Looking for a surveyor recommendation in Seattle

F

ferret30

New member
Does anyone have a recommendation for a marine surveyor in Seattle? Also, what would be the expected survey cost for a 22, hull and motor or full boat?

Thanks for any info, and the sooner the better!
 
Frankly I can't recall any instances of having a 22 C-Dory actually surveyed but someone else may recall a survey. I do recall that surveyors are reputed to be pretty unregulated and caveat emptor is the best rule. (Hence of course your question.) I think I would ask frequent c-brat contributor Matt at Kitsap Marine for help. I don't think they have a surveyor on staff but he can probably point you in the right direction.
 
Seems to be a problem posting my reply from MS Word. I'll try again later...
 
A surveyor recommended by BoatUS would give me a level of confidence that their work would be good.

I'm using a marine surveyor out of Louisville for my boat project. He was recommended to me by Jack Hornor, N.A. and I think pretty highly of him. I've sent him an email asking if he can recommended a surveyor in your area; I'll pass along any forthcoming recommendation. In the mean time, here are links to two marine surveyor accreditation groups that may help you find someone in your neighborhood.

National Association of Marine Surveyors
http://www.namsglobal.org/find-a-marine-surveyor

Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors
http://www.marinesurvey.org/index2.html
 
One note-

the surveyor is not usually the one who does the mechanical inspection. The survey deals with the structure and systems on the vessel. Mechanical inspection is usually done by a mechanic, hopefully one who is familiar with the brand of power that is on the boat.
 
I had my '06 23' Cape Cruiser surveyed before I bought itin 2009---- first time owning a boat other than 16-18 ft fishing boats. After the survey, I thought it was wasted money, and over the next 6 months my suspicions were confirmed.When I got the boat home, discovered the space between the floor and hull was full of water. By the time I got home ,trailer brakes were locked up. Also, Wallas stove did not work. My advice would be to find a friend that owns a similar boat, put your coveralls on and spend 2 hrs. doing your own survey[or half a day]. Determine if service is due on the motor and if it is ,negotiate who pays for the service. And ,don't forget the trailer-----even if you have to pay a mechanic to inspect the trailer brakes. They have suffered if the trailer has been in and out of salt water many times.

Hope this helps some.

Charlie
 
Charlie's story is all too familiar to me in the old house restoration business; e.g., inspector notes cracked glass in storm door but doesn't even look to see that the new shingles have no overhang or drip edge. In my experience, I found it's important to find out something about anyone doing these kind of inspections.

My surveyor was recommended by a well-known naval architect who reviewed my hull extension plans. Jack Hornor said that US Boat knows Greg Weeter and readily accepts his work. Greg responded to my email this morning with this:

"I'd call Gerry Edwards or Ron Reisner at the firm of Reisner, McEwan and Edwards, Phone 206-719-2427."

Hopefully, you can get independent local references for these guys; it's always worth taking the time.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I'm on the fence about having the survey done at this point as the boat is relatively new (2006) and only a few small items came out of the 2 hours of exploration I did yesterday. The things I noticed were:

* The little step between the cabin floor and berth floor has a few horizontal cracks. Looks like it would be from kicking it when walking around that area. Anyone else see this on their boat? It doesn't look like a structural issue, but I'd like to be safe.

* The current owner has had the boat for 2 years and has only taken it in fresh water from his houseboat dock. The hours gauge stopped rolling during that time. Can the actual hours be read from the motor? (Suzuki 90 Four Stroke).

Thanks!
 
I have used Global marine at 425-397-6601 for the survey of my 22 and of my 27. They did a good job thou I have to say I know more about c-dorys then they did and had to guide them thru both boats. I had to do the same when the insurance company sent someone to see my fathers boat. that guy really did not earn his pay. Barrie Arnett [marinesurveyor@wavecable.com] was not one I would choose to use.

on edit: Matt makes a good point. Have the engine checked out by a mechanic and ensure they pull the plugs and test the compression. as for the rest of the boat they only thing you can not check your self is the present of water in the core and transom. You can buy a moisture meter but they are pricey. you may be able to rent one? other then that if you know boats you should be able to check the rest of the boat yourself. If you are not spending a hour or more then you are not looking long enough or being picky enough.
 
If your Suzuki is like my e-tech, a Suzuki dealer should be able to put it on their computer and determine how many hours on the motor. Number of hours is not as important as history of service.

Charlie
 
ferret30":2z1ss576 said:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Leinm9zcj8adWAdm9K2wTb4o_ShuzBcBoeIfZDvehfg?feat=directlink

Here's a link to a picture showing where the crack is that I mentioned previously. I'm not too worried about it, but I just thought I'd show it since I haven't found any info in the forums about similar issues.
Click to expand...

Our CD 22 had the cracks in the same place when we purchased it in 2003 & it was three years old. Previous owner said he couldn't get the factory to fix under warrantee because it wasn't structural. Well after his two & our eight seasons of long trailering and many rough water miles of cruising the cracks are no worse, so think you can let that concern go.

Jay
 
Hunkydory:

That's great to hear that someone else has seen this cracking and it wasn't significant. Makes the decision even easier!
 
A 4 stroke Suzuki indicates the number of engine hours when you first turn the key on, before the engine starts. if it reads 2000 rpm, that's 200 hours. 2200 rpm is 220 hours. This assumes, of course that the tach has been hooked up to the engine since new. It's in the owners manual of the engine. Cannot (to my knowledge) be fiddled with.

Charlie
 
I have used Laura and Alain Vilage of Port Townsend Marine Services, twice. They are very thorough, reasonable price and good report w photos. He is known as a buyer's surveyor ie very thorough about potential problems.

http://www.ptmarinesurvey.com/
360-344-3607

good luck
Jim
 
I had my 26' ProAngler surveyed in W. Palm Beach before sending the check.
He did a reasonable job but missed some things. He did take an engine oil sample and had it analyzed. That was a great idea.
Paid $500 for the survey. Probably $250 would have been more fair.
Two years later the boat/engine/trailer are doing just fine.
 
We now have a boat, and ended up not going with a surveyor. The boat is a 2006, and the two owners almost exclusively used the boat in fresh water. The motor hours are low, and it just needs some cleaning (it's been moored in fresh water for 2 years).

It has bottom paint right now, but some came off while getting it on the trailer. I'm considering an initial cleaning with a pressure washer, but I don't want to do any damage. Any recommendations for doing some cleaning while it's on the trailer? There's gunk below the waterline. The whole boat is needs some cleaning, especially under the bump rails (whatever they're called).

Finally, there are a few small areas of spider cracking in the fiberglass. Any need to do something about it now? There's an old (2006 vintage) radar on an arch that I'm considering taking off to make it easier to carry a small Zodiac, kayaks, etc. Is it hard to fill holes left by old hardware?

I've got a lot to learn, but it's really exciting. We don't even have a truck to pull this with yet (had to borrow one today), so that's next. I almost forgot, we need to name it!
 
There is a lady surveyor in Sequim, who travels considerably for survey jobs. Has been surveying for about 30 years, and comes from a boat building family. She was quite familiar with C-Dory's and seems her initial valuation is pretty right on.

Fee: Currently $15 per foot.

Jody Coman Pager # 360-457-5092

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
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