Hire Ed Cozzi, pay for his plane ticket. I think he's in Rhode Island today- he goes wherever.

What I can't understand about surveyors is the fact that they get paid to do a job and can deny all responsibility for having done the job. Don't these people have to become certified to call themselves a surveyor? Doesn't that certification process make them take a certain amount of responsibility for the work they do? If not, then can't anyone call themselves a surveyor and charge people to look at a boat and say "yeah it's great, pay me!. What, it fell apart and sank? Not my problem, read my disclaimer! (laughing all the way to the bank)"

As a professional engineer, when I get a license, I take the responsibility that goes with it. If I were to do a home inspection and sign off on it, and then that home had a structural failure the day after they bought the house due to something that was there when I inspected, I would most certainly be liable.

I just find it hard to believe that anyone can call themselves a marine surveyor and take no responsibility for the service that they perform. That being said, why would anybody pay for one?

Post a copy of the survey on here. Give us all a chance to see what it really says.

scarabman - good idea.

I would definitely call velocity and see if they have someone that can come take a look at it.

IMO opinion, it is not the surveryors fault at all. Of course they build disclaimers in there; any good surveryor will do that. The surveryor is just an objective third party opinion as someone has already stated. I would NEVER buy a boat that I didnt go through myself, then if I want sure, I got a survey to back up MY impressions. Not to put accountability on someone else. But as many have said already, the amount necesarry to fix it is just not that bad. heck... When I bought my Cig, I asked what I was looking at it to maintain per year and multiplied it by 4. The expenses that come up at any given time dwarf that figure and I expect it to. This is an expensive hobby and stuff happens, one who cant handle the damage, maintenence and things that can happen should sell their boat and take up a less expensive hobby. Good luck in your endeavor though.

Thanks Chris--just sent him a PM and an email

I am well aware of the expense that performance boating requires. I am also very aware that NOONE would intentionally purchase a boat needing $5000+ in repairs if they were not aware of the necessity. I am more then willing to accept ANY $5000 repair required by neglect on my part, not someone elses. I don't have the ability, tools, or the time to dedicate to a task like this. Thanks for your input though.

I applaud you for asking but I strongly recommend you start your own thread, you will get ALOT more response there.

Here's a link, first 5 pages come up first then open the folder for the remaining 4

http://cid-b5e91a91d17714f9.skydrive...arine%20survey

so rry, but I don't necessarily believe that the surveyor is off the hook here.
a) Is what he missed something that someone should have obviously seen with due diligence?
b) If in the course of this inspection, did he perform his service in a manner that is within the guidelines of the proffessional organizations in which he is a member?

That being said, I personally wouldn't rely on a surveyors opinion without checking it out personally. Many aspects are subjective, but structural failure and rot are not. It would be different if question of severity of issue, but quite another to miss it totally.