Marine Surveys - Helpful or Hassle?

For starters, there are professional associations that self-regulate. Two examples are the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS) and the National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS). Choosing a member of one of these organizations doesn't guarantee performance, but can help give you confidence that you are choosing an experienced professional who has met certain qualifications. However, surveyors do not necessarily have to have such affiliations to be competent.

Many surveyors specialize in certain aspects of the marine industry. For your purposes, you will generally be looking for someone who specializes in yachts and small watercraft. A surveyor who does not claim any specialization may have too broad a scope for you to get the most detailed and expert service for your money. But keep in mind, in smaller boating communities or markets, less specialization may be the result of these professionals trying to maintain sufficient workloads and viable businesses.

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Are marine surveys an unreasonable inconvenience placed on yacht owners by big corporations? Are they a necessary evil?

The truth is, a good marine survey always justifies itself. The trick is in getting a good survey. The wrong survey on your yacht is a gamble, both on a significant investment and on the safety of you and your guests. With any luck, this article will allow you to hedge your bets a bit, and give you some good information as well.

The right surveyor is key

The trick to getting the most out of this process is finding the right surveyor. Frankly, this can be a challenge. There are no formal qualifications or requirements necessary to call oneself a marine surveyor - no licensing required, no industry oversight. So how do you sort through the candidates? There are a number of considerations. None are an absolute guarantee, but a combination of factors can be very effective.