Hull and Engine Surveyor recommendations - San Diego, CA

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VASully

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Joined
Dec 3, 2025
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Location
Virginia
Does anyone have a recommendation for a hull surveyor and an engine surveyor in the San Diego area? Looking for someone to do the surveys as part of a purchase. Navigator 54 with Volvo engines. Thanks for any input!
 
Sent you a PM with a name and number if a respected surveyor.
 
Another vote for Kells Christian. He's done several boats for us, each in conjunction with a 2 day inspection by Steve D'Antonio (who performs the most thorough survey you can imagine - though he does not hold himself out as a surveyor). Reports agreed with each other, especially on the more serious items. Difference is surveyors tell you what's broken, Steve tells you what's going to break. In our last 2 boats surveyors identified 30 +/- items in 3 categories - must address (for insurance), should address and consider addressing. Steve identified 130 +/- (most addressing future failure points).
 
We've used Christian on two boats and highly recommend him.
 
Bunker Hill is a great surveyor…very busy but very thorough!
We used him twice. The first time he saved us big bucks and told us to walk away from the boat unless we wanted a “ project boat”. Nothing visibly wrong but he found the entire transom to be waterlogged from a leaking swimstep.
We used him on a second boat along with Dependable Marine in San Diego for twin Cat evaluation. They came along during the sea trial and checked everything. Good luck
 
Kells Christian hands down is the go to surveyor, Kells has done 2 surveys for me on pre purchase surveys and were on point honest and in depth, addressed current and expected problems and wound up purchasing both vessels with no unexpected issues(57’ChrisCraft and 58’ khashing trawler)..
 
As a broker for 30+ years if I were to have to take money out of my pocket for a survey I would use Brad Destache (12+ surveys), Bunker Hill (5+) or Kells Christian (8+). Brad also does the engine survey. He's a full on mechanic also. All 3 not only report the current condition but have very good forward looking for potential situations.
 
MonarchBeacher said:
As a broker for 30+ years if I were to have to take money out of my pocket for a survey I would use Brad Destache (12+ surveys), Bunker Hill (5+) or Kells Christian (8+). Brad also does the engine survey. He's a full on mechanic also. All 3 not only report the current condition but have very good forward looking for potential situations.
Click to expand...
I've used Brad as well, he was fantastic.
 
 
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