vagrant

I'm going to sell my boat and was wondering should I go ahead and get a marine survey done. I live in Charlotte , N.C. and don't know of any in the area.
Thanks
David

Flashback

Generally it is up to the buyer to get a survey so that he knows the condition of the boat he's buying. It also gives the prospective buyer the power to negotiate price or have the seller make repairs according to problems found. Not all lenders require a survey but Insurance companys will on boats 28' and up that remain in the water and on older performance boats. The prospective buyer will in most cases want to choose their own surveyor in order to trust the validity of value and condition. Since the buyer pays for the survey the survey itself is their property and are not obligated to show or give seller a copy of survey. They do not even have to disclose the value that the boat appraised for even though it is your boat.

I have been through 3 surveys. This does not in anyway make me a professional on this but I feel a little more ''streetwise" than I used to be, having gone through this. I live in Winston Salem, so I looked for a good surveyor in the area (a few were in Charlotte) and found that most worked for insurance co's full time and did surveys part time. Could not find one to meet my schedule so I trailered boat to Wilmington to be surveyed.

If you are still interested in getting a surveyor go to SAMS web site (Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors) on their membership roster you should be able to locate one near you. Just my opinion, but let the prospective buyer foot the bill.