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Page 2 - Types of Survey These fall into the categories in the table below, please click to view
Full Condition and Pre- Purchase Survey For many, the purchase of a yacht represents the fulfilment of an ambition long held and strived for and a major investment on a large scale. The prudent will have carefully studied what is available and by the many processes of the mind and emotion, finally arrived at the selected vessel. Whether the vessel is to be newly built or has been in previous ownership, experience and knowledge is a prerequisite to ensure that the purchase is wise and free from serious defect. It is at this stage that the experience and knowledge of the Professional Marine Consultant and Surveyor becomes a requirement. Having selected the vessel, it is usual practice for the purchaser to place a deposit against a contract for sale that is clearly stated as being subject to a satisfactory survey. The permission of the ownership of the vessel should be obtained for the survey and selective removal of small areas of the antifouling as necessary, for examination of the underwater hull surfaces, with measurement of hull moisture content in the case of GRP vessels and possible possible removal of keel bolts and fastenings in timber vessels. With the more elderly steel vessels, ultrasound measurement of hull plate thickness is worthy of consideration and involves a longer period on land and exposure of the bare plate. The purchaser should be aware that the expenses of hauling out of the vessel, opening up and making good are to their account and where a Broker is involved, she or he will usually assist in this process. It is advisable to negotiate such matters at the time of contract. The purchaser contracts with the Surveyor to examine and make a full report on the condition of the vessel, together with any recommendations and conclusions. The survey agreement should specify all fees and expenses, terms of reference, inclusions and exceptions. The survey procedure is by examination as presented, of all accessible and visible parts, without the removal of permanent fixtures and fittings, which would necessitate considerable and unreasonable additional expense. The procedure is greatly assisted, by prior arrangement, for the removal of the contents of lockers and the opening up of the vessel by the lifting of portable soles, locker coverings, portable traps and linings. In some circumstances, selective removal of keel bolts and fastenings may be necessary. It is of great assistance for the underwater hull to be viewed as the vessel is lifted onto land, however moisture readings require a minimum of three days of drying out on land and possibly subsequent readings taken at a later date. These are matters to be discussed. A pre-purchase survey is usually in three parts: - Examination of the vessel whilst afloat, (assuming that the vessel is not already laid up on land), Hauling out for inspection of the underwater hull and appendages, and If requested and feasible, a sea trial with the underwater hull and appendages cleaned. The survey should be conducted in favourable conditions, under the control of the purchaser and the surveyor, not the vendor and/or any agents of the vendor. It is often the case that foreign-flagged vessels are held in customs bond under the control of a marina or agent when the owner is absent. Permission is required for a sea trial to be undertaken. The vessel should be provided with a skipper and crew as appropriate, who are acceptable to the ownership, with the insurance cover for the vessel, in force and up to date for the purpose.
The manner of reporting is logical, clear and
easy to comprehend, using nautical
Hull and Superstructure, Fastenings, Cathodic
protection, Steering gear, Stern gear, Bilge and General Pumping
Installations, Hull openings and Seacocks, Ground Tackle and Mooring
arrangements, Handrails and Lifelines, Masts, Spars and Rigging, Sails,
Windows, Hatches and Ventilation, Machinery and Electrical Defects are reported, together with recommendations for reparation and illustrated by photographs and diagrams as appropriate. The report will allow the costing of any repair work and assist in negotiating the final purchase agreement. The report is normally available within five working days and dispatched by express, registered post and may be seven or more days in transit to countries outside of Turkey. The unsigned report can be sent by E-mail, subject to the byte capacity of the client's electronic mail server. The byte size of photographs can exceed this capacity and the text only is sent and subject to the signed hardcopy report. The report is confidential and made only to the person or persons commissioning the survey. Copyrights is held by the Surveyor, and save only for the purposes of Insurance and/or Financing, should not be otherwise disclosed, distributed or sold without the prior consent of the Surveyor. Survey reports by this Surveyor are recognised by leading Insurers and Marine Finance Companies. In the search for a suitable vessel, there are often a large number of possibilities available through Web listings and other sources. Visiting and the inspection process can be time consuming and often a wasted expense when the optimistic description is not matched by the condition of the vessel. The local Surveyor can provide an independent appraisal of one or more selected vessels and provide summaries of vessel condition, with photographs where required, enabling an informed decision as to the suitability of the vessel for the purpose intended. The examination would be of the vessel or vessels, as and where found and without any lifting or movement. In the event of an appraised vessel being selected, a Full Condition Survey can then be completed, with the fee suitably compensated to take account of the initial examination. New Construction Surveys The purpose is to determine the the vessel has been built and fitted out according to contract, specification and inventory. This entails a detailed examination of the hull and installation of machinery and equipment and attendance at sea trials. Insurance and Valuation Survey
To
evaluate the risk for insurance and/or financing purposes and to arrive
at a market value for the vessel.
This is often a mandatory requirement by Insurance and Financing
Companies, as well as in legal disputes and probate settlements.
Such
a survey is concerned with the structure, the serviceable condition of
the vessel and value. The objective here is to consider the cause and assess the extent of damage, resulting from collision, grounding, fire, flooding, extremes of weather, accidents etc., and to recommend remedial action and estimate the cost. Such surveys are normally commissioned by an Insurance Company, as the result of a claim. For those who choose not to have insurance, it is advisable to have the damage properly assessed to support any claim or legal action. The
subsequent report will only cover damage caused as a result of the
incident, together with any necessary illustrations and evidence.
It is important to understand, that any survey is an independent
and impartial examination of the vessel and the resulting report, has to
be a true statement of conditions as they are found.
It is knowledge and experience that the Surveyor uses to assess
the possible hidden defects and conditions that may not otherwise be
readily apparent.
Examination for the effects of Osmotic action Osmosis is an emotive and often misunderstood subject, causing concern to the GRP yacht owner and eager anticipation to potential contractors. Osmosis is a natural function, not a condition and occurs in most living and chemical cells in one form or another. It is defined as “the diffusion of liquids through a porous septum,” and occurs when there is a hygroscopic substance and a liquid on either side of a permeable membrane, where the liquid is absorbed by the substance until equilibrium is achieved. In GRP vessels, the hard outer gel coat is not entirely impermeable and within the fibreglass laminate, voids and uncured resins are always a possibility, particularly in lower quality hull mouldings. This provides the conditions where osmotic action can occur and create sufficient pressure to cause separation of layers that show as blisters on the visible surface. This is often as a result of inherent defects in the lay-up, occurring during manufacture. Blistering in the Gel coat can be symptomatic of Osmotic action having occurred, but this is not always the case. Hydrolysis, defined as "chemical decomposition or ionic dissociation caused by water", is where water lies in tiny voids within the laminate and over a period of many years produces a chemical reaction and clusters of small blisters. In these cases, removal of the entire underwater gel coat is more often a drastic and expensive course of action, that is unnecessary and should be avoided, unless there is truly a sufficient and justified cause. This is where the knowledgeable and independent Surveyor is required, with the objective of revealing the factual reality, to make a quantative judgement and to recommend a sensible and cost effective solution. The Surveyor should also supervise any resulting work. © John Marshall Turner. May 2003. All rights reserved. |
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