Looking for a Boat Inspector....
 

Hey all....I am Looking for a Boat Inspector ie: someone more knowledgeable than me" to view a potential purchase with me....the boat has a couple of strange issues....The boat is located in Cedarville, Mi....Was thinking maybe this saturday on a trip up north...I will be coming from the Grand Rapids, Mi area....Any ideas or suggestions.....

John

What you're looking for is a Marine Surveyor. If you know other boat owners in that area, I'd start with them. You can also ask for recommendations from local dealers, marine stores, etc.. I Googled "marine surveyor cedarville mi" and got several results in the area.

How about some details on the "strange issues" you mentioned?

Read SD's sticky on Boat Inspection Trip Tips in the Boat Review and Purchase forum. Some good advice.

A complete survey will cost about $20/foot. If you just want advice about a couple of specific issues you can arrange for an hour or two of the surveyor's time at probably $100 or so an hour.

The issues I am referring to are: Coach roof brow trim..section damaged during haul out.. the marina is fixing one section at their expense...State the rest of the brow is starting to rot..cost to fix 960.00 The rudder when turned by hand is just now starting to rub paint of the gudgeon...State the bushing may be starting to wear but doesn't need to be fixed at this time...Also, notice a crack in the coach roof approx 16 inches long kinda wanders with no definite start or stopping point..and the top to the v-berth door is warped or misaligned 1/2 inch or more...and the boat is suppose to come with jack stands but is sitting in a cradle...The owner was not present for the haul out when the trim was broken..I am wondering if the boat may have taken a tumble when placed on her jack stands and these odd symptoms that the owner is unaware of my indicate something more than meets the eye...The survey has been ordered and he should be out in the next week or so...But I want another trip up to the boat to take pics and ask some serious questions from the yard crew...This is my first boat purchase and I don't want to buy someone else's problem whether they know it or not without having all the facts and available remedies...

John

Before hiring a surveyor, read the Boat Inspection Trip Tips thread I started, as it will help you determine whether this boat is even worth going forward on, saving you the price of a survey on boats that aren't worth looking at further.

Wanna' buy a problem?
 

These things together lead me to suspect that the boat has had an accident of some kind. I doubt that the hull is true to it's original form.

To check, stand about 20-40 feet directly in front of the centerline of the boat. Look carefully at the hull profile. Is it symmetrical? Now, move 10 feet left, and look carefully, now move 20 feet right (10 feet to right of CL) and look again, do the two profiles seem to mirror each other? Now repeat the whole exercise from the rear. I would also check very carefully in the bilge, in the saloon storage areas (under setees), and the bilge, to look for bent/cracked or repaired stringers. Also look for non factory glass work in the bilge.

If my suspicion is correct, it is unlikely that the boat will track straight (think of a car with a bent frame).

- Ed