Marine survey and sea trial
Get the boat inspected by someone who is not selling it
WB Brokers does not perform surveys. We help you hire an independent accredited surveyor, schedule the haul-out and sea trial, make sure the offer is conditional on both, and read the report with you.
Who does what
The surveyor works for you. So do we.
Two separate jobs, with no money passing between them.
- You hire and pay the surveyorThe contract and report are yours, and so is the haul-out bill.
- We help you choose oneSAMS or NAMS credentials, experience with that type of boat, and no referral money to us.
- We make the offer conditionalThe deal is made subject to a survey and sea trial you accept, and we help schedule both.
- We act on the findingsWe read the report with you, then renegotiate or walk.
Know which survey you are ordering
"Survey" covers several jobs. A pre-purchase survey is the thorough one: a condition and valuation inspection of the whole vessel, done for the buyer before closing. An insurance survey, often called a C&V, is a lighter report an insurer asks for on a boat you already own. An appraisal sets a value, and a damage survey investigates a specific loss. When buying, ask for the first kind by name.
In the United States the two main credentialing bodies are SAMS, the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors, and NAMS, the National Association of Marine Surveyors. Insurers and lenders often require a survey on older or larger boats, and many want it from a surveyor holding one of those credentials.
A hull surveyor is usually not an engine specialist. Compression tests, oil analysis and a computer hour report belong to a separate mechanical inspection by a marine technician. On a center console with multiple outboards or a cruiser with inboards and a generator, book both.
What a pre-purchase survey examines
Hull and bottom
Hauled out, the hull is sounded with a small hammer and checked for blisters, old repairs and impact damage.
Deck, transom and stringers
Moisture readings and percussion sounding find wet core and soft structure that look perfect from above.
Through-hulls and seacocks
Every hole below the waterline: fittings, valves that actually turn, hoses and clamps. One failure can sink a boat.
Electrical and fuel systems
Wiring, overcurrent protection, shore power, fuel hoses, shutoffs and tanks where visible. Both are fire risks.
Steering and safety gear
Leaks and play at the helm, then extinguishers, navigation lights, bilge pumps and carbon monoxide detectors.
HIN verification
The hull identification number on the boat is compared with the title or documentation. A mismatch stops the deal.
Not every purchase needs the full treatment
On a large or older boat a full survey is cheap insurance. On a new boat under warranty, a small inexpensive runabout or a personal watercraft, it can be out of proportion to the purchase. What replaces it is a checklist inspection, a water test, and where the engine carries real value, a mechanic's inspection with the hour report our engine hours guide describes.
| Full pre-purchase survey | Mechanical inspection only | Checklist review and water test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Hull, deck, structure, systems, safety gear and value, with haul-out and sea trial | Engines and drives: compression, oil analysis, computer hours, fault codes | Boat, records and paperwork against a checklist, then a run on the water |
| Best for | Older, larger or higher-priced boats, and any a lender or insurer wants surveyed | Newer boats where the engine is most of the value | New boats, small inexpensive boats and personal watercraft |
| Who does it | An independent SAMS or NAMS surveyor you hire | A marine technician you hire | You, from our checklist, with us reviewing the results |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
IFA lender or insurer asks for a survey
→THENFull survey, from a surveyor they will accept. Confirm before booking.
IFA used cruiser, an older boat, or any cored hull or deck
→THENFull survey with haul-out, plus a separate mechanical inspection.
IFA late-model outboard boat with clean records
→THENMechanical inspection with an hour report. Add a full survey if the price justifies it.
IFNew, or a small boat or PWC at a modest price
→THENChecklist review and a water test. Add a compression test on a used PWC.
On the water
How sea trial day runs
Cold start
Ask that the engines not be run before you arrive. A cold engine shows the hard starting, smoke and rough idle a warm one hides.
Idle and low speed
Shift in and out of gear at the dock. Watch oil pressure and voltage, and confirm cooling water is flowing.
Time to plane
With a normal load, the boat should plane promptly. A struggle suggests a tired engine, the wrong propeller or a wet hull.
Wide-open throttle
Run briefly at full throttle and compare the RPM with the range the engine maker specifies.
Temperatures, steering and vibration
Watch temperatures at cruise and flat out, turn hard both ways, note any vibration, and test the electronics underway.
Bilge check after
Back at the dock, open the bilge. New water, oil, coolant or fuel smell is a finding.
Turning findings into a decision
A survey report ends with a findings list, usually sorted by severity: safety-critical items first, then recommendations. Every used boat has a list. What matters is what is on it and what it costs.
We go through the report with you, and each finding goes one of three ways. A price adjustment: the seller comes down by the cost of the repair. A repair condition: the seller fixes it before closing and you verify the work. Or a reason to walk: a wet transom, soft stringers, a failed compression test, a HIN problem. The survey contingency in the agreement is what lets you walk with your deposit.
A survey that kills a deal did its job just as well as one that confirms it.
Survey coordination is part of our buyer's agent service. If you only want to know whether a quote holds up, start with the free deal check.
Survey questions
What buyers ask about surveys
Who pays for the survey and the haul-out?
The buyer pays for both, directly to the surveyor and the yard. Haul-out, engine inspection and oil analysis are usually billed separately, so get quotes first. None of that money comes to us.
Should I attend the survey?
If you can, yes. A few hours beside a surveyor teaches you more about the boat than any number of showings.
Does a new boat need a survey?
Usually not a full one. Warranties cover defects, so what you need is a careful delivery inspection and a water test before you sign.
Can I sea trial the boat before making an offer?
Rarely, and that is reasonable. The normal order is an accepted offer, a written agreement with survey and sea trial contingencies, a deposit, and then the sea trial. If a seller proposes another order, contact us before you agree.
Next step
Get the boat checked before money moves
Tell us what you are looking at. We will say which level of inspection fits and write the agreement so the findings count.