An experienced naval architect, because of the nature of his work, could well be the very best person to survey a yacht or powerboat for you. Whilst working on a new design every component is carefully and accurately drawn and dimensioned, the materials are specified and the method of construction considered. A designer can use this skill and experience to “see inside” a component, such as the rudder of a 30 year old GRP yacht, and immediately know how it was made and what type of materials would have been used.
Backed by extensive professional qualifications, this “inside” knowledge of yacht and boat designs, from the late 1960s until the present day, plus academic studies into the ageing and corrosion of materials, and the use of modern electronic surveying instruments, enables an experienced designer such as myself to offer an expert and dependable service as a surveyor.
Surveys are often carried out as pre-purchase inspections, but are also performed to establish the general condition of the vessel, to assess damage, to check for osmosis, to confirm compliance with regulations, to establish a valuation, to satisfy insurers or to monitor the quality during the building process. I can survey any yacht or motor boat built from GRP, FRP, steel, aluminium, traditional wood construction, wood-epoxy or plywood. Surveys on sailing catamarans and other multihull craft are conducted regularly and I am familiar with a very wide range of boat types. Osmotic blistering or “osmosis”, can affect any GRP boat, often being very costly to overcome. A careful survey, including the systematic use of a moisture meter, is essential before the purchase of any second-hand GRP yacht. A damage survey will determine whether broken components can be repaired economically.