made an offer on the boat.

This will seem very obvious to most of you, but a smart thing to do
before conducting a survey and sea trial of a boat you're interested in
is to write out a list of everything you want to check well in advance
of seeing the boat itself.  When you're actually confronted with the
boat, it will be very easy to overlook something, from whether or not
the refrigerator thermostat works to the condition of the hot water
heater hoses.

When you're under no time pressure, and before the excitement of
actually getting your hands on the boat (there is always some, no matter
how jaded and objective with the boat buying process you think you are),
take the time to think of every possible thing you should check.  Write
it all down and sort it into a logical sequence so you aren't running
from the anchor winch to the rudder bushings.

Sounds obvious, I know.  But I didn't think to do it until an
experienced boater friend suggested I do this before we went to
California to check out the boat we subsequently bought.  The list I
eventually compiled was seven pages long, single spaced.  Many of the
items on it, like the security of the anchor winch mountings, we
probably never would have thought to check had we just showed up at the
boat on the appointed day.  Granted, the surveyor we'd hired should have
checked this, and maybe he would have.  But we'd already gone through my
list by the time he got there, and we'd already found that the winch
mount needed reinforcement.

Sitting in your living room thinking of all the things you should check
on a boat will yield, I would be willing to bet, a considerably longer
list than one you compile standing on the deck of the boat getting ready
for a sea trial and owner examination, especially if other people, like
a broker or two, are there with you.

C. Marin Faure
36' Grand Banks "La Perouse"
Bellingham, Washington

Marin- Is your list available for TW?

Michael Wilkie
Grass Valley, Cal.

Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing
section in a swimming pool?

On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 15:08:53 -0800, "Faure, Marin"
marin.faure@boeing.com wrote:

I appended in the list I used when shopping for 35'-40' sailboats.
Much of the information is appliable to trawlers. You can download
this in a MS Excel spreadsheet from
http://renoun.net/TWL/inspection_checklist.xls.

Static inspection:

Identification
Take a bunch of pictures so you'll remember the boat later.
Boat name
Boat hailing port
Boat location
Boat manufacturer and model
Asking price
Hull number
Registration number
Owner's contact info
Broker contact info
Previous owner's contact info
Mechanic/boatyard's contact info

Specifications

LOA
LWL
Draft
Beam
Displacement
Ballast weight
Rig type
Boat age
Cockpit placement
Mast height
Various ratios

Hull

Material
Solid/cored below waterline
Reinforced with stringers/stiffeners ?
Hull/deck joint type
Depressions / bulges / blisters. (Blisters esp near waterline.)

Deck

Material
Solid/cored
Color
Walk on every square foot to check for crunching/flexibility
Look for cracks
Rub-rail: should stand out well, want steel/rubber/bronze-capped, not
plastic
Amount of free space
Swim platform
Hose down deck and look in cabin for leaks

Keel

Shape / type
Have X-rayed to see if bolts are sound ?

Ballast

Material (lead better than iron)
Internal/external (external better)

Rudder, Propellor, Steering

Condition
How protected
Rudder shaft thickness and mounting
How easy to service
What type of propellor
Tiller/wheel
Steering linkage type (cable pull-pull, hydraulic, rack-and-pinion,
worm gear)
Want propellor shaft level with waterline for maximum thrust

Engine

Type
Condition
Age (years & hours)
When rebuilt
Maintenance records
How easy to access and service
Oil drip pan ?
Size (want 1.5hp to 2hp per 1000lb)
Type of water-cooling (raw, heat-exchange or keel; want fresh-water
cooling ?)
Type of gearbox (want hydraulic)
Shaft brake
Exhaust system
Fuel filters (want 2)
Look clean
Size/placement of fuel tanks; access ports
Sniff around engine to smell antifreeze (indicates overheating) or
burnt oil
Send fluid samples to a testing lab

Ground Tackle

Anchor types/sizes
Rode types/lengths (all-chain ?)
Anchor windlass
Chain locker (drains overboard ?)
Easy to deploy anchor quickly
How easy to raise ?
Boat hook

Mast and Spars

Keel-stepped or deck-stepped
Material
Condition
Instruments and hardware at top
Condition of mast-step
Halyard number and routing

Safety

Lifelines / stanchions / toerails (how high ?)
Deck configuration
Sloping deck surfaces bad
Sheets come to cockpit
Bilge pump number and types
Strength of hatches and ports
Weight distribution
Cockpit size / drainage / bridgedeck
Cabin escape route through forward hatch
Lightning protection
Propane locker vents overboard
Lifesling, overboard pole

Sails

Number and types
Condition (check batten pockets and all edges)
Age
Material and thickness
Type of reefing/furling
Chafe

Deck Hardware

Quality
Method of attachment (through-bolted with backing plates)
Winches (self-tailing, 2-speed)
Cleats
Blocks
Hatch hinges and fastenings
Port and hatch materials

Attachment Strength

Bulkhead-to-hull
Hull-to-deck
Mast-to-hull

Finish

Blistering
Cracking
Rotting
Waterlogging (recent painting could be hiding cracks that will come
back)

Cockpit

Size
Drainage
Layout
Visibility with and without dodger
Want traveler in front of cockpit and dodger
Layout of gauges and controls
Livability

Cabin

Layout
Standing headroom
Comfortable seats with headroom
Size / number / length of berths
Lie down in every berth
Size / number / placement of ports
Upholstery
Paint
Safety
Lighting
Ventilation
Smell
Stain line could indicate recent sinking
Floor cracks indicate recent severe impact
Number of structural bulkheads

