Dionysus Feldman wrote:

I see recommendations from everyone to "have that used boat surveyed".
And every used car is supposed to be inspected by an independent
mechanic.

OK, how much is a survey? My house survey was $250, and worth every
penny. But my house cost 20 times what my boat will.

Well, does your boat cost more money than you would be content to simply
throw away or burn?





There's only one surveyor referenced within a couple of hours of us, btw
(A-1 Marine in Saugatuck), and I've already sent in a query.

Do new boats need a survey? What's included? I saw a recommendation
here to have a mechanic look at the boat too. If the engine isn't
included in the survey, why bother?

Depends on the boat, depends on the surveyor. A few surveyors can give a
mechanical survey, but most have spent their time learning about stuctural
engineering, marine electrical engineering, electronics, fluid dynamics,
safety standards & equipment, etc etc. You can't expect one person to know
*everything*. As for "is it worth it to get the engine surveyed too" I
repeat the above query... does it cost more money than you'd be content to
simply throw away?

Another point to keep in mind is that you need a survey anyway in order to
insure most boats.

I would definitely recommend getting a new boat surveyed. Just because it's
new doesn't make it perfect, it still should go through a thorough sea trial
with *every* piece of gear tested & evaluated. The dealer will, of course,
tell you otherwise.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King