Cool loto. Do you have a name and number for this guy. What part or town in FLA?? If you want you can PM me the info, or post it here.

TIA. chris

She had a great reputation and an impressive resume. And still missed. I cut the inner skin of the transom away and the wood just fell out soaking wet.

if it was that bad and you didn't even get a second season out of the boat.. she should do something to make things right with you.. a water meter would have gone off with-in six feet of the boat then..

customrigger101 Thats what kills me. I found the rot when I hit the transom with the water from a hose. She's telling me that with a moisture meter and plastic hammer for soundings. she couldn't detect the rot from the exterior of the transom.

I know a buddy that payed for a survey on a boat in the Mystic Seaport...we flew all the way from LAX To JFK... rented a car .... drove all the way to Mystic... only to find that the surveyor must have either been blind... payed off by the seller... or just plain stupid... everything on the transom was practically rotted away from corrosion... the boat had sat in salt water for years... got to the boat yard just in time to catch the seller "frosting" everything with JB weld and spraying with paint... The seller actually thought that he could hide massive amounts of corrosion by covering it with epoxy and painting over..... The funniest part was when we were standing there with our jaws hanging out looking at the camouflage job he was doing on the outdrives.... he announces to us with this comical New Englander accent in his voice..... " Don't even bother looking at it gentlemen..... It's already sold.... the new owner is going to be here any moment"...... roflmao.... I guess he was expecting someone dressed in black wearing gold chains. Little did he know, for at that moment... there was no new owner.... AND THE SURVEYOR HAD SAID THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF CORROSION.

SKRAMER,
I just bought a boat in Jupiter, FLA not knowing the hull or any surveyors, I went on my own investigation. Flew down from NJ and then had 3 days to make a decision before my flight back. Started by asking the dock master at the marina the boat was stored. Got some great info from this guys and couple other workers there, including usage, care, problems, maintenance. Went over to the mechanic and asked what he'd kind of work he'd done with this boat. Asked them all their unbiased opinions. They had nothing to gain or lose, and gave me honest answers. I went unannounced and the owner met me there after I spoke to people.

Did not even give him a chance to warm the boat up or prep it for the test ride :) When owner arrived 2 hours after I'd already been there checking it out. We fork lifted it into water and fired her up (cold) and went for a spin. Then I asked around (my father lives there) got 4-5 names of recommended surveyors and at that point I was pretty much stuck using the one who could fit me in his shedule during the next 2 day period.

All in all I was not too impressed with the survey. He checked the outdrives, engines, compression and general things. No moisture meter just 'sounded' the hull and said it was solid. I am hopeful nothing major was missed, but for the money I paid for the survey I got what I expected and a report to go with. I wondered too what if something goes drastically wrong, what recourse do we have with that surveyor or piece of paper :confused: :(

The tramsom of a performance boat takes alot af stress. what happens when I'm running at 60mph in 4 footers and my outdrive goes flying over my head. All I'll get for a responce from a survery is I couldn't detect that.

Jeff Hahn

1-866-533-3424
[email protected]

travels all over florida. not sure where his home base is.
after the salemen screwed me out of the boat (see bad busines section), Jeff offered to survey another one for free. good guy!

Last 2 boats surveyed for customers:
Boat 1-
Reputable surveyor that I have used many times and it was his second time to survey the same boat (he did the survey when the seller was the buyer) Gave me a 4 page list of the usual B.S. stuff I.E., Chaffed hose, discolored exhaust etc. Nothing structural. Said the boat was in great shape. Boat ships out of state and I get pics sent my way. I could not believe the stuff they found. I canceled the check with an explanation and the guy had the nerve to ask me to only pay half. Two people in the industry that I respect almost went to lawyers over the affair and it was started by a surveyor. Had I not been paying the guy, I would have taken a closer look myself, a mistake I have not made sense.
Boat 2-
Surveyor writes a list of items missing on the boat and hands it to me as I go to pay him. I read the list:
No Anchor
No Porta Potti
No Fire extinguishers
it went on and on.
So I asked him back on the boat. Showed him the Vacu flush head with holding tank and pumpout, anchor locker (to which he was impressed one was installed), and 4 fire extinguishers including Halon in the engine compartment.
Paid him and told him to expedite the paperwork to the bank.
Most banks will require a surveyor to write up a boat. Most surveyors don't know a thing about High Performance boats, but will fake it for one simple reason...They charge by the foot, and we like em big, 29, 32,35,38,42, and now 46 and 50. That adds up. Banks dont require engine surveys which are the most expensive thing to replace.
would I hire a surveyor again for an accurate account of the boat? Hell No!
I would however fly a rigger in from wherever and have an engine shop do some investigating.
Live and learn! Then share with others.

Thanks loto .. sounds like a fair guy.