Choosing a yacht and small craft marine surveyor can be a difficult job as the industry, bizarrely, remains largely unregulated despite attempts to persuade the authorities otherwise. So making sure you find the right marine surveyor for your job is vitally important.
First of all, you need to decide what type of survey you need. Then you have to find someone who has the skills, competency and knowledge to carry it out to your specifications, depending on what sort of vessel you are looking to acquire. Many people looking to purchase a boat have limited knowledge in this area and have no idea where to start their search for a reputable marine surveyor. But the Marine Surveyor Search App is a good starting point.
Survey prices can vary hugely so you may want to get a couple of quotes before choosing a marine surveyor. Sometimes the cheapest may not always be the best! Generally as far as price goes, as in other walks of life, you get what you pay for. A marine surveyor is a professional and you are engaging him/her to perform a critical function as part of your boat buying process. You can check and reference the credentials of a marine surveyor by talking to others he/she has done work for. Often word of mouth is a good means of recommendation too.
Choosing a marine surveyor and commissioning him/her to do some surveying work is a crucial part of ensuring that your vessel(s), whether commercial or private leisure, is seaworthy, complies with the relevant maritime standards and will meet the necessary insurance and finance requirements.
But be aware that choosing a marine surveyor, especially the right one, can be fraught with difficulty. But the International Institute of Marine Surveying makes identifying the right one easy for you. By using the search App (as mentioned earlier) or the surveyor search on this site, which can be found at the top of every page, you can browse the profiles of hundreds of marine surveyors around the world. Select by surveyor by type of survey required or by country. You can select by type of survey you require, or by specialism, to ensure you get the marine surveyor who has the right qualifications and experience for your job.
The information about the types of surveys undertaken by individual surveyors has been supplied by each one personally. You should satisfy yourself that your chosen surveyor is competent to do your particular job. It is your responsibility to ensure and satisfy yourself when engaging an IIMS UK member surveyor that you ask them to confirm their PI insurance cover is current and adequate. The IIMS cannot be held responsible in the event something goes wrong between you and the surveyor.
