Should I have a survey?

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The short answer is yes.

It is ultimately your choice, but with a few exceptions we would recommend that you do so. Firstly, a boat is a substantial purchase and it will help to give you peace of mind. Secondly, the seller will be liable to cover the cost of any post-survey remedial work related to boat safety, insurability, soundness of the hull, and ensure that anything we have listed as working should do so. Any issues relating to general maintenance such as engine servicing, paintwork, or cosmetic concerns would be up to the buyer to fix, but at least a survey would let you know about these!

How much will a survey cost?

Typically a full out-of-the-water survey will cost between £500 and £800, plus the cost of taking the boat out of the water. Depending on whether the method is a dry dock, a slipway or a crane it will cost from £300 – £500. The means of removing the boat from water will usually depend upon what facilities lie nearest to the boat’s location. At Stowe Hill we utilise our own on site crane for this purpose.

Can I have the hull blacked at the same time?

We get asked this question on countless occasions. And the definitive answer is (drum roll), maybe. Dry docks and slipways (the most common means of taking a boat out of the water) are frequently booked some way in advance for longer term work such as hull blacking. For a hull blacking to be done properly the boat should be out of the water for several days. Survey boats are often only out of the water for 2 hours or less, and are docked/slipped between a long term booking changeover. In any case, although I can’t imagine the owner objecting to a free blacking, the boat is not yours until you are satisfied with the outcome of the survey and have completed the purchase of the vessel.

However, at Stowe Hill we have our own lifting service courtesy of an on-site 40 tonne crane, and usually we are able to accommodate the need for a blacking and other work that require a boat to be out of the water, such as fitting new anodes. This is of course weather permitting!

The following is a list of surveyors of whom we have first hand experience: