Who (or What) is MarineSurveyor.com?

MarineSurveyor.com is a directory website featuring an international database of credentialed marine surveyors from multiple organizations worldwide. It serves as a resource for individuals seeking marine surveyors and provides information about the practice and disciplines of marine surveying.

What is a Marine Surveyor?

A marine surveyor acts as an objective consultant, similar to a home inspector and appraiser combined for boat purchases. They perform thorough inspections, identify deficiencies, and may specialize in areas such as commercial inspection, damage claim investigations, or valuation services.

Why get a Marine Survey?

Obtaining a marine survey before purchasing a boat is standard practice among experienced boaters. The survey report serves as a negotiation, planning, and budgeting tool, often identifying maintenance issues or deficiencies that could result in significant expenses if left unaddressed.

How much does a marine survey cost?

The cost of a marine survey varies based on factors such as the size and type of the vessel, its age, the scope of the survey, location, and the surveyor's experience. Additional services like sea trials or specialized inspections may incur extra charges.

What are the types of marine surveys?

Common types of marine surveys include pre-purchase surveys, insurance surveys (also known as Condition and Value surveys), appraisal inspections, damage claim investigations, engine inspections, rigging inspections, coatings inspections, and various commercial marine inspections.

How does one become a marine surveyor?

Becoming a marine surveyor typically involves choosing a professional organization, such as the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS®) or the National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS®), and pursuing relevant education and training. Practical experience and continuous learning are essential components of the profession.

What is SAMS® (Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors)?

SAMS® is an international organization that maintains ethical and educational oversight of its member surveyors. It offers designations such as Surveyor Associate (SA) and Accredited Marine Surveyor (AMS®) to qualified professionals.

What is NAMS (National Association of Marine Surveyors)?

NAMS is a professional organization that offers designations including Apprentice, Associate, and Certified Marine Surveyor. It provides training and upholds standards for marine surveyors globally.

Blog - Page 2 of 3 - Marine Surveyor Marine Marketplace

GET TO KNOW YOUR BOAT – PART II

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...

GET TO KNOW YOUR BOAT – PART III

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...

IN THE OFF SEASON – GET TO KNOW YOUR BOAT PART IV: ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

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...

A Bit About Bilges

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...

Surveyor working for the vessel – What does this mean?

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...

SMOKE ALARMS – WHY DON’T WE USE THEM ON BOATS?

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...

CO And Fume Detectors

View article from BoatUS here

Upgrading my Marine Head to a COMPOSTING TOILET

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...

Hot Vac – A Real Cure for Osmosis?

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...

Boat Values and the Marine Surveyor

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...