What Is A Boat Survey?

What Is A Boat Survey?

Our Sceptre 41 Sailboat Survey occurred almost a year after our sailboat search began.

We received a text from our broker. He had found a boat for us to make an offer on. It was 41 feet of sleek beauty. It had two berths, a separate shower and toilet (head), a roomy galley, a light wood salon, and was Pilot House in style, which flooded her with natural light. And very importantly, Chris could fit comfortably in the bed. At 6’2?, that has been an issue.

Minutes after she came on the market, our broker went over and did a video walk-through with us.

We loved her, and he thought she was a perfect fit. After a bit of back-and-forth, we arrived at a price with the seller, and she was under contract pending a survey and sea trial.

Here is our experience with  Our Sceptre 41 Sailboat Survey

A boat survey is when you hire a professional marine surveyor to assess a vessel’s seaworthiness and maintenance. They inspect the ship to ensure it meets specified standards for design, construction, stability, and safety equipment that apply to that boat.

Interior and exterior?—?-meaning they take it out of the water and inspect the hull, bottom, props, rudder–everything below the water line. If you have ever worked in food service, it is an intense health inspection that lasts for EIGHT hours; ultimately, you pay for it.

We arrived at 9:00 a.m., and the surveyor, Matt Harris from Marine Consultants in Bellingham, was already on site, tapping and exploring the boat. Matt had been part owner of Sceptre when they started, so he knew these boats inside and out. We chatted, and he shared some pictures he had brought of the first  Sceptre going into the water.

“So, how’s it going,” I asked. All eyes wandered to the steady plop, plop of raindrops leaking through the hatches.

“Well, there’s some leaks,” he replied. “Wish they would have fixed those.”

AND SO BEGAN A LONG, ARDUOUS EIGHT-HOUR DAY OF INSPECTING THE BOAT.

He began with the interior, opening cupboards, pulling up floorboards, looking at wires, testing all the equipment, following moisture with his reader, pulling tools and gadgets from his belt, and jotting notes onto a longer list.

She was born in 1988, making her 35 years old. This means we expected things: the need to update electronics, add solar, reupholster cushions, re-varnish wood, address cosmetic issues, do basic cleanup, and continue preventative maintenance.

However, we were in for a couple of surprises:

The water heater was corroded and leaking, suggesting it would soon give up the ghost.

Water was in the fuel system. This could have been caused by condensation in the fuel tanks or a leaking seal at the fuel filter, but it suggests that there is probably growth in the fuel tanks, which could lead to clogging and blockages of the system.

The repair for this is called ‘fuel polishing’; it is a significant process, requiring cutting a hole in the top of the tanks to clean them. The price tag for this repair is about $1500.00, a non-negotiable repair.

After a couple of hours, we motored the boat to Canal Boatyard, where we had it taken out of the water via big slings. Matt continued his inspection of the entire underside. Aside from some minor blistering and osmosis, nothing catastrophic was found.

The boat was put back in the water, and we threw up the sails to test them out. There was nothing unexpected here; the mainsail needed some repair. Inspecting the rod rigging would have been an extra 3K-4K. For insurance purposes, the rigging has to be less than 10 years old, so we had already decided to replace it instead of inspecting it.

We returned for the second half of day 1’s inspection. It was discovered that neither electric bilge pump worked, but the manual gusher did. Very simply, a bilge pump pumps water that may get in your boat; hence, non-working bilge pumps can be a serious issue.

The windlass, the anchor motor, worked, but its days are numbered due to its rust and buildup. There was no bridle, a rope made to take the anchor’s weight off the windlass. There was only one anchor, which would be a real problem if you lost an anchor, which does happen at sea.

After Day 1 was completed, we sat with Matt and reviewed the four-page list, which clearly reflected that minimal–if any?—?maintenance had been done in the past many years. After this inspection, we were provided with an extremely detailed assessment, a checklist of the vessel… and a valuation. We were disheartened, but most of the things that came up were things we had anticipated in a boat of this age, but the lack of maintenance had exacerbated the findings.

Price tag for Day 1= $2,000.00

The following day, Chris met with Howard from Auxiliary Engine and Generator Service in Seattle, an authorized dealer and repair center for Yanmar Engines, which is her engine.

This meeting was only an hour long, as Chris–who has a background in aviation, not only as a pilot but also as a mechanic, had previously ordered some work, including an oil sample.

The results were that they had used heavyweight gear oil in the transmission, which specifies that automatic transmission fluid should be used. They had (basically)poured molasses syrup into an area that required wine. Multiple leaks–including the engine’s rear main seal–and no repair history suggest a complete overhaul is necessary.

Price tag for Day 2= $1,100.00

Total Inspection Cost= 3K.

And this concludes our experience with our Sailboat Survey on a Sceptre 41.

$3,000.00 sounds like a lot of money, and it is. But it is well worth every penny. You’ll need to do your due diligence when making a substantial purchase, such as a sailboat. If you buy a car or a house, you would have a mechanic or an inspection. If you buy a boat, you must do a survey.

We could have shopped around and done it cheaper, but the savings would have been negligible.

We spent a lot of time discussing it, mulling, cogitating….you get the idea. We priced the work, considered our goals and lifestyles, and weighed the pros and cons.

The boat is awesome. It has great bones, a perfect layout for us, and a sound foundation. Is it too much work for us to begin a new adventure? Maybe. Time will tell.

Ultimately, we sent in a new offer based on the findings from the survey.

We have peace and contentment in our hearts. However, this thing shakes out.

Thank you for reading.

If you liked this story, check out Our First Sail to Hope Island.

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