Articles

Knowing the Difference is Crucial to the Claims Handling Process After a number of years appraising insurance claims as a marine surveyor, and a stint as a licensed staff adjuster with a major insurance company, it became obvious to me that sometimes surveyors get...

I've noticed that whenever a group of marine surveyors spend time comparing notes and discussing their profession, the conversation often turns to moisture meters. Reactions and comments range from "they would make a good doorstop if they were heavier" to "it's...

The following article is reprinted from the Spring 2001 edition of the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors newsletter, with permission of the authors. Customers sometimes express aggravation with laboratories that ask this question when they first deliver a sample...

The following article is reprinted from the Spring 2001 edition of the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors newsletter, with permission of the authors. The companion article to these notes (on page 12) was written by one of our SAMS® Affiliate Members, Floyd Friloux...

Over the years the term "Bentonize" has come into regular use on Boatpokers, and in all probability into the off-line language of more than a few marine surveyors. The verb is; "To Bentonize". Past tense; "Bentonated". Noun; Bentonization. Tool; Bentonator. The term...

This week, I am compelled to take a one week break for the "Getting to Know Your Boat" series, I have been publishing, to discuss frozen boat hulls. Every year, once boat show season is in full swing, my phone starts to ring. The boat buying season starts and everyone...

Wet stringers or other wood cored structures on boats are misunderstood

For most of us north of 30 degrees of latitude, it is the off season for boating. The boats have been tucked away for some time, and aside from making payments to the bank or insurance company, thoughts of her have been infrequent as we navigate the holiday season....

Welcome to the second installment. In the first installment, I was eager to get below decks and talk about what to look at in the bilge. A week of thinking about where to go next keeps up above decks for another several paragraphs. By and large, boating is a very safe...

This week we open the hatch and step into the bilge. Yes I can hear the moans and groans, but I would bet most of you will learn to love your bilge if you spend some time down there. Why? We all like to know more about our boats. Most of us complain about the cost of...

I have made this point before, but I want to start right off with it again. Electrical work on your boat should be, at the very least, supervised or inspected by a qualified marine electrician. ABYC offers a very thorough certification course in marine electrical. I...

The leading cause of boat sinkings, mechanical failures, and fire can all be found in the bilge. That's a bold statement, isn’t it? One has to be careful when you they are in the cause-effect business of marine damage surveys. Like degrees of separation, one could...

I have always interpreted this statement and idea to mean we report what we see on the boat without significant influence from a party interested in the outcome of the report. It is an idea that assists in making decisions on what and how to report findings. It is an...

Today, everywhere you spend the night, you can expect the protection of a smoke alarm. Government, insurance and specific industry regulations require smoke alarms to be installed during construction, manufacturing and/or sale, in every type of structure. They are...

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My solution to the problems, concerns and mandates about marine toilets had been to use a Porta-Potti and a few jury-rig devices that satisfy federal "no discharge" requirements. It was not an ideal solution. The thought of drilling two (2) holes in my hull and one...

Several years ago, while surfing the internet for some new and better information about treating hull blisters, I came upon some articles by Bengt Blomberg, a Swede, who was one of pioneers in osmosis treatment. Blomberg had some unorthodox ideas on why blisters...

Some thoughts on the perils of boat appraising One of the most important and sometimes the most difficult aspects of dealing with pleasure boats from everyone's perspective; buyers, sellers, yacht brokers and marine surveyors, is the establishing of a monetary value...

Marine surveyors perform inspections of vessels of all types including pleasure craft, passenger vessels, tugboats, fishing boats, barges, dredges, oil rigs, ferries, cargo vessels and warships, as well as marine cargo, marine engines and facilities such as canals,...