Through-Hulls (including propellor shaft)

Number
Material
Condition
Sea-cocks
Double-clamped hoses

Access

To bilge
To very bottom of bilge
To engine
To stuffing-box
To through-hulls
To plumbing/tanks and electrical
To deck hardware backing plates

Rigging

Condition (dye testing for cracked fittings, magnetic testing for
swages ?)
Type
Redundancy
Routing to cockpit or mast
Any places where chafe is likely
How easy to rig jibe preventer
Lazy jacks on main
Extra halyards and winches
Spinnaker pole and type of spinnaker jibe
Whisker pole
Traveller
Boom vang

Comfort

LOA and beam
Deck layout and space
Cabin space
Ventilation
Fans
Layout
Lighting (natural and artificial)
Storage space
Dryness

Electrical

Proper type of wire ?
Proper type of connections (soldered) ?
DC return wires used ?
Corrosion / zincs; bonding system type
Accessibility
Battery configuration, size, condition
Battery compartment separate from engine compartment ?
Charging system (solar, wind, water, alternator, generator)
Inverter type and size
Shore power (GFI / circuit-breaker / isolation transformer)
Exposed on deck, in cockpit ?

Plumbing

Condition
Manual backup pumps
Inspection ports on water tank
Can bypass waste tank
Bronze instead of plastic
Sizes / types / placement of tanks
Shore connection (does it have pressure limiter)
Tanks shouldn't be near heat sources
Water heater type

Leaks

Water / mold / stains / smells in bilge/lockers or around
mast/ports/hatches
Deck hardware attached with screws

Galley

Stove type
Refrigeration size and type and power source
Watermaker
Layout / access

Head

Type
Size (stand and sit with door closed)
Access for repair
Manual operation
Holding tank

Balance

At dock, is boat listing, or down at bow/stern ?

Instruments

RADAR
GPS
LORAN
Depth finder
Auto-pilots
Compass
Barometer
Knotmeter
Anemometer
Radios, antennas and grounds
Where are sensors placed
Gearbox oil-pressure
Engine oil-pressure
Engine temperature
RPM
Running hours

Tender

Type
Condition
Size
Mechanism to lift it
Place to stow it
Motor type/condition

Liferaft and Abandon-Ship Bag

Type
Condition
Size
Place to stow it (want on-deck stowage)
Supplies (watermaker, shade, food, etc)

Additional Items

Dodger/bimini
Fenders
Tools
Spares
Charts
Books
Logs
Owners manuals
PFDs
EPIRB
Extinguishers
Bilge blower
Fume detectors
Automatic fire-suppression
Jack lines and tethers
Fishing tackle
Ladder
Sail and instrument covers
Awning
Rain-catcher
BBQ
Heater
Deck hoses
Deck shower
Audio/TV
Mast-climbing gear
Courtesy flags
Sea anchor/drogue

General Use

How/where has the boat been used in general and in recent past ?

History

Any major accidents, repairs, refits, changes from original equipment
?
Prior survey reports ?
Prior owners ?
USA documented ?
Inspect log book ?
Maintenance records ?

Aesthetics

Usability

How easy to get on/off from docked / swimming / tender ?
Free deck space (with tender on board) for sleeping / partying /
sitting ?
Sea trial:
Do sea trial with tanks full, all gear on board.

Balance

Pitching
Heeling
Balanced steering
Weather helm

Under Sail

Speed
Visibility
Sail-handling
Responsiveness
Dryness
Motion
Stability
Tacking angle
Behavior at all points of wind
Behavior at various strengths of wind
Behavior with minimal/typical/full sails up
Performance of auto-pilot and wind-vane
Sounds when below
Raise/lower every sail

Motoring (run engine as long as possible)

Engine starting ease
Speed at various RPMs
Noise
Vibration
Exhaust
Leaks from engine
Engine temperature
Performance in reverse
Maneuverability, turning radius
Sounds when below
Turn on all electrics and run at same time, see what happens
New oil in drip pan (put cloth down at start) ?

General

Water in bilge
New water in bilge after pumping it out ?
Water through open ports
Pounding through seas
Behavior when anchored in wind and swell
Operate every instrument and control

Tender (do sea trial)

Stability
Wetness
Capacity
Motor
Launching/stowing

Ross Fleming        ross@renoun.net
S/V Renown          Gulfstar 39
Seattle, Washington  http://renoun.net

Listees:

What about a TWL survey list?

I really enjoyed looking through Ross's list and now have a copy on my
computer. This is something the surveyors should use, but, then they
might charge more. I wonder if TWL would keep such a survey list on
their web site for perusal. This survey list could be enhanced by all of
us. I think I have a couple of items to add. I will be happy to maintain
such a survey list with Georgs OK. And I'd add some explanations to the
items in the list, esp, for those less experienced.

If  the response is positive, I will suggest the mechanics to Georgs. It
would take mostly my time.

Surveyors do have an obligation to ensure the boat is safe for the
intended waters the boat will operate on. Beyond that, I don't know if
they have any other obligation. I have had several surveys done on my
boat during its life. The three different surveyors who looked at my
boat came up with different items (fortunately minor items). This leads
me to believe there is no uniform standard they use.

One book I enjoyed reading on surveying was Ian Nicolson's Surveying
Small Craft. I received the book over 15 years ago and do not know if it
is still available.

Bob Rapasky, Venture 31', Sea Horse, CA Delta