Before accepting delivery of new construction, would it be good practice to have a surveyor inspect the boat before
the final check is written?
"Before accepting delivery of new construction, would it be good practice to have a surveyor inspect the boat before
the final check is written?"
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!
And a sea trial. as there is only so much that can be examined with out being underway.
On larger new builds it is common that a "person" (way more skilled and trained than your normal surveyor) familiar with that brand spends time at the factory watching for known defects and problem areas. Once into vessels that will be fully crewed the Captain may well live at the build site.
All boat builders' labor force can have a bad day. Many of these bad day problems will go unnoticed until or beyond commissioning time. I've spent time with commissioning skilled brand specific surveyors who go right to these known problem areas and assess the severity of the factory induced oops. Some are minor, some not. On this point I'm speaking of well known and high end brands.
For a near million dollar or more vessel, budgeting for a truly skilled professional with that brand's experience can prove a wise move. Rarely will new build issues hit a site like like TF. But they do whether an outboard powered Cutwater, bad drive train on a Seahorse or flop like the TT.
The notion that North Pacific, Nordhavn, Fleming or Westport build the perfect vessel has been proven wrong time and again. A boat is a complex thing and an oops or twenty is to be expected. A very smart owner, "person" or assigned crew can spot many issues as the vessel goes together. Commissioning can hopefully find and assess the rest.
So yes, once beyond an FRP rowboat, oversight is always a good idea. A friend of mine was in charge of QA/QC for a large builder. Great stories on what he found going on in his large factory. Upon retirement he was hired to look after various offshore new builds by the owner. The stories get even better.
I'd venture a guess that Steve D has a story or two on this subject.
- PKPetBefore accepting delivery of new construction, would it be good practice to have a surveyor inspect the boat before the final check is written?
One caveat Miz Trom's post reminds me of. You may have a contract subject to survey, you may survey and major issues remain, and you may still be in trouble with an unscrupulous builder. I've known people with several different builders to end up held hostage. It's pay me the rest or you don't get the boat. Now, you owe a little, have paid a lot, and you either have to sue to get your boat or pay the ransom. Then after that you have the choice of suing or absorbing the loss.
Three specifics.
1-Boat had major issues found in inspection. Builder refused to fix. Buyer sued and won entire amount plus interest and return of boat.
2-Boat wasn't finished and was held hostage. Suit but builder went bankrupt. Buyer got boat and had finished by someone else.
3-Boat failed survey, builder refused to fix. Buyer paid the ransom, took boat, had it fixed at their expense.
I could list others, but the reality is the survey won't protect you from a dishonest builder. It will inform you and may help in court if you go that route although I could point to cases where it didn't there because of other issues with the case and lack of buyer credibility. Choose your builder carefully. Still survey.
BP
Sounds like you are ready to go into the boat building business and show how it is done to your personal acceptance level. BTW, are ABYC guidelines standards or recommendations? Then Euro and Australian guidelines for those locale built boats. Now Transport Canada enters the fray. Whew!
- PKPet
Hi PKPet:
Would it be possible to get more details? Are you having a new Nauset 33 built, or some other brand?
I ask because if you are having, perhaps, a new center console built, then yes, a survey before final payment is a good idea.
If you are having a new trawler or cruiser built, i.e. a boat that includes all of the liveaboard and safety systems necessary for long term cruising, my response will be more in depth.
Cheers,
Pea
I had the Nauset built in 1997. I am retiring in 2 years and would like to cruise with friends and still continue to fish for tuna and strippers. My new boat needs to be 40 ft with 2 staterooms and a cockpit designed to fish. Unfortunately I can’t find one that cruises and fishes. Hence I am designing a boat with Nauset. A boat unfortunately can’t do all things well.
It is rare for almost everyone to agree on TF but in this thread, all seem to agree to get the boat surveyed.
May be you could have a look at Selene yachts, my new 78 fishing explorer has been designed specifically for fishing based on a 66 model (72 ft). Howard Chen is always happy to customize his moulds to accommodate special request.I am also talking to Trevor at North Pacific. We’ve discussed creating an asymmetrical Sedan 44 with a molded stairway to the bridge for safety and ease of ascent. I have a center console for fishing but I would like to consolidate function in one boat. Trevor has been very accommodating. A lot of factors to consider.
Before accepting delivery of new construction, would it be good practice to have a surveyor inspect the boat before
the final check is written?