Hull and structure
Moisture readings, percussion sounding, keel, rudder, shaft, stern gear, through-hulls, bulkheads and chainplates. Normally needs a haul-out.
Deal room · Survey
The report says what the boat is, not what the listing says she is.
Before any deposit becomes non-refundable, an independent surveyor examines hull, machinery, systems and paperwork, then takes her to sea under load. In a market of timber phinisi built largely outside class oversight, that is the one step that removes most of the risk.
In short
Scope is agreed in writing before the surveyor is engaged, because “survey” means different things to different sellers.
- A yacht that has sat idle at anchor for a year will often pass a dockside inspection and fail a sea trial. We treat the trial as non-negotiable on any powered vessel.
- The documentation check catches problems nearly as often as the hull inspection does.
- Where no travel lift is available, a diver survey with video is the fallback — and the report says clearly which method was used and what it could not see.
The scope
What a complete package covers
Machinery and systems
Engines and generators cold and running: compression behaviour, cooling, mounts, hours against the log, plus wiring, plumbing, steering, tankage and safety equipment.
Phinisi timber
Probing and moisture-testing the keel, frames, planking and deck; fastenings checked for corrosion and electrolysis, and the hull for marine borers.
Documentation
Registration and flag status, tonnage certificate, safety certification, port clearances — and whether the selling entity actually has the right to sell.
Orientation
Indicative survey costs
Cost depends on vessel size, construction, location and access to haul-out. Every engagement is quoted individually and the surveyor’s fee is always disclosed to you in full.
GRP up to ~15 m
USD 1.2–2.5K
Sailing or motor yacht, full pre-purchase survey.
Yacht 15–25 m
USD 2.5–5.5K
Full survey with sea trial.
Timber phinisi
USD 4–10K+25–50 m
Multi-day structural and timber survey by a wood specialist.
Add-ons
USD 50–1.5K
Engine or gearbox inspection, oil analysis per sample, or a diver survey with video in lieu of haul-out.
Oil analysis is the cheapest line here and regularly exposes internal wear no visual inspection would find.
Independence
The surveyor’s only client should be you
If the seller offers “their” recent survey, treat it as marketing until verified. It may well be accurate, but it was not commissioned to protect the buyer, and it is frozen at the date it was written.
If a yard offers to inspect a boat it built or maintains, the conflict of interest is obvious. Our role is to keep the inspection genuinely at arm’s length — we own no shipyards, travel lifts or survey firms.
- Engaged per vessel. We match specialisation to the boat rather than keeping one house firm on retainer.
- Credentials shown. Recognised professional bodies, classification-society backgrounds, and for phinisi work, documented timber-vessel experience in Indonesian yards.
On the day
The sea trial protocol
A sea trial is not a joyride; it is a structured load test. The sequence is fixed so results compare across vessels.
Not always possible: a vessel mid-refit or laid up ashore cannot be trialled. The report then states plainly that machinery was not tested under way, and we structure the offer accordingly — a holdback against post-launch trials, or a lower price reflecting the unknown.
Before you commission
Questions buyers ask about survey
Commission the survey before you commit.
The right moment to involve a surveyor is before you sign anything binding — and the second-best moment is now. Send the listing and we will respond with a scoped, fully priced proposal and independent surveyor options.