Surveyor declines to Survey Hurricane Repaired boat!

[rexripley]

Wrote a surveyor to inquire about availability for a boat, I didn't tell him the boats name but did tell him model etc. I have a survey done a few months old that seems to be an interim survey, but before buying of course I was going to have my own survey done.

His response:
"Sorry but I am unable to survey <boat name>"
"Yes, I was here during the hurricanes of 2017 and saw what happened."
"I was not involved with the damage surveys or repair of this boat"

One interpretation is that because he wasn't involved all along he can't know if it was repaired correctly.

Another interpretation was he thinks the boat is not sound.

This isn't a generic condo cat which they make thousands of.* This is a genuinely quality boat, from a great builder, which has good performance and design and which there are not any more being made. So, I can't just move on. There are zero of them on the market.

[Knotical]

A few possibilities:

-maybe he’s busy
-maybe he’s not knowledgeable and/or comfortable surveying a damaged and repaired boat
-because it’s one of a kind maybe he does not have enough experience to give you an objective survey
-personal reasons

I would just find a different surveyor, you can even ask him to recommend a few.

[rexripley]

Originally Posted by Knotical

A few possibilities:

-maybe he’s busy
-maybe he’s not knowledgeable and/or comfortable surveying a damaged and repaired boat
-because it’s one of a kind maybe he does not have enough experience to give you an objective survey
-personal reasons

I would just find a different surveyor, you can even ask him to recommend a few.

Yeah, I got a response back which was mostly complaints about the design. I think he might be a monohull guy or something.

One is a datapoint. If another refuses, that's a trend!

[Cheechako]

It sounds like he knows the boat, how it was damaged and is unwilling to offer a proper opinion on it's condition.....?

[MrChris]

I would ask a real surveyor from other area. Local guys are often already in the politics and insurance stewpot.

[boatpoker]

I have refused to survey boats for various reasons, many which couldn't be guessed by those who have not seen what I've seen. I owe an explanation to no one. My perogative to choose my work.

[Chotu]

Is it maybe a difficult boat to survey? Located in an inconvenient spot?

Maybe the surveyor is up to their eyeballs in easy, quick boats that are right next to his house.

[kapnd]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Is it maybe a difficult boat to survey? Located in an inconvenient spot?

Maybe the surveyor is up to their eyeballs in easy, quick boats that are right next to his house.

If damages/repairs have occurred in places that are currently inaccessible, I’d decline to do survey too.
This is why it’s always a good idea to keep a photographic record of any major repairs, documenting that they were correctly implemented.
Hurricane damage repair is a lucrative market, not only in boats!

[rexripley]

From the follow up it is clear he doesn't like he design of the boat, so I cannot tell if this is just personal opinion or he knows something he isn't or can't tell me.

He is from the area of the boat, and so there could be local politics involved.

[rexripley]

Originally Posted by kapnd

If damages/repairs have occurred in places that are currently inaccessible, I’d decline to do survey too.
This is why it’s always a good idea to keep a photographic record of any major repairs, documenting that they were correctly implemented.
Hurricane damage repair is a lucrative market, not only in boats!

On this design I'm not aware of any places that are inaccessible, except, of course inside of fiberglass. I believe there were a series of surveys done during the repair.

It sounds like I should ask for this record of documentation as part of the evaluation of the boat? Is there a standard name for it?

I do have a copy of a survey from about 10 months ago that was done during the repairs, to apparently identify outstanding issues. Repairs were not complete at that point.

[BillKny]

I would expect that he thinks it is virtually impossible to truly give a passing grade to a boat that had been severely damaged and repaired.

He is probably uncomfortable telling an insurance company that there are NO hidden defects that they needed to worry about, and the boat is of a similar risk for latent defects as an undamaged boat. That's a pretty tall order...

It would make me think twice about signing that report.

[rexripley]

Originally Posted by BillKny

I would expect that he thinks it is virtually impossible to truly give a passing grade to a boat that had been severely damaged and repaired.

If it was severely damaged I would expect the insurance company would have totaled it, and it would have been sold for scrap. Instead the insurance company repaired it.

Or maybe someone is lying to me.

Is there a place where I can look up boats to see if they have been totaled?

I gave an insurance company the hull number, and got a quote for this specific boat.

So I am guessing they should know how bad the claim was. Unless they don't check when quoting.... but no, the quote is binding for 60 days...

[Knotical]

I would think the insurance company has the most interest in the soundness of the boat and may have their preferred surveyors - is it wrong to ask them for a reference?

Your point about the local surveyor and the area’s politics may be true, he may not wanna kill a potential sale if he has to live and work there - will he talk to you off the record, at least maybe the main point of his concern and what should the survey mostly focus on?

I am not sure if above points are feasible, experienced folks here can correct me if I am wrong.

[tp12]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

It sounds like he knows the boat, how it was damaged and is unwilling to offer a proper opinion on it's condition.....?

His complaining about the design seems to indicate otherwise.

Find another surveyor

[Orion Jim]

Unless a surveyor has access to the documents (presuming they exist) recording the original extent of the damage and the schedule of remedial repairs dictated by the surveyor, which should establish that each step was documented before the next step was initiated, most reputable surveyors would be inclined to avoid your request. Likewise if those records do not exist most insurance underwriters would decline any request to accept an “after the fact” survey since it would be based on speculation.