SKRAMER

I need to know If anyone has ever sued a surveyor due to negligence. (missing a transom that is totally rotted)

SHARKEY-IMAGES

A rotted transom?

That is unexcuseable!!!

As it has been said before, they have meters that detect moisture. For her to say that she couldn't tell the transom was wet is way out of line.
She may not have been able to tell you how rotted it was, but at least she could of told you it was wet.
The Knocker test works good too...

formula31

I talked to them about it but they both had reasonable excuses, well it was a case of how far can you expect them to go. I blame the boat builder more than the surveyor. The outer portions of the transom were blasa cored!!. Since there was a 1/4"+ of glass and gelcoat on the outside and another on the inside, it felt and sounded pretty solid, until I did a stern landing and ripped the k-planes right off the transom almost sinking it. The boat when checked had been out of the water for a while so there was no moisture signature. I still think an experienced surveyor should know about stuff like this and have the appropriate equipment to check for it. But then, think again about the manufacturer. Especially on a tank like mine with a full cabin. Many of the interior designs make it nearly impossible to get at stringers and bulkheads without tearing the boat apart. So the idea that a surveyor is going to ever be able to give a 100% ok on a boat just isnt realistic. Personally, if I were a surveyor and had any question about an area, I would ask the owner or dealer to have a small hole drilled in that spot to check it. Maybe a good idea for all older boats transoms.

CustomRigger101

makes me think she didn't even look at the motors or anything to aft

mcollinstn

Surveyor gave a fairly clean bill of health to a cruiser a friend was looking at. Did mention some evidence of salt corrosion on a few areas.

Went to go drive the boat home with my friend. It had brand new outdrives and transom plates on it. Dealer said that the others had been stolen (yeah, and the transom plates, right?).

Opened the hatches. Alternator bracket rusted in two. Both waterpumps leaking and rusted. One exhaust elbow pissing a little pinhole stream right out the side.
Vacu Flush pump rotted into a white chalky nasty lump. Battery Charger with long rust stalactites hanging out of it. Several galvanic bonding ground wires missing off thru hull components, with green nast hanging off them.

Interior was damp and smelled like ocean fish.
Rubber buttons on all the Raytheon electronics were dissolved into crumbly hunks.

Boat was advertised at having new canvas. This was true. Appeared to have been sewn together with the same thread my wife uses on my underwear, and the windows AND screens were both sewn in together.

Friend didn't buy the boat.

Surveys are worthless, in my opinion. You need to find a reputable surveyor with the proper equipment and you STILL need to accompany him on the survey with your own notepad and camera.

I've done a few local surveys myself for acquaintances. I charge $350 for trailerable single. $450 for a trailerable twin. And add haulout fees if it's not trailerable.

I don't solicit the work, and have never had any surveying classes and make that known up front but I still get a call on occasion...

Crazyhorse

I've done a few surveys for people that have been burned before, and I've paid to have surveys done on boats I've purchased. Someone mentioned Jeff Hahn and his name sounds familiar. If he does surveys for Cast-A-Line Surveyors he may have done the Cigarette I bought from DJD a year ago. I only have one surveyor here in west Michigan I won't allow an a boat I have for sale, and I make that point very clear to a prospective buyer when I suggest a survey by the buyer. I trust the surveyors I hire and we go over the survey together, both before I recieve the written copy and again after I get it just so there aren't any misunderstandings. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience but I hope you get the opportunity to work with a good one in the future.

Dredgeking

surveyors are worthless. none of them know what they are looking at or take the time to thoroughly inspect a boat. if you find a skilled and trustworthy surveyor, then please email me.

SHARKEY-IMAGES

I found one that did a thorough job on the 28 Checkmate I bought. He spent several hours going over the entire boat for an insurance survey.
He has also been with the Coast Guard for a long time.
I am sure that helped a great deal as well...

Reed Jensen

Surveyors are really nothing more than marine "building inspectors". They can't really ascertain whether the boat is in good condition, due to all the places that problems can hide... Really... all they can do is tell the prospective buyer. lender. or insurer that the boat physically matches it's written description. I myself experienced fraud on a surveyors part.... When the report says no visible signs of corrosion... and the outdrives are visibly rotted away. But even a thorough survey will not turn up hidden rot and bad rigging.

SKRAMER

I have a surveyor here in Ohio. I would recommend to anyone. He is the one that I got the second opinion from. His name is Greg Group. If you are selling a boat you don't want him suveying it. But great for buyers. I should have flown him to florida. It would have saved me alot of money and head aches. Does anyone feel that the surveyor should pick up some of the bill here or am I crazy? I wouldn't have bought a boat with a rotted transom!