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Great idea
I think that is a great idea. You make your contract contingent upon a satisfactory survey, inspections and sea trials. In your contract, the seller must disclose his or her knowledge of the condition of the boat because the disclosures would affect your decision to buy the boat and the price you would be willing to pay. The disclosures are material inducements to your decision to enter into the contract. If you could prove that the seller knew about something and lied, you may be able to prove fraud, void the contract, and recover the costs of your survey and other damages you have suffered due to the seller's misrepresentations.
Since the disclosures only concern the seller's knowledge of the condition, an honest seller should not balk at the disclosures and you will be able to flush out the dishonest sellers trying to sell a boat with known defects before you spend money based on the seller's representations.
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