NorthStar Marine Surveying, Ltd. Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Serving The states of Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania Robert V. Horvath SAMSŪ AMSŪ Principal Marine Surveyor

The following is a reprint of an article Robert Horvath wrote for one of the United States Power Squadron publications. Why should you have a vessel surveyed? Most insurance companies and banks require surveys on vessels 10 years of age and older. They need to know her structural condition and fair market value in order to finance and or underwrite the vessel. Some insurance companies will ask for a survey every 10 Years even if you're the original owner to ascertain her present condition. However the most important reason to survey your vessel is for the safety of the passengers and crew. As vessels change ownership though the years, too often new electronic packages, A/C's, battery chargers, generators, etc. are installed by unknowledgeable persons. Improper installations can result in injury or even worse, loss of life. Also as vessels age many of the wood cored areas such as engine stringers, bulkheads and decks experience some moisture intrusion, and depending on where and how much it can affect the structural integrity and the value of the vessel. Well-conducted surveys can provide excellent information as to the condition of the vessel and determine if there are any safety issues. Surveys are not guarantees as the surveyor reports the conditions that existed in accessible areas at the time of the survey. A professionally prepared survey report will contain all the information that your bank or insurance company is looking for, such as standards set by ABYC, NFPA, and the USCG. When interviewing a marine surveyor do not forget to ask what professional organizations they belong to, and what is in the content of his or her report. If he or she was not recommended by someone you trust ask for references such as previous customers. If they do not answer these questions to your satisfaction, they should not be your choice of surveyor. Until asked to do this article I had not given much thought about how many years of education and experience it has taken me to become a professional marine surveyor. Back in the early 80's I attended my first survey on a boat I had already purchased, as my insurance company decided it needed a survey. The surveyor was on my boat for at least 20 minutes and it passed survey. Later after having to get a copy of the report from my agent, I read a one pager with a lot of check off boxes but no mention of the things that I knew needed to be corrected. I knew he would not be my choice next time I needed a survey. My next survey was for the pre-purchase of a vessel I was interested in, again I attended, and after crawling around the bilge and many other dark places looking at wiring and battery chargers, fire extinguishers and life jackets I learned that there was a lot more to surveying than knowing the bow from the stern. I did not buy the vessel due to, 1: The sellers were out of line price wise and, two; they were not willing to repair the items that added up about $3,000.00. I knew that getting educated in this field was going to be a challenge, but it was not until my first day at Chapman's School of Seamanship while taking the Yacht and Small Craft Surveying course and being tested in the first three hours of class did I realize just how much work this was going to be. We were given three hours worth of homework the first night and it got worse from then on. This is a 160-hour college accredited course with untold numbers of tests, and it lasts 6 weeks. You live on campus or very close by because if you do not you will not get much sleep, as 8 hours of class and 4 hours of home work was the standard and you would have written quiz on that subject matter the next day. Now many years and hundreds of bilges later the learning process continues along with the education, which is required to maintain membership in the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors. So the moral of this story is, be very fussy choosing the surveyor for your next purchase of your pride and joy, BECAUSE NOT ALL ARE QUALIFIED. Bob Horvath SAMSŪ AMSŪ

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