Boat Surveyor Qualifications?

[sniffy the great]

I’ve got an offer on a narrowboat subject to survey. The broker (ABNB) has a list of various surveyor organisations/associations on their website:

https://www.abnb.co.uk/submenupages/surveyors.html

Are any of these considered superior or are they all equally good?

 

All being well, if the survey is ok, I hope to be introducing myself as a new owner soon....?

 

sniffy

[Kendorr]

Where is the boat?

Ask in the area, there may be somebody who is regularly called upon and will give you a better price.

My last survey was £300 up here in the north ?

 

[Boater Sam]

ABNB may get a cut from the appointed surveyor, its not impartial then is it? Appoint your own every time.

[ditchcrawler]

16 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

ABNB may get a cut from the appointed surveyor, its not impartial then is it? Appoint your own every time.

They are considered to be one of the better brokers

[cuthound]

I have personal experience of Chris Williams, Craig Allen and Trevor Whitling.

 

All excellent in my opinion.

[sniffy the great]

ABNB are not recommending a surveyor; they have a list of different professional associations which surveyors may belong to and I’m wondering what the difference is between these various associations. Most professions seem to have just one association which is why this multiplicity is confusing.

 

The boat is near Devizes on the K&A.

 

sniffy 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, sniffy the great said:

I’ve got an offer on a narrowboat subject to survey.

Your 'headline' is "Boat Surveyor Qualifications ?"

 

You do not need any qualifications to call your self a boat surveyor but there are some that are well qualified.

 

Some of the 'Professional Associations' require their members to be qualified, some don't.

 

It is a mine-field.

[sniffy the great]

13 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Your 'headline' is "Boat Surveyor Qualifications ?"

 

You do not need any qualifications to call your self a boat surveyor but there are some that are well qualified.

 

Some of the 'Professional Associations' require their members to be qualified, some don't.

 

It is a mine-field.

? Which is why I’m asking the question in the hope that the knowledgeable folk on this forum may help finding a path through the mines.

 

sniffy

[Alan de Enfield]

10 minutes ago, sniffy the great said:

? Which is why I’m asking the question in the hope that the knowledgeable folk on this forum may help finding a path through the mines.

 

sniffy

Which may help, or it may not.

You can find a surveyor who has an excellent 'report' from one person and an appalling one from another person, 

Boating is a risky business, all you can do 'choose and hope'.

 

(Please do not think that a surveyor will find all of the faults, just hope he finds the 'expensive ones')

Good luck.

[LadyG]

3 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

ABNB may get a cut from the appointed surveyor, its not impartial then is it? Appoint your own every time.

I'm not sure about that, it's not likely with  ABNB.

It's a list of qualified surveyors , you do appoint your own, you pay for it, it belongs to you.

When I contacted a guy to organise a survey and said it was with ABNB he wouldn't do it because he does most of their  engineering work.

 A surveyor does not need a cut, it's fat too messy. If he gets regular work he will be happy. There are other brokers whose recommendations I would swerve, you you'll be OK with ABNB, they are in the business of selling boats. Good reputation.  They put a lot of work in to marketing, and helping new purchasers is one of their strategies. 

All you need do is ask them. I don't think they'll be happy if they  see my pal Sam's little red rag. 

Edited January 17, 2019 by LadyG

[alan_fincher]

1 hour ago, sniffy the great said:

The boat is near Devizes on the K&A.

 

Many of the names on that list are Midland based, and may not want to travel to the K&A.

 

Even if they will, you are likely to have to pay for it.

 

You really need your chosen surveyor to be based reasonably close to where you want the survey done.

 

 

[matty40s]

A couple here from further South, Chris Halliwell Wiltshire 07592 73916eight, Peter Hutley Berkshire 07703 235 77nine, Barrie Morse Oxfordshire 01295 71194one, Ian Burgoyne Oxfordshire 07836 29265nine. Any or all of these may or may not still be surveying - its a 5 year old list.

[sniffy the great]

31 minutes ago, matty40s said:

A couple here from further South, Chris Halliwell Wiltshire 07592 73916eight, Peter Hutley Berkshire 07703 235 77nine, Barrie Morse Oxfordshire 01295 71194one, Ian Burgoyne Oxfordshire 07836 29265nine. Any or all of these may or may not still be surveying - its a 5 year old list.

Thank you - I’ll follow them up.

 

sniffy

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

ABNB may get a cut from the appointed surveyor, its not impartial then is it? Appoint your own every time.

There's quite a difference in a reputable boatyard or broker having a list of reputable surveyors for the potential purchaser to consider and a less reputable boatyard or broker pushing their own tame surveyor to their own ends (particularly if, in truth, they own the subject boat).  A reputable broker would look a bit daft if they were unable or unwilling to furnish a less experienced customer with such a list and any findings from a genuine survey simply become a point for them to factor in into the negotiations, hence should not have any significant effect on the broker.  I'm not suggesting you're wrong to sound a note of caution about needing the surveyor to be 100% in the buyer's camp: rather that not all brokers have such a list for nefarious purposes.  The trick is in telling the difference! 

[Bobbybass]

Bear in mind that the survey is only valid ' on the day' and problems found afterwards are not usually covered by any kind of guarantee. I had 3 surveys on various boats including one by a 'reputable'  surveyor someone named above. My boat nearly sank in the second week and the surveyor walked away and said the survey was ' on the day only'.. 

The other 2 surveys were by recommended surveyors and were a waste.

 

It's still...buyer beware in my opinion.