil and filters. What kind mech expenses were missed.
Click to expand...
 
Stacy is a nice guy, and no doubt Really knows diesels. I suspect he could spot a serious engine problem in a few minutes, but would likely choose someone else in the future.
Like Bligh stated, he missed things that I would really have like to have know - like the engine zincs were all but gone and a fair amount of corrosion was already underway. That may not a "show-stopper", but would have been a heck of a negotiating point had it been exposed!

His written report was virtually non-existent.

Again, great guy, probably very knowledgeable on diesels, but you would need to grill him constantly on anything he could tell you about the engine and take your own notes.

All that said, my old Volvo seems to run better the more I run it after 4 years, but he never really made the point to me that it was indeed an "old Volvo" and as such, parts would be very hard if not impossible to get and very expensive. But then, I do not recall my broker or surveyor making that point either.
Beware, they All have a vested interest in doing business together! YOU will likely Never buy another boat from them, but they do deals together every day!
 
Engines should be serviced at least once a year. That includes inspecting their zincs and replacing them as necessary.
 
good point on working relationships

I believe you have valid point about working relationships. This work is mostly by referral , if you ruin a deal how much work will lose in the future. That said I paid for a mechanical survey and marine survey and walked away from the deal after seeing the results. The boat I have currently was surveyed in Seattle and I'm sure things were overlooked or played down by that surveyor. I don't think Steve McNear will play that game. His survey cost the sale of the one I walked away from.
 
Scary said:
I believe you have valid point about working relationships. This work is mostly by referral , if you ruin a deal how much work will lose in the future. That said I paid for a mechanical survey and marine survey and walked away from the deal after seeing the results. The boat I have currently was surveyed in Seattle and I'm sure things were overlooked or played down by that surveyor. I don't think Steve McNear will play that game. His survey cost the sale of the one I walked away from.
Click to expand...


I agree with that, I was present to witness the entire survey looking over his shoulder all the way. It was quite educational for me. Steve and I sat on the boat and shot the bull for over 2 hours after he was done and paid. He was extremely transparent about himself and very frank with his knowledge of the Northern California boat business. He tells it as it is not as it seems to appear and is secure in who he is and his reputation. He also was very informative about boat selection and common trouble points and quality issues of various boats and engines. Much of his business is repeat customers, word of mouth and insurance surveys at that time as boats hadn't exactly been selling like hot cakes the last several years.

I will say after following Bligh's thread he got the shaft from his mechanical surveyor big time IMO.
 
My experience was different

Perhaps my expectations were different. Stacy knew I wanted to buy the boat. I learned a ton from Stacy. In the coarse doing a mechanical survey Stacy noticed a engine miss fire. With owners permission, Stacy diagnostic tested the engine including setting the rack, which he coached me through the process. I t was determined that the engine needed a new head. Even though I didn't buy that boat. The day's education going over the systems on that boat with Stacy was some of the best money I've spent on a boat. Perhaps he is a better mechanic than surveyor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

mvweebles
10 Common Buyers’ mistakes during Survey
2 3 4
Replies
114
Views
7K
Don L
D
T
1984 Monk 36, SF Bay Ca, $67,000
Replies
0
Views
2K
trpi
T
W
Elling E4 Sea-trial thoughts
2
Replies
44
Views
5K
Wartowne
W
Adopo
Stability and righting ability
Replies
19
Views
3K
Hippocampus
H
S
Surveyor Needed - Long Island NY
Replies
0
Views
275
Surboum
S

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom