Getting Your Vessel Ready for a Marine Survey

You've received an offer on your yacht; the purchaser is now setting up the marine survey. The survey is a detailed inspection of your yacht and can be the make or break part of the agreement. Thus preparing for the particular survey must be a high priority. Marine surveyors look for a spotless, well maintained yacht; it sets the mood of the survey. I've had more than a couple of surveyors inform me they can usually tell what they're about to discover by how a yacht appears from the dock. A surveyor is likely to discover those things that don't operate and notify the purchaser. If an item does not function, any potential buyer will deduce the worst and almost certainly want an allowance for brand new equipment. It is much less difficult and less expensive to fix all equipment before surveying the yacht than to pay to have it repaired later.
In addition, as soon as your yacht is surveyed by a likely purchaser, if everything works, your transaction is just about in the bag. On the other hand, an extended list of non-functional things can frequently trigger a buyer to get second thoughts and then probably the most you can hope for is a far lower sales price just not to lose the deal!

For Starters
* Ensure the vessel is clean and organized, it is easier for the surveyor. Remember first impressions may be significant.
* Subsequently, ensure the yacht is free of clutter and trash. Get rid of everything not included in the transaction, both to boost perceived room and to get rid of any uncertainty as to what's included in the deal. Spare tools, aged fenders, filthy lines, that pail of washing substances in the lazarette… do away with everything. It will get in the way of the surveyor performing his duty.

Make certain all equipment functions
First of all, non operational equipment troubles could be a red flag for the buyer. If a toilet doesn't operate right, a doorknob is loose, or something else isn't as it should be, cope with it. You'll most likely handle a good number of those problems yourself, and just a little bit of extra work can yield substantial profit when the surveyor notifies the purchaser he has discovered little wrong with the yacht.

Prior to heading to survey:

Electronics/Electrical
* Check all equipment, toilets, inverters, entertainment systems for operable status. Fix as required.
* Check all lights to ensure they work. This includes all cabin lights and all navigation lights. Repair those that do not.
* Check to make sure cooling and refrigeration systems work and get them fixed if they do not work satisfactorily. A good number of yacht owners don't check the return air conditioning filters on their boat's HVAC.
* Ensure all communication and navigation electronics are in decent shape and operable. This also means the compass. Get fixed or replace those that don't operate.

Mechanical
* Check your engine room for oil, water or fuel leaks. If they are there a surveyor will surely find them. It is possible to almost without doubt repair these deficiencies now more cheaply than if you have to pay for it to be done subsequent to a survey.
* Check engines for any corrosion; clean with a wire brush and repair with paint as necessary.
* Test main engines and generators for oil and water; top them off as necessary.
* Make sure that batteries are in satisfactory condition and filled up.
* Begin and operate all engines. Any hesitance to start or irregular performance needs to be checked out.
* Power engines up to operating temperatures. All abnormal numbers need to be checked out and corrected.
* Check out all engine instrumentation. Swap out broken gauges or adjust as needed.
* Check all raw water hoses for wear and tear. If ever the hoses are cracked swap them. If they really are malleable they need replacing.
* Make sure all of the raw water hoses below the water line or pressurized are double clamped at each end.
* Inspect all hose clamps throughout for deterioration; swap all that are.
* Inspect all sea cocks for simple operation and any leaks.
* Investigate all sea strainers. Clean as necessary.
* Inspect exhaust hoses for age deterioration. All hose ends must be double clamped.
* Inspect prop rudder stuffing boxes and stuffing boxes for all extreme seepage.
* Check prop and rudder stuffing boxes for any corrosion; correct as necessary.
* Inspect struts inside boat for any decay.
* Bilges ought to be clean and dry; touch up with paint if needed.

Cleaning
* Eliminate all personal non-essential objects.
* Remove all non-critical boat equipment despite the fact that it will be included in the deal.

Documents
* Ensure that all applicable documents are present and up to date. The surveyor will need to see documentation or registration documents. Also required are documents for all tenders or PWC's.
* Any construction schematics or books that may be furnished may prove to be useful to the surveyor.

Safety
* Validate all Coast Guard safety objects required for the class of boat.
* Flares - make sure they're not expired. Expiration dates are printed on every flare.
* Fire extinguishers - proper number, and installed. Needs to be checked annually.
* Ship's bell on your yacht.
* One approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) in decent shape for every person on the boat.
* Make sure horn functions.
* There must be a copy of the US Coast Guard Navigational Rules aboard.
* Look at anchor and rode, safety wire, and proper splice within the rode with thimble and bitter end secured.
* If there's an automated fixed fire extinguishing mechanism on the boat full time, it needs to be in date - an annual requirement.
* All bilge pumps and automatic float switches should be in functioning order.
* Check and try out all alarms - electrical, generator, engine, carbon monoxide, smoke, fire and bilge.
* Life rafts will need to have inspection documents.
* EPIRB must be functional.

Hull
* Repair any scratched wood and refinish if required.
* Get bottom and running gear scrubbed by diver.
* Clean and replace zincs.